Anurag Kashyap has openly expressed his frustration with Netflix, criticizing the platform’s ‘hypocrisy’ in approving content for the Indian market. The renowned filmmaker voiced his discontent regarding the lack of daring narratives available to Indian filmmakers. Anurag Kashyap praised the British Netflix drama Adolescence is a source of envy for him and his peers.
Anurag Kashyap Is Frustrated On Netflix India And Praises Adolescence
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Anurag praised Adolescence and wrote, “I am numb and envious and jealous that someone can go and make that. The performances from the Child actor Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham, who is not just playing the father but is also the co-creator of the show. The amount of hard work that has gone in the show. I can’t even imagine the rehearsals and prep they did, so they could shoot every episode in a single shot.”
In a detailed note directed toward Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, Kashyap articulated his concerns about their approach to content in India, which he describes as hypocritical. “Now coming to my envy and jealousy. Ted Sarandos recently put a post where he says – “every once and awhile one comes along that pushes into brand new territories, defies the limits of creativity and features career defining performances. And I hope he means it. Because his on Netflix.in is a totally opposite s**tshow. If they were pitched this, most probably they would have rejected it or turned it into a 90 minute film (that too seems like an impossibility because it doesn’t have an ending that is black and white).”
Anurag Kashyap Opens Up About Working On Sacred Games
He highlighted his own experiences while working on Sacred Games. He noted a significant ‘lack of empathy’ from the streaming service during that project.“Having gone through twice with them post Sacred Games. And dealing with a total lack of empathy, courage and dumbness mixed with immense insecurity of the series head and the team that keeps getting fired. It frustrates me. How do we ever create something so powerful and honest with a bunch of most dishonest and morally corrupt @netflix.in backed so strongly by the boss in LA,” he added.
Kashyap specifically called out Sarandos and Bajaria. He stated that their strategy is towards the vast Indian market. It a home to 1.4 billion people—seemed solely focused on boosting subscriptions. “This hypocrisy of Ted and Bella via a vis the Indian market of 1.4 billion people, where their only interest is an increase in subscriptions and nothing else. There was a time when Eric Barmack would reach out on Facebook to create something with Netflix to now where they send you a shot show like ‘saare jahan se achcha’- which wasn’t even written properly and half baked. Which by the way has already changed directors and been shot twice (inevitably). It makes me frustrated, jealous of shows like Adolescence and envious and hopeless.”
But the filmmaker did end his tirade on a rather hopeful note. “I hope they learn from the reception of it and realise that all the best things Indian Netflix does is mostly either acquired (Delhi Crime, Black Warrant) or the ones they least believed in (Kohrra, Trial by Fire). Fingers crossed for a better future,” he wrote.
About Adolescence
Adolescence is a British miniseries created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham. It focuses on a 13-year-old boy accused of murder. The series has each scene shot in a single take. The series received widespread acclaim upon its release on March 13.
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