Filmaker Anurag Kashyap opened up about Sushant Singh Rajput. He said that the late actor wanted to work with big production houses as he was seeking validation from them. Anurag further added that he offered the late actor two films but he was interested in working with big banners like Dharma Productions and YRF instead.
In an interview with NDTV, Anurag said, “Sushant was very successful. You make your career based on your choices, not on your talent. Aap kya choose karte ho, aap kiske saath kaam karte ho, woh aapka career banata hai (What you choose and who you choose to work with, makes your career). Sushant was super successful and made choices himself.”
Anurag expressed that after finishing the casting for Gangs of Wasseypur, he crossed his paths with Sushant. He told Sushant if they had met earlier, he would have casted him too. Given Sushant is from Bihar. Later on, Anurag recommended Sushant to Abhishek Kapoor who was searching for a TV star to work in Kai Po Che!
Anurag said that he casted Sushant for Hasee Toh Phasee and approached Parineeti Chopra for the female lead. Sushant went on to talk with Yash Raj Films (YRF) who were already handling Parineeti Chopra, and ended up signing a three-film deal with them.
“YRF called him and said, ‘We’ll give you a deal. You do Shuddh Desi Romance.’ Sushant, who used to sit in my office with Mukesh and all of us used to sit together, signed up with YRF and dropped Hasee Toh Phasee, a film of an outsider because usko validation YRF ka chahiye tha (he wanted validation from YRF). It’s with every actor, so I am not holding any grudges,” Anurag said. The movie then went to Sidharth Malhotra.
The Filmmaker talked about how he approached the late actor before M.S Dhoni released. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra told Sushant that Anurag had a great script about a boy from Uttar Pradesh. After the release of M.S Dhoni, the actor did not respond. The filmmaker moved on to make Mukkabaaz.
Anurag further added that outsiders seek validation from big production houses like YRF, Karan Johar’s Dharma Production or Sanjay Leela Bhansali. “That validation you are seeking, and one can’t blame you. It’s a choice you have made but you also have to deal with this. The boy was very talented but at that time, he chose Drive over a film that I was doing because he was dying to work with Dharma,” he said.
Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide on June 14.
