Anurag Kashyap on the Lack of Solidarity Among Independent Filmmakers in India: 'There's No Collective'

September 2025 should have been a milestone month for Indian independent cinema.

Within weeks of each other, five indie titles — Homebound, Sabar Bonda, Jugnuma, Bad Girl and Humans in the Loop — found release. In an industry where independent films often struggle for budgets, screens, and visibility, the clustering of these projects could have resulted in momentum. Instead, according to Anurag Kashyap, it exposed a deeper problem.

Sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter India, he observes: “Woh paanchon film ke filmmakers ne baaki chaar ke baare mein baat nahin ki (Each of the five filmmakers did not talk about the other four). Humaare time mein aisa nahi hota tha (In our time, it was not like that).”

Kashyap says he belongs to a generation of filmmakers who emerged in the late ’90s and early 2000s — when independent cinema in India operated on solidarity, despite fragile economics.

“It’s a very simple thing: I love cinema, I love people who love cinema,” he says. For Kashyap, that love has meant backing his peers, publicly and privately.

“We used to encourage each other and champion each other’s films,” he says, recalling buying tickets to support releases and actively fighting for one another’s projects. “Woh time ek aisa tha ki ek camaraderie thi (That time, we shared a camaraderie).”

That camaraderie, he says, is missing today.

“In the process, we’re also killing our own film,” he says, referring to the reluctance to promote peers while one’s own film is in theatres. “Those things don’t matter.” In his view, supporting another filmmaker does not take away from one’s own release; it strengthens the ecosystem.

For him, the lack of vocal support among filmmakers reflects the absence of a collective identity. “There’s no collective,” he says bluntly. “There’s no joy, no celebration… no honest conversations, those things are missing.” Without studio backing or large marketing spends, visibility is often community-driven. Word of mouth endorsements can make a world of a difference for a film.

Kashyap contrasts this with his experience abroad. “There’s this camaraderie that I have internationally, that I don’t have in India.” He speaks of fellow independent filmmakers from other countries sending him their projects before screenings, seeking feedback and support. The exchange, he implies, is a symptom of collaboration, rather than competition.

The September slate in India could have had a major impact—five independent films occupying conversation at the same time. Instead, the director says, each operated in its own silo. 

Until that changes, Kashyap argues, “Independent cinema has no option in India."

Watch the full conversation with the filmmaker-actor on The Hollywood Reporter India's YouTube channel, dropping later today