Anurag Kashyap hails Mammootty; says the Malayalam legend believes in the filmmakers: “In Bollywood, you approach a star, they want to first know if they have a hit on their hands”

Kashyap lauded veteran Malayalam actor Mammootty for his recent string of critically acclaimed performances.

June 4, 2024 - 2:57 PM IST

Acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has sparked a conversation about the contrasting landscapes of the Hindi and South Indian film industries. In a recent interview on the Humans of Cinema YouTube channel, Kashyap lauded veteran Malayalam actor Mammootty for his recent string of critically acclaimed performances, attributing it to the creative freedom actors enjoy in South Indian cinema.

Anurag Kashyap hails Mammootty; says the Malayalam legend believes in the filmmakers: “In Bollywood, you approach a star, they want to first know if they have a hit on their hands”

Kashyap highlighted the key difference: in Bollywood, "every major project still revolves around the star and not the story." He contrasted this with Mammootty's willingness to embrace diverse roles, a testament to the South Indian film industry's focus on strong narratives. “A small film doesn’t have the marketing budget to compete with a big film, which is why the small film cannot survive. But that’s not how things are in the South. There’s an equality there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a newcomer’s film or Mohanlal’s film; they’ll get equal visibility. We don’t have that in the Hindi industry” he said.

Kashyap went on to say that Mammootty's success isn't just about the script, but also about the director's ability to convince the star of the project's potential. He said, “I don’t understand nor believe in the concept of superstardom. But I believe that Mammootty, as an actor, at this stage in his career, is taking so many chances. On the one hand, he played the devil in Bramayugam. Then he did Kaathal: The Core. He’s constantly taking chances. He believes in the filmmaker and goes ahead. Here what happens is that if you approach a star, they want to first know if they have a hit on their hands. They want that guarantee. So, you have to hustle.”

He added, “Plus, they don’t consider the project you’re presenting to them; they look at your last film, whether it worked at the box office or not. So, there’s a massive difference between Hindi and South. Over there, if you’ve made a good film, even if it’s a small film, an actor will want to work with you.”

Meanwhile, Anurag Kashyap will be starring in Disney+ Hotstar’s Bad Cop and Tamil movie, Maharaja.