Manoj Bajpayee has revealed that he and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap were planning to collaborate on a new film after the massive success of Gangs of Wasseypur, but the project never materialised. In a recent interview, Bajpayee said Kashyap felt the script wasn’t coming together and decided to drop it midway. “We were discussing a film very seriously. But Anurag being Anurag, he is very unpredictable… He realised that he is not being able to do justice to it as a writer, so we stopped,” the actor explained.
Their friendship, however, goes back much further. The two first found success with Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya in 1998, where Kashyap wrote the script and Bajpayee shot to stardom as Bhiku Mhatre. They later worked together on Kaun and Shool but parted ways due to misunderstandings that lasted several years. “There was too much misunderstanding, which got cleared up only after we decided to work on Gangs of Wasseypur. But it was a loss not only for both of us but also for our audience because we could really create a lot of magic together,” Bajpayee reflected.
Despite the shelved project, Bajpayee hasn’t lost hope. “One fine morning he will get up and he will have his script. I don’t put any pressure on him at all,” he said, adding that Kashyap thrives in chaos and creativity.
Currently, Kashyap is backing Bajpayee’s new project Jugnuma, directed by Raam Reddy. After watching the film at the New York Film Festival, Kashyap was “blown away” and decided to present it, even bringing on board acclaimed filmmakers like Vetri Maaran, Nag Ashwin, and Lijo Jose Pellissery to support the project. Bajpayee praised Kashyap for mentoring independent films and always championing bold stories.