Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has reacted to the recent ‘Made in Heaven’ controversy and come out in support of director Neeraj Ghaywan. In an interview, Kashyap responded to all the criticism, targeting the fifth episode of the series directed by Ghaywan, featuring Radhika Apte as a Dalit bride who opts for a Buddhist wedding.
Anurag said, “I get scared for people I care about when they get attacked. I have seen the entire journey of Neeraj Ghaywan and the time he took to find the courage to speak up and then I saw him get cancelled in a day on social media. I got very affected by that because he got cancelled by people without them understanding the issue.”
He added, "It’s a debatable issue… You (Yashica Dutt) are not really concerned about the issue because then you can’t be two-sided. You are attacking this guy (Neeraj Ghaywan)… So, if you are only looking for validation then to me, you look like an opportunist and nothing more than that. And I have seen that man (Neeraj) who found courage to be the voice, struggle, shrink because he got attacked by his very people. Then what is important in this day and age when we talk about representation? Is representation more important than self? Is yourself bigger than the representation? Because then you are a false self. You are a badge wearer. You are not really representing something and that makes me angry.”
The controversy erupted when Yashica Dutt, author of ‘Coming Out as Dalit: A Memoir,' demanded recognition for inspiring the character of Pallavi Menke and the storyline of the ‘Made in Heaven 2’ episode titled ‘The Heart Skips A Beat,’ directed by Ghaywan, as she wasn’t formally credited. A few days later, the makers of the show released a statement denying the claims.
Anurag and Ghaywan have collaborated in the past when he co-produced the latter’s directorial debut film ‘Masaan.’ Meanwhile, Neeraj co-directed the second season of Netflix's ‘Sacred Games’ with Anurag.