Anurag Kashyap dances himself from Bandar, says criticism was ‘valid’: ‘Not my final cut’ | Bollywood News

4 min readKochiJul 22, 2026 08:48 PM Anurag Kashyap’s latest release Bandar was significantly better received than most of the director’s recent works, but it also faced considerable backlash from certain quarters that felt the movie was highly misogynic. Revolving around a yesteryear television star who is accused of sexual assault a woman, some audience members felt that Bandar was “anti-MeToo movement.”
Recently, Anurag himself admitted that the criticisms the movie faced carry weight, which is why he didn’t give any promotional interviews around the time of its release. He, however, maintained that the fault isn’t entirely his.
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During an interaction with Kunal Kamra on his YouTube channel, the comedian pointed out that the director had asked him not to watch Bandar. When Kunal asked why, Anurag replied, “When I said don’t watch, it’s because I can’t own up… If you noticed, I didn’t give any interviews on the film. Because whatever came out is not my final cut. So, the criticisms that came the movie’s way are quite valid.”
He continued, “It became kind of lopsided. Because I wanted to put out something I could stand up for. As a result, I couldn’t stand up against the criticisms against the movie.”
When Kunal asked why there still isn’t a proper system that ensures the protection of the director’s cut, allowing its release as the official version, the director noted, “Paperwork doesn’t matter anymore” and added that “paperwork is extremely complicated.” He said that when “something doesn’t release in time”, the “cost factor” comes into play. “So, it becomes a liability when a film is delayed. It gets out of hand. Paperwork is generally between two people so when the studio takes over, then the idea to release it is in entirely their hands.”
Watch Bandar trailer here:

“Unlike before, things have become corporatised today. It’s not like all producers are making movies mortgaging their houses or because they believe in the work. Some are making just to ensure that their movie is a success,” he pointed out.Story continues below this ad
Anurag also maintained that there aren’t many players in the production business now, and that only a handful of big entities ex. “Choice is limited. As a result, many independent films get stuck because they (the production companies) do 4-5 films and release them together,” he pointed out and repeated that the criticism that the film received was “valid. That’s why I won’t say anything against it.”
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Returning to Bandar, the director expressed elation that at least a section of the audience saw it in a “neutral” way. He added, “Those who could see my intention, they didn’t need to watch it, because they already know what’s being shown. The problem is with those who don’t know what it’s about and they need to watch it to understand the perspective.”
“Only those who aren’t self-aware get carried away; or those who aren’t aware of what goes on. Those who are aware won’t have a problem; they will dismiss it right away. Cinematically, everything else (in Bandar) is pretty much mine… but they changed it taking something out. Thus, the perspective has been changed. The tilt has changed a little bit. Whatever was there, was made me. I shot it. But what they have edited out, has really affected the outcome,” he maintained.Story continues below this ad
Starring Bob Deol, Sanya Malhotra, Sapna Pabbi, Saba Azad, Indrajith Sukumaran, Raj B. Shetty, and Jitendra Joshi in the lead roles, Bandar featured cinematography Saiyed Shaaz Rizvi and editing Aarti Bajaj.