Kashyap Blames Himself for Kapoor's Doubt

Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma’s Bombay Velvet (2015) remains one of Bollywood’s most infamous big-budget disappointments. Despite a powerhouse star cast, a striking visual style, and Anurag Kashyap’s

ambitious storytelling, the film crashed at the box office and left a lasting impact on both the filmmaker and his lead actor.

In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, Kashyap opened up about the aftermath of the film’s failure and how it led Ranbir Kapoor into a period of self-doubt.

“I Bought Into the Bullshit” – Kashyap on Big-Budget Missteps

Kashyap admitted that he let the film’s massive budget overwhelm his creative instincts. “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,” he confessed.

According to the director, filmmakers sometimes lose sight of the story when money and star power take over. In Bombay Velvet’s case, the film’s scale worked against its vision.

Ranbir Kapoor’s Self-Doubt

Anurag Kashyap was quick to praise Ranbir, calling him a committed actor who constantly experiments with his roles despite being a mainstream star. But he also admitted feeling responsible for the actor’s hesitation after the film tanked. “Ranbir Kapoor commits a lot and that’s the one thing I feel responsible for because he has stopped experimenting,” he said.

The director recalled that after the back-to-back failures of Bombay Velvet, Besharam (2013), and Jagga Jasoos (2017), Ranbir entered a phase of uncertainty. “After that, he was unsure for a time period. But his commitment is amazing,” Kashyap added, referencing Ranbir’s later leap into Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, which he described as an experimental project.

Kashyap concluded with humility, acknowledging the responsibility directors bear: “Ranbir doesn’t do wrong, but it’s the director’s fault. Everybody comes together to make a good film; directors make bad films.”

Revisiting Bombay Velvet

Released in 2015, Bombay Velvet was Kashyap’s ambitious attempt to craft a noir-inspired crime drama set in 1960s Bombay. Based on historian Gyan Prakash’s book Mumbai Fables, the film followed Johnny Balraj (Ranbir Kapoor), a street fighter with dreams of becoming a “big shot,” who falls in love with jazz singer Rosie (Anushka Sharma). Their love story plays out against the city’s transformation into a metropolis, shadowed by the underworld and the rise of ruthless capitalist ambitions.

Also starring Karan Johar in a rare villainous turn as media tycoon Khambatta, the film boasted stunning production design, period costumes, and a richly textured soundtrack by Amit Trivedi. Despite its scale and craft, Bombay Velvet was rejected by audiences and critics alike, becoming one of Bollywood’s most expensive flops.

Nearly a decade later, the film continues to be re-evaluated as a daring but flawed experiment. And as Kashyap’s reflections suggest, its failure not only altered his own trajectory but also left one of India’s most versatile actors questioning the risks he once embraced with ease.