Mumbai — Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, known for his unapologetic storytelling and raw cinematic voice, has spoken candidly about what he calls the “worst experience” of his career—the making and aftermath of Bombay Velvet. In a recent conversation with film critic Komal Nahta, Kashyap revisited the emotional and professional turmoil he faced following the film’s failure.
The 2015 neo-noir period drama, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Karan Johar, was expected to be a grand tribute to 1960s Bombay. Inspired by Gyan Prakash’s Mumbai Fables, the film showcased sweeping sets, jazz-age glamour, and an ambitious scale rarely attempted in Bollywood. Yet despite its vision and star cast, Bombay Velvet collapsed at the box office and drew widespread criticism, turning what should have been a career milestone into a deeply scarring experience for the director.
“The lowest point of my career”
Kashyap revealed that the trauma did not come from the filming process but from the wave of negativity that followed the movie’s release. “If I could have owned this failure, it wouldn’t have been trauma,” he said. “It became traumatic because I went on the back foot. This was the first time I saw so much negativity in my life.”
The director said the backlash triggered severe self-doubt and pressure, leaving him mentally drained. The film, made on a budget of ₹90 crore and earning just ₹43.20 crore worldwide, became one of the biggest commercial setbacks in mainstream Hindi cinema.
A Shift in Creative Philosophy
The failure pushed Kashyap to rethink every aspect of his filmmaking. Determined to never lose creative control again, he switched to smaller, more manageable budgets. “I understood my audience,” he said. “I asked the production house, ‘How much will you give me if I don’t tell you the script or cast?’ They gave me ₹3.5 crore. After ₹90 crore, I went straight to ₹3.5 crore.”
This pivot led him back to independent cinema—territory where he has always thrived creatively. Kashyap says the experience taught him discipline, freedom, and the importance of staying true to his artistic instincts.
The Legacy of Bombay Velvet
Released on May 15, 2015, the film boasted a massive production value estimated at nearly ₹120 crore. Despite its disastrous box office performance, it later drew appreciation for its visual ambition, production design, and unique narrative style. The film also featured Karan Johar in a rare negative role, alongside Kay Kay Menon, Manish Choudhary, Vivaan Shah, and Siddhartha Basu.
Growing Through Failure
For Kashyap, Bombay Velvet remains a turning point—one that reshaped his approach to storytelling and career choices. Instead of letting the setback define him, he embraced it as a lesson in humility and resilience. Today, he stands as one of India’s most experimental filmmakers, shaping cinema on his own terms.
His journey from heartbreak to reinvention continues to inspire artists navigating the unpredictable world of filmmaking.
