We have many mediocre filmmakers: 'Dabangg' director Abhinav Kashyap

Before he directed Dabangg, Abhinav Kashyap wasn’t known as Anurag Kashyap’s brother. After watching the film, it is difficult to believe that he is indeed his brother.

“Hardly anyone knew that Anurag had a sibling,” he says. “Anurag and me discuss story concepts sometimes. He tells me his ideas and I wonder how the hell could he think of something like that. I tell him my ideas and he gives a similar reaction.”

Despite making his debut this year, Kashyap is not a man without connections. He was a junior to Salman Khan in school and Shah Rukh Khan in college. His brother would have been his best trump card to make in-roads into the film industry. “But Anurag had warned me already — if I had to be someone in Bollywood, I would have to do it on my own,” he says.

Kashyap did have his run of luck — both good and bad, before landing his first major project. His debut would have been a film for Metalight Productions (which produced Nagesh Kukunoor's Teen Deewarein), but it didn’t materialise. He resorted to writing and directing television shows. His first big break was assisting Mani Ratnam in Yuva, after which he penned dialogues for two critically acclaimed films, Manorama Six Feet Under and 13B.

It was after meeting writer Dilip Shukla, that the idea of Dabangg first germinated. “In November 2006, I met Dilip for the first time and he shared this character outline of a boy with a terrible childhood, who goes on to become a cop and makes a lot of money. I loved it. I improvised on it, and that’s how the plot for Dabangg came about."

Kashyap had seen Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, where he liked Arbaaz Khan’s performance as a cowboy. When he met Khan to cast him in the role of Makkhi, Kashyap revealed he hadn’t found a producer and that’s how Khan agreed to not only act in the film, but also produce it. At that time, Kashyap had a smaller cast in mind, but Arbaaz managed to convince brother Salman Khan to meet him and star in the lead role of Chulbul Pandey. The rest, as they say, is history.

Kashyap says that, as a debutant, he was lucky to find someone to hear him out. “That's the toughest part of making a film. There is such an abundance of mediocre talent out there, that you can’t blame producers of being skeptical of meeting new directors,” he says. But how important is luck? “Luck is important,” he says, “but you have to try your luck, dial some numbers, fix up appointments.

Unfortunately, most wannabe filmmakers simply sit at home, watch too many Hollywood films and accuse our film industry of being impenetrable. I made use of my time to meet people.”

Ask him what’s novel about his film, and he says that he doesn’t know. As an afterthought, he says, “I think I was able to bring back good old hardcore entertainment. I've been craving for some myself, considering Bollywood films nowadays take themselves too seriously.”

Kashyap isn't much of a movie buff although he admits to being a Martin Scorcese and Steven Spielberg fan. He has hardly seen any of this year's Bollywood releases, except for Udaan, his brother's production.

The taste of fame post Dabangg's success hasn't made him a different man, he says. “But people’s outlook towards me has changed. Although some do recognise me when I step out of my house, I prefer being incognito. Actors are the face of the film, the director is only the spine. If the spine is visible, then something’s definitely wrong with the body,” he says.