Anurag Kashyap Says Karan Johar Was 'Unbelievable' In Bombay Velvet: 'I'll Maintain That He Was...'

Anurag Kashyap is considered one of the most interesting filmmakers in Bollywood. He’s known for his unique style and willingness to work with new talents. His movies are often seen as groundbreaking, but there’s one exception – Bombay Velvet, which is considered a disappointment in his career.

During a recent event at The Indian Express Adda, Karan Johar playfully teased Anurag Kashyap for supposedly sabotaging his acting career. Karan claimed that even his own production company, Dharma Productions, wouldn’t consider casting him anymore. When questioned about this in an interview, Anurag responded by saying, “Karan was amazing in Bombay Velvet. I will maintain that his performance in Bombay Velvet was unbelievably amazing. Wo Karan mazak me bolta hai. (He was joking).”

In the film, Karan portrayed the character of the antagonist, Kaizad Khambatta. Bombay Velvet released in 2015 and featured Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles. However, the film received mixed reviews and proved to be a box-office failure. ‘Once bitten, twice shy’ Anurag Kashyap has refrained from taking on large-budget projects since then.

Recently, Kashyap made an appearance as an actor in the crime drama Haddi alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui. This film is directed by newcomer Akshat Ajay Sharma and explores the criminal underworld of the Delhi NCR region. In addition to his acting pursuits, Kashyap also had his directorial feature “Kennedy” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, featuring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone in the leading roles. However, it’s worth noting that Kashyap’s previous two directorial efforts, Dobaaraa and Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat, failed to perform well at the box office.

On the other hand, Karan is currently enjoying the huge success of his romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. This film stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles and has received mostly positive reviews from critics while performing well at the box office. Furthermore, Karan Johar has several production projects in the pipeline, including Kill, Yoddha (with Sidharth Malhotra, Disha Patani, and Raashi Khanna), Mr. and Mrs. Mahi” (featuring Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor), and Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam (with Vicky Kaushal and Tripti Dimri).