Filmmaker Laxman Utekar, riding high on the blockbuster success of Chhaava starring Vicky Kaushal, recently took a sharp dig at director Anurag Kashyap over his critical stance on Bollywood and his decision to exit the industry.
In an interview with Mama’s Couch, Utekar challenged the notion that the audience lacks the intelligence to understand certain kinds of cinema. Instead, he flipped the script, stating, “It’s not the audience’s sensibility that’s lacking, it’s the filmmaker’s inability to understand the audience’s taste.”
Responding directly to Kashyap’s remarks and departure, Utekar said bluntly, “If someone wants to leave, they should go. No one is forcing them to stay. You can’t make great films if you’re not creatively and mentally happy.”
He advised filmmakers not to treat cinema as a platform for revolution or self-indulgent philosophies. “If you want to preach or philosophise, write a book. Cinema is about connection and entertainment. Don’t act like a ‘gyani’ (wise sage),” Utekar added.
Citing the massive box office numbers of Baahubali, RRR, Pushpa, and Chhaava (₹807 crore globally), he dismissed the idea that cinema is dying. Instead, he emphasized the need for filmmakers to evolve every few years and cater to the pulse of the middle- and lower-class audience—the real moviegoers.
Meanwhile, Kashyap had earlier told The Hindu that he found the Hindi film industry “too toxic” and was now focused on building a career in the South.
Read Also: