Latest news with #Motwane
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Anurag Kashyap denies Vivek Agnihotri's 'drinking habits' allegations, says "I wasn't even on set"
Filmmaker recently sparked controversy by claiming that 's drinking habits disrupted the making of their 2007 film ' Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal .' In response, Kashyap took to social media to firmly deny any involvement in the on-set process. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sharing a screenshot of a news article, he clarified, 'Shooting took place in London, and I was in India. He didn't want my or 's script. He aimed to make a football version of Lagaan and brought in his own writer.' Vivek Agnihotri recalls creative clashes and script handovers In a conversation with Digital Commentary, Agnihotri explained that Anurag was initially on board as the writer but was unreliable due to his drinking. He said Kashyap eventually brought in Vikramaditya Motwane to assist, but creative differences led to confusion. Vivek Agnihotri also mentioned that the original cast was supposed to feature Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra, but the film eventually starred and after casting changes. Motwane's side: A strong script, an altered vision In a previous interview with Mid-Day, Vikramaditya Motwane opened up about his role in the project. He revealed that UTV had reached out to Anurag, who admitted he didn't know football well and suggested Motwane instead. Motwane penned the script, which was initially accepted. However, the final film deviated significantly from what he had envisioned. No on-set presence confirmed for Anurag Kashyap or Vikramaditya Motwane It's important to note that Agnihotri never claimed either Anurag Kashyap or Vikramaditya Motwane visited the film set. Despite the back-and-forth, what's clear is that the final product didn't reflect the original script, and now, years later, the creative disagreements continue to stir debate.
India Today
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Anurag Kashyap hits back at Vivek Agnihotri, calls him 'jhoota aadmi'
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri recently spoke about his experience working with Anurag Kashyap on the 2007 film, 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal'. He alleged that Anurag's alcoholism caused difficulties for the team and claimed that Anurag handed over his writing duties to Vikramaditya Motwane. Now, Anurag Kashyap has responded to these accusations, calling Agnihotri 'jhootha aadmi'.Anurag Kashyap stated that he was never on the film's set and shared a screenshot of an article and wrote that the shooting took place in London while he was in India. He wrote, 'Kitna jhootha hai yeh aadmi. Shooting London mein hui thi and I was in India (He is such a liar, they shot in London and I was in India). He didn't want the script by Motwane or me. He wanted to make Lagaan of football and took his own writer to write that crappy script. Neither me nor Motwane went on the set ever.'advertisementHere's a screenshot of his Instagram story: Anurag Kashyap hits back at Vivek Agnihotri Vivek Agnihotri, in a recent interview with Digital Commentary, recalled that Kashyap was writing the movie initially. He mentioned that Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were the original choices, but Saif left due to personal reasons, leading to John Abraham and Bipasha Basu joining the cast. Vivek said Anurag was a heavy drinker at the time and could not be trusted with time. He also said Anurag brought Vikramaditya Motwane on board to help, but their versions of the film differed, leading to disagreements. Vivek noted that the production house had a word with Anurag, who became difficult to handle did not claim that Kashyap or Motwane visited the set during Motwane, in an earlier interview with Mid-Day, described his experience working with Vivek. He said UTV was producing the film and that Vivek approached them with a football story idea. They wanted a good writer and contacted Anurag, who acknowledged his limited knowledge of football but noted that Motwane was well-versed in the subject. Motwane wrote the script, which was accepted, but the final film was not made as he or Anurag had hoped. He said that at the time, they had to accept the work as it was and that he still considers his original script one of his best Watch
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Jhootha aadmi': Anurag Kashyap claps back at Vivek Agnihotri for saying his alcoholism disrupted Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal shoot
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who worked with Anurag Kashyap on the 2007 film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, recently alleged that the Gangs of Wasseypur director's alcoholism created a lot of trouble for the team. He also alleged that Anurag palmed off all his writing work to Vikramaditya Motwane. Now, Anurag has reacted to these claims and called Vivek Agnihotri a 'big-time liar,' stating that he was never even on set. 'He took his own writer to write that crappy script,' said Anurag in an Instagram Story. Anurag Kashyap shared a screenshot of an article published by SCREEN, and wrote, 'Kitna jhootha hai yeh aadmi. Shooting London mein hui thi and I was in India (He is such a liar, they shot in London and I was in India).' Anurag added, 'He didn't want the script by Motwane or me. He wanted to make Lagaan of football and took his own writer to write that crappy script. Neither me nor Motwane went on the set ever.' In a recent interview with Digital Commentary, Vivek recalled working with Anurag and said, 'We worked together on Goal. He was writing the movie. Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra were supposed to do it, but Saif had some personal issues at the time, so he left. Then we got John and Bipasha. Anurag was a heavy drinker back then, and he couldn't be trusted with time. He brought Vikram Motwane on board, who is very talented guy. Anurag told me, 'Mera naya ladka hai woh help karega.'' ALSO READ | 'Moulin Rouge meets Mayur Vihar': Urvashi Rautela walks Cannes 2025 red carpet with Rs 4 lakh parrot clutch, fails to recreate iconic Aishwarya Rai moment Vivek Agnihotri then accused Anurag of palming off his work to Vikram. 'They had a different version of the film, which didn't match with mine. Ultimately, we were at loggerheads. The production house had a word with Anurag. He became difficult to handle professionally, because only an alcoholic knows what an alcoholic goes through.' Vivek, in his interview however, never claimed that Anurag or Motwane came to set. Previously, in an interview with Mid-Day, the Motwane shared his experience of working with Vivek. He said, 'UTV was producing the film, and Vivek had approached them with this story idea that he wanted to do about football, and they said okay. But he wanted a really good writer, so they called up Anurag. He said, 'Look, I know nothing about football, but this guy (Motwane) knows everything about football. So, I wrote it, and they were happy.' Motwane shared that the film got made, but not in the way he or Anurag wanted. 'At that time, it was like beggars can't be choosers, you got paid for work. I still believe the original script of mine is one of the best things I have written.'
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Vikramaditya Motwane says no space left for indie films in India: ‘Even streamers aren't our saviours'
Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, who kicked off 2025 on a strong note with the critical and commercial success of his Netflix series Black Warrant, has expressed concern over the shrinking space for independent cinema in India. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the director reflected on how drastically the landscape has changed in the last decade. 'The fact that Phantom could make Masaan once, for example, I think that industry has changed right now,' he said, referencing the now-defunct Phantom Films. 'I don't think there's space for an indie film for a theatrical audience, or even for a streaming audience.' Motwane pointed out the lack of purely artistic Indian films being backed by local studios or platforms post-pandemic. 'If you think about it, when was the last purely artistic film that was made for streaming since the pandemic? I can't think of a single one that has been made without an international producer,' he said. 'There was a lot of talk about India at Cannes last year — we had four films in the festival, across all the sections — each one of them had an international partner. None of them were an indigenous Indian production.' Also Read | Anurag Kashyap says 'Hindi cinema isn't making anything original', Vikramaditya Motwane feels 45-minute ads are killing theatres Reflecting on the pre-pandemic era, he added, 'If I take it all the way from Udaan, the same year, 2010, we had Peepli Live, Dhobi Ghat, LSD, That Girl in the Yellow Boots. And after that you had Masaan, Court, Newton. All these movies played in theatres, they all did well in the theatres — for their budgets, they all did well enough. There was a certain amount of money that was made back. Nobody went broke.' On the shift since COVID-19, Motwane acknowledged, 'Things have changed drastically. Not only are these movies not playing in theatres anymore, but also not on streamers. Streamers are not supposed to be our saviours… but that didn't turn out.' Despite the dismal state of affairs, Motwane underlined the importance of keeping independent cinema alive. 'They must be made,' he insisted. His advice for aspiring indie filmmakers? 'If you want to make them, be smart about it — go out there, find an international producer, as then only you can get distribution, to get the money back.'
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Black Warrant' Team Unpacks Netflix Series Success at Cinevesture Film Festival
'Black Warrant,' the hit Netflix series currently in the platform's India Top 10 nearly three months after its premiere, was the focus of a panel at the ongoing Cinevesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh, India. The discussion featured creator-showrunner Vikramaditya Motwane, producer Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment, and lead actors Zahan Kapoor and Rahul Bhat, who explored the 'synergy for success' that has made the prison drama a streaming standout. More from Variety 'The Residence' Team on Casting Kylie Minogue, Honoring the Late Andre Braugher and How 'Knives Out' Rescucitated the Whodunit Genre 'One Piece' Co-Showrunner Matt Owens Exits Netflix Series After Season 2 Filming to 'Focus on My Mental Health' 'Train to Busan' Director Yeon Sang-ho Explores Human Fragility With Alfonso Cuarón-Backed Netflix Film 'Revelations': 'Issues That Are Relevant in Korea Also Ring True for the Global Audience' Based on 'Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer' by Sunil Gupta and journalist Sunetra Choudhury, the series chronicles Gupta's 35-year career at India's notorious Tihar prison, where he oversaw infamous inmates including serial killer Charles Sobhraj and and kidnappers Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa). Motwane, also known for Netflix's 'Sacred Games,' explained that the adaptation process required narrowing the book's extensive timespan. 'When you read the book, it's fantastic because it's so dramatic. Sunil Gupta gets a job – on the very first day, he's meeting Charles Sobhraj, who he didn't know about. Within the first year, he's in charge of the hanging of Ranga and Billa,' Motwane said. Rather than attempting to cover all 35 years, Motwane and co-creator Satyanshu Singh decided to focus the first season on just four years of Gupta's career. 'Otherwise, it'd start to become very episodic, just looking at hanging after hanging. Is there any fun in that?' Motwane explained. The project originated with journalist Josie Joseph and Confluence Media, who initially identified the book's adaptation potential before approaching Motwane. 'Josie reached out to me to say, are you interested? I read the book, got Satya involved, and said, 'Let's adapt this.' We set up, wrote a Bible, wrote two episodes, and then I took it to Sameer,' Motwane said. The series embraced a mix of established and emerging talent, with Kapoor playing the protagonist Sunil Gupta and Bhat portraying Deputy Superintendent of Police Tomar. Bhat, known for playing the lead in Anurag Kashyap's Cannes-selected 'Kennedy,' described his approach to the morally complex character: 'Any character, even if it's a villain, you still have to relate to and have empathy towards. You have to represent him. You're that character's lawyer.' For Kapoor, grandson of renowned actor Shashi Kapoor and deeply connected to Mumbai's Prithvi Theatre legacy, his theater background proved invaluable. Motwane praised Kapoor's contributions beyond acting: 'The years at Prithvi have taught him so much about character, drama, story, and script. Such a value add.' Kapoor was cast through an audition process that Motwane described as immediately convincing: 'Within the first 10 seconds of his audition, you know he's the guy. It was very meta, because the scene he auditioned for was the very first scene of the series when he's going for the interview.' 'I was always a little bit apprehensive of trying to manipulate and manufacture some kind of image or impression on the audience of who I am. I always found that to be slightly dishonest,' Kapoor said. 'I'm much more a product of Prithvi Theatre than I am of the film fraternity legacy.' 'Black Warrant' employed multiple directors under Motwane's showrunning, a model he believes should become standard for Indian streaming series. 'It's a very efficient model of being able to work, where you can get work done quicker, more efficiently with fresher minds,' Motwane explained. The series featured five directors total, including Motwane, Singh, Arkesh Ajay, Rohin Raveendran Nair, and Ambiecka Pandit. 'As a showrunner, you can detach a little bit. The importance for me is making sure that my character arcs are being served in the way we set them out right in the beginning,' Motwane said. Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment highlighted their production approach of making content before securing a platform. 'When we're doing this, there's a little bit of butterfly in the stomach that you're taking a lot of decisions that other people now have to like before the audience likes it,' Nair said. He praised Netflix for understanding their vision: 'With all due credit to Netflix, they got it straight away.' Regarding star power versus ensemble casting in streaming, Nair offered: 'In the series business, these are longer stories, deeper stories, richer stories. You get a chance to get an ensemble cast, find new actors, and surprise audiences.' 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