Hansal Mehta says he gave Rs 75,000 to Anurag Kashyap for film that never released: ‘Usne bola sir main...’

Bollywood filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared an interesting story about Anurag Kashyap’s real first film and surprisingly, it wasn’t Paanch. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Hansal revealed that Anurag once wrote a full screenplay in just 48 hours because he urgently needed money to pay his rent.

The film was made, but unfortunately, it never got released. Hansal Mehta shared how producer RV Pandit had a reputation for supporting newcomers or people who had been overlooked in the industry. One day, Pandit casually asked Hansal how much money he would need to make a film. Hansal, thinking it might be too good to be true, quoted Rs 50 lakh.

To his surprise, Pandit immediately turned to his accountant, Hemant, and told him to hand over Rs 25 lakh on the spot, and said that if needed, another Rs 25 lakh could be given later but not a single rupee more.

Hansal Mehta revealed that, despite having ideas for a film, he was unsure and confused about how to bring them to life. One day, while spending time with actor Manoj Bajpayee at Mahesh Bhatt’s flat in Andheri, there was a knock at the door. To their surprise, it was none other than Anurag Kashyap, who walked in.

He said, “Hum ideas discuss kar rahe the. Baat karte karte wo (Manoj) so gaya. Darwaza knock kiya kisi ne. Ek aadmi aaya… maine bola Manoj bhaiya so rahe hai… wo bolta main aapse milna chahta tha… Highway dekhi thi, pagal ho gaya, bada fan hu… Aapko dhund raha hu kabse (We were discussing ideas. While talking, Manoj fell asleep. Someone knocked on the door. A man came in... I said, 'Manoj bhaiya is sleeping'... he said, 'I wanted to meet you… I had watched Highway, I went crazy, I’m a big fan… I’ve been looking for you for a long time)."

Hansal added, “Usne bola main actor hu aur likhta bhi hu. Toh maine usko bola main ek kahani bolta hu, likhoge kya? Usne bola sir main likh lunga, mujhe ₹15,000 chahiye, mera three months ka rent dena hai mujhe (He said, 'I’m an actor and I also write.' So I asked him if he'd write a story I had in mind. He said, 'Sir, I will write it. I just need ₹15,000 — I have to pay three months' rent). Usne 48 hours mein mujhe screenplay de diya kyunki usko paise chahiye the. So instead of ₹15,000, I gave him ₹75,000 (He gave me the screenplay in 48 hours because he needed the money. So instead of ₹15,000, I gave him ₹75,000)."

Anurag Kashyap made his debut as a director with the 2003 crime thriller Paanch. Following this, he gained widespread recognition for his distinctive storytelling in films like Dev D, Black Friday, Gulaal, The Girl In the Yellow Boots, and Gangs of Wasseypur. His unique approach to cinema earned him critical acclaim and solidified his place as a prominent figure in Indian filmmaking.