Premium‘Anurag Kashyap inspired me to comeback to filmmaking,’ says Hansal Mehta as he recalls giving up on direction post Woodstock Villa | Exclusive
Hansal Mehta in an exclusive conversation with OTTplay spoke about the time he had lost hope in filmmaking and how Anurag Kashyap pushed him to comeback.
Last Updated: 07.27 PM, Mar 25, 2024
Anurag Kashyap is the man of the hour as he is a part of all the discussions for his latest post where he hit back at people wasting his time. The filmmaker over the years has been an angel for many filmmakers and artists as he has made their way to the big screen easier. While the filmmaker has now become a phenomenon in himself, he has had a journey that spans decades and has even crossed paths with many folks. Hansal Mehta, who now presents Lootere, a web show directed by his son Jai Mehta, is a close friend of the Gangs Of Wasseypur director. In an exclusive chat with us, the Shahid director now recalls his friendship with Kashyap and how there was a time when Anurag inspired him to bounce back when he had lost hope in filmmaking.
Hansal Mehta On Bond With Anurag Kashyap
In an exclusive conversation with us, we asked Jai Mehta about his film schooling that happened between father Hansal Mehta and Anurag Kashyap, and what traits of that experience he brings to his debut web series Lootere. The new director was quick to say Spontaneity. For the unversed, Jai was an assistant director on Anurag Kashyap’s cult classic movie Gangs Of Wasseypur. But he also added how they are not from different schools but two different divisions from the same school.
Talking to OTTplay, Jai Mehta said, “Spontaneity. Also, they are not from a different school of filmmaking. Actually, they are from the same school but they are from two different divisions. One is science and the other is commerce but they are from the same school.”
Adding to this was filmmaker and Jai’s father Hansal Mehta who said, “People don’t know that Anurag (Kashyap) began his career as a writer with my first film, which was his first film ... Jayate. We started together in a sense then we went out different ways. I had a tough journey, and so did Anurag, Paanch, and Black Friday, all stuck. So we had a similar journey, and then our journey collided when I wanted to start doing a new chapter in my life with Shahid. I called Anurag; I said just lend your name to this film, and I will get money. I did not get money but I got Anurag’s name in it. We have been friends, like a support system to each other. Bouncing boards, very critical of each other’s work.”
Hansal Mehta On Losing Hope In Filmmaking
“So in that sense, we have all seen a certain time. At different times we have inspired each other. He has inspired so many of us. I had given up on filmmaking after I made Woodstock Villa, and I saw DevD and it sort of propelled me to again make films. He made DevD, Gulaal, that released back to back. I saw Gulaal, and it sort of pushed me, I wanted to come back into filmmaking, I wanted to at least tell myself that I am capable of telling good stories. And I think we both have been very persevering with whatever we wanted to do. That’s the only gift we can give to Jai. That you know, may you persevere like we have done, may you struggle less than we have. May you get all the money in the world like we haven’t,” Hansal Mehta added.
The first two episodes of Lootere are now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.