For someone who has tasted commercial and critical success together for the first time, Anurag Kashyap hasn't developed any arrogant airs. Not reveling in the success of Dev D, he is currently busy meeting deadlines for the postproduction of his next film, the powerful political thriller Gulaal.
The eclectic genius of a director tells us why he thanked Danny Boyle in the credits of Dev D and why India is full of hypocrites. "I have known Danny Boyle for two years now. I needed help to show the drug use in Dev D without actually showing it. So I called up Danny Boyle when I was in London and asked him how to do it. He called me for lunch and told me about a very expensive still camera he got from Amsterdam and used in Slumdog Millionaire. The camera shoots 11 frames per second and we could show what was going on in the character's head in ten seconds instead of ten minutes with the help of this amazing 'camera tripping away' technique. That is why I thanked Danny Boyle in the credits of Dev D," says Kashyap. Asked whether he is influenced by Boyle's directorial style, Kashyap says, "Danny Boyle and I are two different people with our individual styles of film-making. I am not influenced by anyone's style of film-making. As far as his films are concerned, I love all of them, from Shallow Grave to Trainspotting to 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire." The director adds that people who are criticising Slumdog Millionaire and making a hue and cry over the title have nothing better to do. He says, "It hurts their egos that an Englishman had to come to India and capture it in a film like this, so they talk shit. I loved the film. The scenario in India is hypocritical because on one side, one of the biggest hits of Hindi cinema, Singh is Kinng has a dialogue in which Om Puri says, 'Agar gareeb log chahiye to India jaana padega, Australia mein kahan gareeb log milenge!' People clapped and laughed when they heard this but now they have a problem with the poverty in Slumdog Millionaire and its title!" So, which films according to him offer SM the toughest competition at the Oscars, is it the Brad Pitt starrer The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Sean Penn starrer Milk? "I don't know as I haven't seen any of the other nominees as yet. I am not thinking of the competition Slumdog is facing, I just want them to win big at the Oscars," he signs off. http://www.starboxoffice.com/oscars/newsdetails.aspx?xfile=2009/February/News_20090218_132
