Anurag Kashyap Defends 'Kabir Singh,' Says It Represents 'More Than 70% Of Urban India'
Do women like dominant and agressive partners who often beat them up? If they do, is this behaviour and violence justified??
There were many questions that were raised after the release of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Kabir Singh. A raging debate had made way to social media. While some people said that it just reflected a director's viewpoint and that these kind of people actually exist in the society, there were others who slammed the movie for glorifying toxic masculinity as it could send across a wrong message to the audience.??
Reacting to the entire debate recently, Anurag Kashyap asked why shouldn't a film like Kabir Singh exist when it represents more than 70 to 80 per cent of urban India. He believes it is important to make people uncomfortable rather than stay politically correct in cinema.
There has always been a debate around the role or responsibility of artistes and whether they should bear accountability for the art they put out, but Kashyap says one cannot enforce the existence of one kind of cinema.?
"The first thing is, it's up to you whether you want to take it on or not. If I disagree with something, if I don't consider cinema of a kind cinema at all, I can't say it cannot exist. I can't enforce that. We can all co-exist," Kashyap told PTI.
"Like there were a lot of controversies around Kabir Singh. Everybody can make any film and should make any film, should represent all kinds of people. Kabir Singh does represent more than 75 to 80 per cent of urban India. Why not put it out? If I disagree with it, I won't see it. But sometimes it's necessary to see ourselves," the director said.
"Being politically correct all the time doesn't help. India as a country, for 75 years, has made films with positive messages, all love stories with happy endings. Where has it brought us? It is very important to make people uncomfortable sometimes," he added.?
When the controversy around Kabir Singh had picked up steam, people had pointed out that these kinds of films have released before as well. They gave examples of Anurag Kashyap's films like Gangs of Wasseypur that also glorified violence.?
When asked how he viewed this argument, Anurag Kashyap said, "What happens in the society, who takes responsibility for that? Films show a very diluted version of what happens out there."
Giving an example he said, "When you're told as a kid by your mother not to touch something, you go and touch exactly that. So the human curiosity, for actors and everyone, takes them to things which are forbidden. I'm forever attracted and in love with what is forbidden."
Despite the backlash, Kabir Singh is one of the top-grossing movies of the year.?
