Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap Drops a Line, and All Hell Breaks Loose—What Really Happened?
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A complaint has been filed against renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap over allegedly "offensive and derogatory" remarks made about the Brahmin community. The complaint was lodged at Delhi’s Tilak Marg police station by a person named Ujjwal Gaur. In his complaint, Gaur stated that Kashyap’s remarks were not only disgusting and inappropriate but also incited hatred, disturbed public peace, and promoted communal tension. The controversy erupted on Wednesday when Anurag Kashyap responded to an Instagram user with a highly objectionable comment about Brahmins, which quickly went viral and triggered outrage on social media. Gaur called it a direct attack on the dignity of the Brahmin community and demanded strict legal action.
Following the backlash, Anurag Kashyap publicly apologized on Friday for the comment. On Instagram, he wrote "This is my apology—not for the entire post, but for that one line which was taken out of context and has led to hate being spread. No statement is worth people receiving threats of rape or murder against their families, friends, or daughters."
Kashyap added, "What’s said can’t be unsaid, and I won’t take it back. Abuse me if you must, but my family said nothing. So if you want an apology, here it is. To Brahmins, I’ll only say—spare the women, even the scriptures teach that, not just Manusmriti."
The controversy began when a user made a provocative comment about Kashyap, to which the filmmaker responded with a remark that has since drawn criticism. The incident also surrounds the buzz around his upcoming film *Phule*, which deals with caste and gender discrimination. Initially slated for release on April 11, the film’s launch was postponed after objections from the Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Samaj and the Parashuram Economic Development Organization. The censor board suggested some changes to the film, which the makers have accepted. The movie is now set to release in theatres on April 25.
