Anurag Kashyap reacts to name appearing in Epstein Files
Anurag Kashyap has responded to reports about his name appearing in the controversial Jeffrey Epstein files, dismissing the suggestion of any connection and clarifying the context in which his name was mentioned.
Addressing the issue, the filmmaker explained that the reference stemmed from an email mention rather than any direct association. “In a mail. In a random mail,” he said, before adding that such invitations are not unusual. “We get invitations from Harvard, Yale, everywhere. I don’t know. I have never been to Beijing. I have been to Shanghai in China once before 2014, I did a recce for ‘Bombay Velvet’.”
Kashyap also approached the situation with humour, remarking that he sometimes thinks to himself: “Wow! What a company I have.”
During the conversation, the director also reflected on the income tax raid conducted at his home in 2021. According to Kashyap, the matter was largely linked to financial and valuation issues surrounding Phantom Films, the production house he previously co-founded.
“It had more to do with Phantom Films, because we got out and we split, and the valuation. What was there? What wasn’t there? Who has it? Who doesn’t have it? All that kind of thing happened,” he explained.
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Kashyap also spoke candidly about his experiences as a producer, admitting that he feels more comfortable focusing on directing. “I was the happiest when I was not a producer,” he said, adding that he now prefers to identify talent and connect filmmakers with people who can help bring their projects to life.
“I know how to spot people. I do that today as well, but I send them to places, people who I know will make the films,” he added.
Reflecting on why he stepped back from producing, Kashyap acknowledged that handling finances was never his strongest area. “My weak point is handling money, for which I am always dependent on somebody else. And that somebody else has always let me down. So, instead of constantly being let down, it is better to work as a director.”
