Actor Reveals He Has Left ‘Toxic’ Film Industry: ‘Disgusted’

Acclaimed Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has officially packed his bags and abandoned Bollywood, confirming his exodus from Mumbai’s entertainment circles in pursuit of more authentic creative environments.

After hinting at his departure plans in previous interviews, Kashyap has now verified his move in a conversation with The Hindu, where he didn’t mince words about his motivations.

“I want to stay away from film people. The industry has become too toxic. Everyone is chasing unrealistic targets, trying to make the next ₹500 or ₹800 crore film. The creative atmosphere is gone,” the director stated.

While Kashyap’s new home remains officially undisclosed, sources cited by The Hindu suggest he has likely settled in Bangalore. The filmmaker has reportedly already submitted his first month’s rent payment for accommodations in his new city, signaling a definitive break from Mumbai’s film establishment.

This dramatic move follows months of increasingly vocal dissatisfaction with Hindi cinema’s direction. In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter India last year, Kashyap expressed profound disillusionment with Bollywood, describing himself as “disgusted” and “disappointed” with the industry’s current climate, according to Hindustan Times.

His frustrations appear centered on commercial pressures that he believes have stifled creativity. “I envy them (South filmmakers). Because now, it’s difficult for me to go out and experiment. Because now, it comes at a cost, which makes my producers think about profit,” Kashyap explained in the same interview.

The director elaborated that pre-production conversations now revolve primarily around marketability rather than storytelling. “Right from the beginning, before the film starts, it becomes about ‘how do we sell it?’ So the joy of filmmaking is sucked out,” he remarked, pinpointing the exact reason he decided “to move out.”

Kashyap’s admiration for South Indian cinema isn’t new. Pinkvilla reports that in a 2023 interview with them, the filmmaker suggested his movies might have enjoyed greater commercial success had he been born in Tamil Nadu or Kerala rather than making Hindi films. This perspective appears to have influenced his geographical preference for relocation.

Despite distancing himself from Bollywood, Kashyap remains actively involved in the broader Indian film landscape. He’s currently promoting the Malayalam film Footage. Directed by Saiju Sreedharan and starring Manju Warrier, the production was originally released in August last year, with its Hindi version scheduled to debut on March 7, 2025,

Additionally, Kashyap hasn’t abandoned acting entirely. He’s set to portray a fearless police officer in the upcoming bilingual project Dacoit, which is being filmed simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. The film will feature Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur in leading roles, though its release timeline remains unannounced. Pinkvilla also mentions that beyond “Footage,” Kashyap is backing a Kannada film and has committed to appearing as an actor in two more South Indian productions.