Anurag Kashyap went ballistic on Facebook alleging that superstar Amitabh Bachchan stalled the release of Chittagong to benefit Abhishek's Khelen Hum Jee Jaan Se.HJJS. Bachchan refused to dignify his comments by responding.
Anurag Kashyap is known in the industry for candid outbursts against members of his fraternity. But this time, Kashyap has locked horns with none other than Amitabh Bachchan.
Kashyap has posted a comment on a social networking site, alleging that Big B is responsible for pushing the release of Shonali Bose's Chittagong, which is being directed by her husband Bedabrata.
The film, like Ashutosh Gowariker's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, is based on the 1930 Chittagong uprising, led by Surya Sen and his team of Bengali revolutionaries. While in Gowariker's film Abhishek Bachchan plays the protagonist Surya Sen, in Bose's, Manoj Bajpai does.
The two films were meant to release around the same time but Gowariker's reached the theatres first. Reacting strongly against what may have led to the delayed release of Bose's film, Kashyap has been posting caustic remarks on the networking sites.
While these comments reach millions, you wonder why Kashyap has a soft corner for Bose's film Chittagong, considering he has nothing to do with the project.
Meanwhile, Kashyap's post shockingly reads (sic), “See Chittagong, a far superior film made on the same subject as Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.. At 1/8 th the cost, far superior actors and immense passion... Producers decided to sit on it, because of a phone call from someone, because that someone was trying desperately to save his son's career... welcome to Bollywood, where whose son you are outshines all the hard work and passion and potential and talent. KHJJS came and went, now what?”
Moreover, Kashyap has been telling his friends that Chittagong, which was to release on October 26, is on the same subject as Ashutosh Gowarikar's KHJJS.
Unaware of Kashyap's remarks, writer-producer-director of Chittagong, Bedabrata Pain, said, “Anurag is known to be a very frank and fearless person. I am very honoured that people like he and Vishal Bhardwaj have thrown their weight behind the film. The last thing I want is controversy. Some time ago, I lost my 16-year old son and right now, my priority is my 12-year old son. I want people to come and see Chittagong. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey has come and gone. The story is yet to be told.”
Big B, it seems is quite irked as well. When asked if he had indeed made a call to stall the release of Chittagong, Bachchan said, “This is incorrect and baseless and I do not wish to dignify this undignified remark by commenting on it.”
Big B may want to rethink that after reading what Kashyap finally told us. “About my Chittagong status, I was furious. Some of my team members saw the film KHJJS and walked out. Then you realise what a f****** industry we work in,” said Kashyap.
