Anurag Kashyap, amid intolerance row, slams Madhur Bhandarkar's advice to refuse film subsidies in UP

In the centre of the row over 49 artists’ letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over ‘intolerance’, Anurag Kashyap expressed his displeasure about fellow filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar’s statement on him. The latter stated that Kashyap showed ‘duplicity’ by criticising the government on one hand, but happily taking subsidies from the Uttar Pradesh government by shooting in the state. Kashyap called Bhandarkar’s statement a ‘joke’ while stating that the subsidies were not started by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He added that he might be against PM Modi, but he was '100 % Indian.' 

READ: Listen, Letter Writers And Louts: India’s Soul Is Dharmic, Its Gear Box Is Democratic. Cut Your Crap.

Bhandarkar on Friday in an interview accused Kashyap of ‘duplicity’, stating that people like him criticise the government, but at the same time, take subsidies from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Uttar Pradesh, by shooting in the state.

The ‘Chandni Bar’ filmmaker was of the opinion that Kashyap should instead decide to not take subsidies from the state till the time BJP was in power in the state under Yogi Adityanath. 

Kashyap was not pleased and sharing the video, wrote, “What a joke!! It’s my state . I was born in UP , I grew up in UP. Film subsidies were not started by Yogi ji. He is not the owner of the state , he is the Chief Minister. I might disagree with Modiji but I still am 100 % indian and I make films in India & will continue to do so.” 

READ: Madhur Bhandarkar Terms 49-celeb Lobby's Letter As ‘selective Outrage’, Prasoon Joshi Says It's ‘disturbing’

Kashyap part of 49-artists Lobby: 

Anurag Kashyap is a part of the lobby also including Aparna Sen, Mani Ratnam, Konkona SenSharma, who sent a letter to PM over ‘intolerance’ under the BJP rule, mob lynchings and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants. 

Bhandarkar part of the group that sent counter letter to PM: 

After the 49-artists' letter to the PM, over 60 artists had also sent a letter to PM Modi, calling the former group’s opposition as ‘false narrative‘. Bhandarkar is one among the latter category. Earlier in an exclusive interview with Republic TV, Bhandarkar had stated that the 49-artists' intolerance letter to PM Modi was ‘selective outrage.’