‘He has stopped…’ Anurag Kashyap feels ‘responsible’ for shaking Ranbir Kapoor’s confidence after Bombay Velvet

In a recent interview, director Anurag Kashyap acknowledged that he felt responsible for putting Ranbir Kapoor in a phase of self-doubt after Bombay Velvet's failure.

Written by: Onam Gupta

Published: August 31, 2025, 2:23 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/entertainment/he-has-stopped-anurag-kashyap-feels-responsible-for-shaking-ranbir-kapoors-confidence-after-bombay-velvet-8044711/ Copy

'He has stopped...' Anurag Kashyap feels 'responsible' for shaking Ranbir Kapoor's confidence after Bombay Velvet

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap collaborated with Ranbir Kapoor in 2013 film Bombay Velvet, which failed commercially as well as critically. Anurag, who is currently busy in promotions of his upcoming film Nishaanchi, recalled the time when Bombay Velvet crashed at the box office and how it left a lasting impact not just on him but also Ranbir’s movies choices.

Anurag Kashyap on making big-budget films

Speaking about the challenges in handling big-budget films, Kashyap admitted that the film failed as it did not stay true to its creative instincts. While interacting with Galatta Plus, Kashyap said, “The film should have been made the way it was researched. But I did it the way it was budgeted. I also bought into all the bullshit that everybody threw at me. They told me, ‘When you can make such an amazing film with nobody in it, imagine what would happen if we get stars and big money?’ And we also saw what happened,” 

How Bombay Velvet’s failure deeply affected Ranbir Kapoor?

Kashyap felt that the film’s failure affected Ranbir Kapoor’s confidence as an actor as he became a bit hesitant in taking on different roles. “Ranbir Kapoor commits a lot and that’s the one thing I feel responsible for because he has stopped experimenting,” he said.

Anurag acknowledged that back-to-back film failures like Bombay Velvet, Besharam (2013), and Jagga Jasoos (2017), led him into the phase of self doubt. He said, “After that, he was unsure for a time period. But his commitment is amazing.” He further defended actor’s choices and acknowledged the responsibility the director bears when a project fails. “Ranbir doesn’t do wrong, but it’s the director’s fault. Everybody comes together to make a good film; directors make bad films.” Kashyap concluded.

Released in 2015, Bombay Velvet starred Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar. Despite a powerhouse starcast and Anurag Kashyap’s experimental storytelling, the film failed to make an impact, earning just Rs 23 crore against the hefty budget of Rs 120 crore.

Story Highlights

1. Anurag Kashyap reflected on film Bombay Velvet’s failure
2. Anurag also opened up about the challenges of handling big-budget films
3. Anurag revealed that the film’s failure shook Ranbir Kapoor’s confidence