Critics failed to understand 'No Smoking': Anurag Kashyap : Interviews News : ApunKaChoice.Com


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Critics failed to understand 'No Smoking': Anurag Kashyap
07th Jan 2008 16.10 IST
By Agencies

No Smoking may have received a solid lashing from the critics. But its director Anurag Kashyap says the film remains close to his heart.

“It was not as much about the film being a flop. I don't care if a film I make is a flop. I make films that I want to make. My last release Black Friday was not a box office phenomenon. And, I knew that 'No Smoking' was not the kind of film that would break box office records.

“However, more than the audience response, it was the lashing that 'No Smoking' got from the film critics in India that hurt and send me into a depression,” Anurag Kashyap is quoted as saying in a news agency interview.

Anurag, who earlier made the highly-acclaimed 'Black Friday' and scripted the pathbreaking 'Satya' and Mani Rathnam's Yuva , said: “I can understand that the audience may not have seen, say, a Bob Fosse, from which 'No Smoking draws inspiration. However, I expected the critics to understand it.

“After all, film critics have done a film appreciation course and are aware of latest international trends of filmmaking.

“Unfortunately, however, most of the critics did not see the film for what it was. The film was not given that chance. If the film was seen for what it was, I would have been happy.”

The lacklustre response to the film notwithstanding, Anurag said 'No Smoking' remained the film closest to his heart.

“No Smoking is my most personal and favourite film. It is unfortunate that it did not reach out to the audience,” Kashyap said.

Analyzing as to what went wrong with the film, he said: “I don't think anything went wrong with the film. What went wrong was its pitching. The distributors wanted to get a good opening for the film in the opening weekend based on an item song.

“The promos of 'No Smoking' showing the item song send to the people a wrong picture of the film.”

The filmmaker said he was shocked when he saw entire families, with women and children, coming to theatres to watch the film.

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No Smoking
Anurag Kashyap
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