‘God, how do you survive?’ Basil Joseph asked Anurag Kashyap ‘after wasting two years’ for Shaktimaan

Basil Joseph has seen phenomenal success in Malayalam cinema, first as a director before transitioning into an actor and then a common man hero. Basil was also in the news for directing Shaktimaan, starring Ranveer Singh, a project that has courted much controversy. Though Basil has refrained from directly addressing the issue in public platforms, noted Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap reveals that Basil told him that he ended up wasting two years for Shaktimaan.

‘Basil Joseph wasted two years’

Hindi filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who has now transitioned into an actor in south films such as Rifle Club, has been a vocal critic of Bollywood and its recent brand of films. In a recent chat with the Chalchitra Talks podcast, Anurag Kashyap reiterated the criticism, while also revealing the ordeal faced by the likes of Basil Joseph, who attempted to make Shaktimaan in the Hindi industry. 

Recalling his conversation with the young actor filmmaker, the Black Friday director said, “He told me ‘I wasted two years trying to do Sakthiman. God, How do you survive in the industry?' He just said exactly what I feel here. I said I can't, that's why I moved away. That man wasted two years."

The acclaimed filmmaker was all praise for Basil, saying, "I have never seen such a common man hero, protagonist, antagonist, whatever roles he did... I asked - how do you do it Ponman, Minnal Murali?”

Basil Joseph has helmed three Malayalam films - Kunjiramayanam, Godha and the suphero film Minnal Murali, all three winning much love and appreciation from audience and critics.

Shaktimaan, a reboot of the popular 90s series, was supposed to be Basil's big Bollywood break. Basil Joseph has reportedly severed ties with the project, which has already seen its fair share of controversies with Mukesh Khanna, who played Shaktimaan in the original series, voicing his objection to Ranveer Singh playing the iconic role.

On the other hand, Basil recently ventured into film production and made the announcement on social media.

Also read: Basil Joseph-backed film to star newcomers in lead roles; Deets here 

FAQs

Q. Is Ranveer Singh playing Shaktimaan?

A. Ranveer Singh was initially supposed to play Shaktimaan. But Mukesh Khanna, who played in the Shaktiman original series, has objected to this. There is no official update on the project.

Q. Which is the first movie of Basil Joseph?

A. The first movie of Basil Joseph is Kunjiramayanam, which was released in 2015. He directed the fun film, and also made a short appearance in the Vineeth-Dhyan Sreenivasan-starrer.