Hansal Mehta recalls giving ₹75,000 to Anurag Kashyap for a film that never released: ‘Usko paise chahiye the’

Bollywood filmmaker Hansal Mehta recalled an interesting anecdote about Anurag Kashyap’s first film — and it wasn’t Paanch. In an interview with Pinkvilla, the filmmaker shared how Anurag wrote a screenplay in just 48 hours because he needed money to pay his rent — but the film was never released. (Also Read: Hansal Mehta reacts to 'Bollywood is dying' furore, says Hindi cinema needs a reset: 'Invest in actors, not stars')

Hansal recounted how producer RV Pandit often took chances on people who were either written off or not yet known. One day, when RV Pandit asked Hansal how much money he wanted to make a movie, Hansal thought it was too good to be true and quoted ₹50 lakh. The producer then instructed his accountant, Hemant, to give Hansal ₹25 lakh upfront and another ₹25 lakh if required — “but not a single penny more.”

Hansal revealed that although he had ideas, he was confused and unsure how to execute them. He was spending time with actor Manoj Bajpayee at Mahesh Bhatt’s flat in Andheri when someone knocked on the door. It turned out to be none other than Anurag Kashyap.

Hansal recalls how Anurag wrote 350-page script in 48 hours

“Hum ideas discuss kar rahe the. Baat karte karte wo (Manoj) so gaya. Darwaza knock kiya kisi ne. Ek aadmi aaya… maine bola Manoj bhaiya so rahe hai… wo bolta main aapse milna chahta tha… Highway dekhi thi, pagal ho gaya, bada fan hu… Aapko dhund raha hu kabse (We were discussing ideas. While talking, Manoj fell asleep. Someone knocked on the door. A man came in... I said, 'Manoj bhaiya is sleeping'... he said, 'I wanted to meet you… I had watched Highway, I went crazy, I’m a big fan… I’ve been looking for you for a long time),” Hansal said.

Hansal continued, “Usne bola main actor hu aur likhta bhi hu. Toh maine usko bola main ek kahani bolta hu, likhoge kya? Usne bola sir main likh lunga, mujhe ₹15,000 chahiye, mera three months ka rent dena hai mujhe (He said, 'I’m an actor and I also write.' So I asked him if he'd write a story I had in mind. He said, 'Sir, I will write it. I just need ₹15,000 — I have to pay three months' rent). Usne 48 hours mein mujhe screenplay de diya kyunki usko paise chahiye the. So instead of ₹15,000, I gave him ₹75,000 (He gave me the screenplay in 48 hours because he needed the money. So instead of ₹15,000, I gave him ₹75,000)."

Hansal revealed why the film never released

The 350-page script became the film Jayate, which Hansal said was technically Anurag’s first film. The cast included Sachin Khedekar in the lead, Shakti Kapoor in a serious role, and Shilpa Shirodkar. Each actor was paid ₹50,000. However, Jayate was never released. Although it was selected for the Indian Panorama section at IFFI, it didn’t find a distributor. He revealed that he got disappointed and turned to television then.

Anurag Kashyap eventually made his directorial debut with the crime thriller Paanch in 2003. He went on to make acclaimed films like Dev D, Black Friday, Gulaal, The Girl In the Yellow Boots, and Gangs of Wasseypur, among others.

Hansal Mehta’s upcoming work

Hansal is currently working on his upcoming series Scam 2010, which will explore the life and times of the controversial late businessman and Sahara group founder, Subrata Roy. “Scam is not just a franchise for me. It is a chronicling of our times. I’m thrilled to collaborate again with Applause and Sony LIV to bring this larger-than-life story alive,” Hansal said.