Maharaja’s Anurag Kashyap reveals a filmmaker deliberately sabotaged VFX in his film to make people notice visual effects

by

Anurag Kashyap and Ram Gopal Varma are known for openly sharing their views, and lately, they’ve criticized modern filmmakers who rely on predictable approaches in movie-making. Some have even accused fellow filmmakers of intentionally undermining their own films.

During an engaging conversation with The Filmy Hustle, conducted by distributor-exhibitor Akshaye Rathi, this dynamic filmmaking pair shared extensive insights on cinema.

In our chat, Anurag Kashyap expressed that the 2016 Marathi film Sairat achieved extraordinary success, which he believed would establish a new standard. Regrettably, instead of continuing in this vein, producers opted for a more predictable approach.

The director hinted that an unnamed filmmaker intentionally included poor visual effects in their production as a subtle way to indicate the use of special effects in their film.

He went on to say, “Since KGF, there’s a question that arises: Why does the visual style appear identical across all these movies? In Animal (2023), the intensity of gore and violence seems to resonate. Consequently, directors are increasingly incorporating more graphic elements into their films, often without a clear justification!

He also emphasized that filmmakers often overlook the objective of crafting a memorable cinema experience. However, he points out that the methods they employ are guided by an unusual belief system, one that many others in their circle might discourage.

Instead of keeping the production costs low for Satya (1998), Ram Gopal Varma stated that he wasn’t deliberately trying to do so. He claimed that he was using whatever resources were necessary, which contributed to the film’s authenticity and realism. If he had spent an additional Rs. 5 crores, according to him, the quality of Satya would have been diminished by five times.

In the wake of the Baahubali era, it seems many filmmakers have embraced the notion that lavish production values and VFX are essential to captivate audiences. However, as a devoted follower, I’d like to share my director’s perspective: It’s not about economizing by making films on a smaller budget, but rather avoiding the pitfall of over-investing. Our concern is that in their pursuit of grandeur, filmmakers often compromise the heart and soul of the story by sacrificing emotional depth. Instead, we should strive to infuse our stories with authentic emotions, rather than relying solely on artificial production values.

Read More

2025-06-02 19:22