Anurag Kashyap reacts to Panchayat actor Pankaj Jha calling him 'spineless' over 'Gangs of Wasseypur' casting incident: 'He thinks he could have been Pankaj Tripathi'

“There are so many timid and characterless people here that they cannot even keep their word,” Pankaj Jha had said, mocking Anurag Kashyap.

Anurag Kashyap has responded to actor Pankaj Jha’s allegations. Anurag Kashyap has responded to actor Pankaj Jha’s allegations. (Photo: Disney Plus Hotstar/Screenshot, Pankaj Jha/Instagram)

filmmakers Anurag Kashyap has reacted to the recent comments made by actor Pankaj Jha about him. In an interview, Pankaj called the director “without spin” for going back on his word and casting him in Gangs of Wasseypur for the role of Sultan Qureshi, which was eventually played by Pankaj Tripathi. Jha, who is currently receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of Vidhayak in the latest season of Panchayat, had claimed that he was shooting in Patna when Kashyap contacted him for a role in Gangs of Wasseypur. The actor claimed that he told him that he was in the middle of shooting and would be back in a day or two, but later found out that Pankaj Tripathi had already been cast in his place.

In an interview with India Today, Kashyap recalled the timeline of events and revealed that Jha had moved to an Osho retreat in Pune while shooting for his 2010 film The Girl in Yellow Boots. “We were on a tight budget and couldn’t wait for him. We shot the film in very different conditions and on a very different budget. Now, after 20 years, he might think he could have become Pankaj Tripathi,” he said.

In an interview with Digital commentary, Pankaj Jha had called himself a “director-making actor” and poked fun at Kashyap. “Films like Satya and Gulaal not only make actors but also directors. But here there are so many timid and spineless people that they can’t even keep their word,” he said with a grin. “Later I found out that the director himself was in a bad situation, not getting work and doing 36 different jobs on this project.”

Jha and Kashyap have previously worked on films like Black Friday and Gulaal. The filmmaker said that Jha was an inaccessible person. “He was actually my favourite actor… I would love to work with him again but the fact is that he is not approachable at all,” Kashyap said.

In a recent interview with Indianexpress.com, Jha said clarified his statement and said he was misquoted. The actor claimed that he had never mentioned the name “any Tripathi” in any of his previous interviews.

“You can listen to all my interviews, you will know that I have not mentioned a single name. This is very childish. Why should I discuss all this with anyone? The media always needs masala, I never said anything like that, they just made it up. Becoming an actor is not the ultimate achievement. Just like every actor wants to become a big star, many journalists also run after fame. They make up stories to get attention and recognition,” he said.

Festive offer

On the professional front, Anurag Kashyap is waiting for the release of Bad Cop. He plays a gangster in the Disney Plus Hotstar show with actor Gulshan Devaiah in a dual role.

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First uploaded on: 12.06.2024 at 09:05 IST

“There are so many timid and characterless people here that they cannot even keep their word,” Pankaj Jha had said, mocking Anurag Kashyap.

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