Anurag Kashyap reacts to Panchayat actor Pankaj Jha's controversial statement: 'Now he may be thinking after 20 years, he could have become Pankaj Tripathi'

Pankaj Jha, who is known for his role in Panchayat, recently made headlines with his comments about filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and Pankaj Tripathi. Jha revealed that he was initially supposed to play the role of Sultan in the critically acclaimed Gangs of Wasseypur, a part that eventually went to Tripathi. In his interview with Digital Commentary, Jha allegedly called Kashyap 'spineless and timid' for not keeping his promise. However, Jha later denied making such statements, asserting that his words were twisted.

Reacting to Jha's controversial statement, Anurag Kashyap shared his perspective stating that there are always two sides to every story, especially when two people are involved. He told India Today, "I don’t remember what exactly happened. But we were shooting for The Girl in Yellow Boots, and he had moved to Osho in Pune to paint. We were supposed to start shooting for Gangs of Wasseypur, and he (Pankaj Jha) was not available. We were on a tight budget and could not wait for him. We made the film in very different conditions and budget."

Kashyap suggested that Jha might be speaking about the incident now due to Pankaj Tripathi’s immense success, "Now he may be thinking after 20 years, he could have become Pankaj Tripathi." Despite the controversy, Kashyap described Jha as his "go-to actor," having worked with him on Gulaal and Black Friday. He expressed a desire to work with Jha again but noted that Jha is not easily accessible.




A few years ago, Abhay Deol made headlines with his comments about Kashyap, calling him 'toxic.' Reflecting on these past issues, Kashyap remarked, "With Abhay, it was a different story. Whatever happened, the true story cannot be spoken out in public. Jitna bolna tha bol diya, usne bhi and maine bhi (Both of us have said what we had to). None of us can speak about it anymore."



Anurag Kashyap is set to appear as the primary antagonist in the upcoming web series 'Bad Cop,' directed by Aditya Datt and starring Gulshan Devaiah. The thriller is slated for release on June 21.