Sep 10 2016

Anurag Kashyap and his eye for film talent — Birthday special

by   Shriram Iyengar

As a 24-year-old, when Anurag Kashyap approached Ram Gopal Varma with the story of Satya, Varma sent Saurabh Shukla to mentor this young talented writer. Two decades later, Kashyap has transformed into one of the leading lights of Indian cinema's new wave, mentoring a host of talent himself. On his 44th birthday today (10 September), we take a look at the successful talent who have benefitted from Kashyap's style of filmmaking. 

1 Kalki Koechlin 

The married couple may have drifted apart now, but the actress was once Kashyap's muse. From the trippy Dev D (2009) to the inimitable Shaitaan (2012), the actress and director made some stellar films. All good things come to an end, alas. 

2 Nawazuddin Siddiqui 

There are few talents holding sway in Indian cinema as brightly as Nawazuddin Siddiqui right now. The brilliant actor began his career with a 10-minute role in Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday. Since then, Siddiqui has acted in 11 films either produced or directed by Kashyap.

3 Piyush Mishra 

This immensely gifted writer, actor, playwright has had a long relationship with Kashyap. Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Home (2004) and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) had screenplays written by Kashyap, with Mishra in minor roles. The duo came together for the first time in the highly-underrated Gulaal (2009), before finding massive success in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).

4 Kay Kay Menon 

He might not be the most visible actor, but Kay Kay Menon's talent is undoubted. The actor was one of the first partners of Kashyap in his directorial debut, Paanch (2005). The film never made it out, but the director stuck with Menon in his next big release, Black Friday (2007). Both of them were pacified with that decision.

5 Mahie Gill 

Another member of the Dev D team, Gill's performance and rawness caught the attention of critics and fans alike. Since then, she has gone on to become one of the more recognised faces of brave, alternate cinema in India. 
 

6 Vasan Bala 

A close confidante of Kashyap, Bala has worked with him on films like Dev D and Gulaal. In turn, Kashyap produced and financed Bala's debut directorial, Peddlers (2012). The film never released in India, but it received praise from the critics, leading to another member of Kashyap's team joining the revolution. 

7 Huma Qureshi

Her debut in Gangs of Wasseypur earned rave reviews. She followed it up with some stellar films like D-Day (2013), Dedh Ishqiya (2014), Badlapur (2015). 

8 Sneha Khanwalkar 

Female music directors are as rare as they come in the Hindi film industry. This is why Kashyap's faith in Sneha Khanwalkar's music in Gangs of Wasseypur proved to be the trump. The music for the film was a revelation, leading to Khanwalkar's rise in the industry. She has gone on to give music for films like Khoobsurat (2014), Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) and Singh is Bling (2015).

9 Amit Trivedi 

Amit Trivedi's sense of trippy, rock music rhythms work well for Kashyap's unconventional storylines. It is not surprising that the composer is the go-to music director for Kashyap, and recently composed the hit soundtrack for Udta Punjab (2016).

10 Neeraj Ghaywan 

The director of the splendid Masaan (2015) began his career as a film critic. It was his writing that caught Kashyap's attention, getting him the job of assistant director on the epic Gangs of Wasseypur series. Soon, Ghaywan ventured out on to deliver a masterpiece of his own. 

11 Vicky Kaushal 

The latest sensation in Indian cinema, Vicky Kaushal's debut was in an Anurag Kashyap produced Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012). With Masaan (2015) and later Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), the actor has cemented a creative relationship with his producer and mentor, Anurag Kashyap. 
 

12 Vikramaditya Motwane 

Another stellar talent to emerge from the Kashyap stable is director Vikramaditya Motwane. Now, a regular collaborator, Motwane began his career as screenwriter in Kashyap's Dev D. In turn, Kashyap produced Motwane's fascinating Udaan (2010). They are now partners and collaborators in Phantom Films.