Mumbai, April 4 Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap revealed that he was approached to play a role in the upcoming pan-Indian film “Dacoit” at the wedding of actors Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya.
Kashyap recounted how he was cast in the action-thriller, explaining that during the ceremony, he was pulled aside for an impromptu script narration by director Shaneil Deo and actor Adivi Sesh, who also co-wrote “Dacoit”.
“I went to the wedding of Sobhita (Dhulipala) to perform the kanyadaan ceremony, and after that, they took me to a corner and narrated the script to me. While the ‘phera’ ceremony was taking place, I was listening to the narration. I wasn't asked whether I would do it or not; instead, they told me that the shooting would start next month,” Kashyap said at the trailer launch press conference of “Dacoit”.
Dhulipala, who debuted in Kashyap’s 2016 film “Raman Raghav 2.0” and later worked with him on the Netflix horror anthology "Ghost Stories" (2020), tied the knot with Chaitanya in Hyderabad in 2024.
“Dacoit” is being billed as a gripping story of two former lovers who must unite to commit a series of robberies to change their lives. Mrunal Thakur stars opposite Sesh.
Kashyap said he couldn't refuse the makers of “Dacoit” because the role offered him a break from playing typecast characters.
“For the first time, someone saw me beyond the stereotypical role of a crazy psychopath killer, and that was a significant opportunity for me. Usually, people tend to typecast you, but in this film, I had the chance to play a new kind of character,” Kashyap said.
Speaking about his experience acting, Kashyap said that while filmmaking remains his passion, acting provides a fresh perspective.
“Right now, my films aren't working. I prefer directing. I love making movies, and filmmaking is my first love. Acting is also part of it; I have experience in theatre, and that is proving useful now,” he said.
Kashyap, 53, drew comparisons to legendary actors like Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Dev Anand, Clint Eastwood, and Mel Gibson, and said that actors often make the best directors because of their “intuition” regarding performance.
“Actors have intuition while acting, which makes them better directors. Also, directors have a better understanding of various things, and there are several directors who have also been good actors, such as Satish Kaushik, Rajkumar Santoshi, and others,” he said.
“When I first started acting, I couldn’t really be an actor, maybe because I didn't understand the medium of cinema then. But now, I do,” he added, emphasizing that writing and direction are his first loves.
“It's good to act sometimes because it provides a fresh perspective, like when an actor becomes a director, he understands the importance of performance,” Kashyap added.
Kashyap praised Sesh and described him as a “realistic and pragmatic” person.
“Sesh is very grateful, and that comes across in his personality and his work,” he said.
For Thakur, working with Kashyap in “Dacoit” proved to be a valuable learning experience.
“I have heard a lot about Anurag sir as a director. During the filming of ‘Dacoit’, there were times when the scheduling of the scenes would make him act first, and then I would act in the second half.
"I would stay back and watch his scenes on the monitor, and I was able to observe him and the unique flavour he added to his role. I wasn't just watching Anurag sir; I was observing Swami, and the essence that he brought to ‘Dacoit’ is amazing,” Thakur said.
The actor, known for her work in Hindi and South films like “Love Sonia”, “Super 30”, “Sita Ramam”, and “Hi Nanna”, said that she only chooses roles that “advance the story”.
“I like playing characters with depth. I’ve learned a lot from all the characters I’ve played, and the mistakes they’ve made on screen. I don't make those mistakes in my personal life. As an actor, it's a huge blessing to step into someone else's life, to learn from their experiences,” Thakur said.
“Every year, I try to do one film in Telugu cinema, and I hope that people will enjoy our film (‘Dacoit’), with Saraswati,” she said.
The film, produced by Supriya Yarlagadda and presented by Annapurna Studios, and co-produced by Suniel Narang, is set to release on April 10.