Anurag Kashyap reveals backlash over casting KJo in 'Bombay Velvet'
02 Jan 2026

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently opened up about the backlash he faced for casting Karan Johar in his 2015 film Bombay Velvet.

In a recent interview with Screen, he revealed that many people saw him and Johar as rivals and were disappointed by the latter's involvement in the project.

"A lot of those who used to follow my work felt that I had sold out," he said.

"Even now, people say that my downfall happened because I 'shook hands' with Karan."

'He was very natural for the role'
Casting choice

Kashyap defended his decision to cast Johar.

"He was very natural for the role. He doesn't believe it, but I think he was fantastic with what he did there," said Kashyap.

The filmmaker also revealed that the movie's failure affected his relationships with co-stars like Ranbir Kapoor.

"I think Ranbir was very upset..."

"He keeps saying, 'Why do you keep talking about Bombay Velvet? Just ignore it.'"

'I just didn't know how to face them'
Post-release aftermath

Kashyap admitted it was difficult to confront his co-stars after the film's release.

"We don't meet often. Whenever we meet, we just hug and greet each other."

"And at the beginning, I just didn't know how to face them because they had given me a lot of trust and love."

"And I was dealing with my own demons. So I needed to come out of that and make a very small film."

"But slowly, I think, we became distant."