Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who carved a niche for himself in Indian cinema with cult classics like Gangs of Wasseypur and Black Friday, recently looked back on the early phase of his career — a time filled with both promise and setbacks. While his directorial debut Paanch (2003) never saw a theatrical release due to censorship issues, the director revealed that even before it came out, producer Boney Kapoor was so impressed with his writing that he made him a life-changing offer.
Boney Kapoor offered to buy him a flat
In an interview with Game Changers, Kashyap shared how Boney Kapoor approached him after watching his work as a co-writer on Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998).“Boney Kapoor once told me, ‘Why don’t you make a film? Just point to any building from Bandra to Juhu, and I will buy you a flat there,’” Kashyap recalled.Laughing as he recounted the memory, he added, “I thought, if he’s offering me a flat before my film’s release, maybe after it comes out, I’ll get a bungalow!”
‘I stopped trying to prove anything’
However, Paanch never made it to theatres. Reflecting on that phase, Kashyap said, “That’s when I realised I made a film with newcomers to prove a point — that you need a story and storytelling, not stars. Even after Black Friday and Gangs of Wasseypur, I couldn’t prove that point. Eventually, I stopped trying to prove anything and started detaching.”Paanch, based on the infamous Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders of Pune (1976–77), ran into CBFC objections over its violence, language, and drug use. Although it later received clearance, financial hurdles kept it from a theatrical release.Before turning director, Anurag Kashyap made a mark as a screenwriter with acclaimed films like Satya (1998), Shool (1999), and Kaun (1999). Go to Source
