Mumbai: Anurag Kashyap used to feel that Karan Johar was a misfit for 'Bombay Talkies' but later he did find a common ground with the fellow filmmaker and thinks Karan's short film is the best in the anthology tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema.
It's a compilation of four short stories directed by four different filmmakers Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Johar. It releases on May 3 when India's first feature film -- Raja Harishchandra -- by the legendary Dadasaheb
Phalke was released.
"Initially, I used to feel that Karan is a misfit but not anymore. The more I have discovered him, I love him a lot. I identify with him on a lot on many things in life. And he is also who he is because of where he comes from. He aspires to be a filmmaker... he is constantly trying to change himself, adapt to situations, produces films for younger lot," Kashyap told PTI in an interview here.
"The only difference is he has the resources that I don't have. I find a parallel in what he does. I like him as an individual now," he said.
Also, Kashyap is quite impressed with the film that Karan has made for the centenary celebration and feels it's a first of its kind.
"I have seen their (Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar) films and they have done a brilliant job. Everybody has made a magical film. There is a silent secret competition between the four of us but my favourite is Karan
Johar's film," he added.
Anurag was the first one to come on board for this film and he did recommend a few directors including Dibakar.
"I came on board because I enjoy doing short films. But I am not a struggler anymore to make a short film. I had also given Vishal Bharadwaj's name. He was shooting something so he couldn't come on board," he said.
For 'Bombay Talkies', all the four directors were given Rs 1.5 crore each.
"We were all given the same budget, I think for Karan it would be a very tight budget. But for me Rs 1.5 crore was enough as I could make a feature film in that," he says.
Anurag's 20-minute film is about an ardent fan's wish to meet his idol, Amitabh Bachchan. The 70-year-old actor plays a cameo in the film where he meets the fan, who comes to visit him all the way from his hometown Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
For Anurag, working with Big B has always been a dream. The filmmaker is all praise for the legend.
"He took care of the crew, he was so hospitable, he kept feeding us all the time. We were overwhelmed," he said.
Considering the story is about a fan of Bachchan, the shooting happened in and around Pratiksha bungalow, one of houses of the megastar.
"I have shot inside the bungalow and around. Pratiksha is the main protagonist of my film. And that for me is the important thing and without Pratiksha I couldn't have made the film," he said.
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