Abhishek Chaubey recalls being “overwhelmed” when industry extended support for Udta Punjab: “I was deeply and disturbingly aware of what is going on” : Bollywood News

Filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey is currently awaiting the release of his dark comedy series Killer Soup. Amid the promotions of the same, the director candidly talked about his previous project, Udta Punjab. He shared his thoughts on the state of the film industry today while agreeing that there's a lack of solidarity among filmmakers.

Abhishek Chaubey recalls being “overwhelmed” when industry extended support for Udta Punjab: “I was deeply and disturbingly aware of what is going on”

For the unversed, Udta Punjab was heavily censored by the CBFC, which ultimately turned into a controversy. Among many other filmmakers, film’s producer Anurag Kashyap had extended his support while expressing his resistance against then-CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani.

In a conversation with Sucharita Tyagi, Abhishek recalled the same, and asserted, “Firstly, I was very naive. Sudip (Sharma, writer) and I both made that film thinking we’re honestly doing some very good work. Udta Punjab is a unique film in my filmography because that was the one film where the social responsibility was heavier on me than trying to make a great film.”

Chaubey further added, “I was deeply aware and disturbingly aware of what is going on. And that’s a tricky place to be in as a filmmaker. It was great when the industry turned up. I was overwhelmed.”

The filmmaker continued, “But times have changed. The powers that be have become very, very smart, and they know how to manipulate the system much better. And they have much more power than us.” He concluded his thoughts by stating that the only way forward is to “beat the system,” like people in China and Iran.

Released in 2016, Udta Punjab dealt with the drug epidemic in the state. It stars Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh. Coming back to Killer Soup, starring Konkona Sensharma and Manoj Bajpayee, the show will start streaming on Netflix from January 11 onwards.

Also Read: Shahid Kapoor was hesitant to take on drug addict’s role in Udta Punjab: “I have not done any substance in my life. I don’t know what it is to be high”