Angst reloaded

However,Kashyap emphatically dismisses this comparison: “I don’t remake my own films.” Four of his productions are set to release this year — Shaitan (May),Michael (June),That Girl In Yellow Boots (September) and Gangs of Wasseypur (October). “Yes,there were five youngsters in Paanch as are in Shaitan and yes,there is angst and crime. But the similarities end there,” he asserts,“Though I do admit that the angst is what attracted me towards Bejoy’s script.”

Looking back at his own film today,which is loosely based on the 1970s’ Joshi-Abhyankar serial killings in Pune,the director-producer finds Paanch juvenile. “I can see where parts of the script seem manipulated or forced. In fact,when I watch Shaitan,I feel ‘This is what Paanch should have been like’,” he smiles. The filmmaker recollects that during the budgeting of Shaitan,Nambiar attributed a chunk of the cost to special equipment for experimenting with the camera. This reminded Kashyap of himself during the making of Paanch,only that he wasn’t as lucky since the technology back then was limited.

Kashyap may have turned producer,helping young talent debut,but the release of his Paanch is nowhere in sight. “I’m not the producer. Hence,I am in no capacity to release it. Now,whoever asks me about the film,I just share the YouTube link for them to watch it,” he laughs,“But I’m fortunate that financiers have begun to trust my opinion since they don’t seem to have any of their own.”