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Vivek Agnihotri Says Anurag Kashyap Was Hard to Work With; Kashyap Responds
Updated on: 14 May, 2025 06:51 PM IST |Amruta Karulkar
Vivek Agnihotri and Anurag Kashyap
A new war of words has erupted in Bollywood, pulling back the curtain on past collaborations. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, known for directing controversial hits like "The Kashmir Files", recently made some strong statements about his experience working with acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap on the 2007 film "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal". Kashyap, not one to stay silent, has fired back with his own version of events.
He further detailed how creative control allegedly shifted. “Phir voh Vikramaditya Motwane ko le aaye, bola mera RK ladka hai, vo help karega. Dheere dheere saara kaam Vikramaditya ko hi de diya. Main jo banana chah raha tha, yeh log ki soch kuch alag thi, yeh kuch aur hi banana chah rahe the,” Agnihotri explained. This divergence in vision led to friction. “Ultimately, we were at loggerheads. The production house had a word with Anurag… Anurag ko handle karna mushkil ho gaya (It became difficult to handle Anurag). Because only an alcoholic knows what an alcoholic goes through. It became a very big problem.” Agnihotri also mentioned that the film was initially supposed to star Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra, but the cast later changed to John Abraham and Bipasha Basu.
Also Read: Anurag Kashyap Reveals Vijay Sethupathi Helped Him Get a Role in Maharaja
Kashyap further alleged, "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 @motwayne went on the set ever. Stop posturing @vivekagnihotri (sic)." Vikramaditya Motwane also reshared Kashyap`s story, seemingly endorsing his statement.
"Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal," produced by Ronnie Screwvala for UTV Motion Pictures and directed by Agnihotri, featured John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, and Boman Irani. The sports drama saw moderate success, releasing in the same year as the blockbuster "Chak De! India".
Anurag Kashyap, celebrated for films like "Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Black Friday," will soon be seen as the antagonist in "Dacoit: A Love Story," alongside Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur. This public disagreement adds another chapter to the complex relationships within the Indian film industry.
Also Read: Vivek Agnihotri Announces Release Date Of August 2025 for “The Delhi Files”
Agnihotri`s Side: Challenges on "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal"
In a candid interview with Digital Commentary, Vivek Agnihotri recounted the period of making "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal", where Anurag Kashyap was involved as a writer. Agnihotri claimed that Kashyap`s alleged lifestyle at the time created a difficult working environment. "Anurag uss time bahut sharab peeta tha, toh usko time ka koi hisaab nahi tha (Anurag used to drink a lot at that time and had no sense of time),” Agnihotri stated.He further detailed how creative control allegedly shifted. “Phir voh Vikramaditya Motwane ko le aaye, bola mera RK ladka hai, vo help karega. Dheere dheere saara kaam Vikramaditya ko hi de diya. Main jo banana chah raha tha, yeh log ki soch kuch alag thi, yeh kuch aur hi banana chah rahe the,” Agnihotri explained. This divergence in vision led to friction. “Ultimately, we were at loggerheads. The production house had a word with Anurag… Anurag ko handle karna mushkil ho gaya (It became difficult to handle Anurag). Because only an alcoholic knows what an alcoholic goes through. It became a very big problem.” Agnihotri also mentioned that the film was initially supposed to star Saif Ali Khan and Priyanka Chopra, but the cast later changed to John Abraham and Bipasha Basu.
Also Read: Anurag Kashyap Reveals Vijay Sethupathi Helped Him Get a Role in Maharaja
Kashyap`s Counter: "Kitna Jhootha Hai Ye Aadmi"
Anurag Kashyap, who is credited as one of the dialogue writers for "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal" alongside Rohit Malhotra, with Vikramaditya Motwane on screenplay, took to Instagram to refute Agnihotri`s claims. In a strongly worded story, Kashyap wrote, "Kitna jhootha hai ye aadmi. Shooting London mein hui thi (This man is such a liar. The shooting of the film took place in London). I was in India."Kashyap further alleged, "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 @motwayne went on the set ever. Stop posturing @vivekagnihotri (sic)." Vikramaditya Motwane also reshared Kashyap`s story, seemingly endorsing his statement.
"Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal," produced by Ronnie Screwvala for UTV Motion Pictures and directed by Agnihotri, featured John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, and Boman Irani. The sports drama saw moderate success, releasing in the same year as the blockbuster "Chak De! India".
Anurag Kashyap, celebrated for films like "Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Black Friday," will soon be seen as the antagonist in "Dacoit: A Love Story," alongside Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur. This public disagreement adds another chapter to the complex relationships within the Indian film industry.
Also Read: Vivek Agnihotri Announces Release Date Of August 2025 for “The Delhi Files”
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