Anurag Kashyap is known as a controversial director in Bollywood due to the themes of his films and his outspoken nature. He has given us many great films like ‘Black Friday’, ‘No Smoking’, ‘Dev D’, ‘Gulaal’, ‘Manmarziyaan’, and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. However, his directorial debut film ran into trouble 22 years ago and has yet to be released. Now, it seems that the film will finally see the light of day. Starring Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, Joy Fernandes, and Tejaswini Kolhapure, the film ‘Paanch’ will be released in theatres in 2025.
‘Paanch’ is largely inspired by the Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Pune in 1976-77. The film faced censorship issues back then, with the CBFC asking for the removal of many scenes depicting violence and drug abuse. Despite Anurag’s efforts, the film was not approved for release. However, it did manage to screen at several international film festivals and received praise from those who saw it. Now, after 22 years, the film is set to have an official release, with producer Titu Sharma confirming the news.
Sharma stated, “‘Paanch’ will definitely be released in theatres next year. I am planning to release it in the next 6 months. The negatives of the film are being restored, and as soon as they are ready, we will release the film.” It is worth noting that ‘Black Friday’, Anurag Kashyap’s second directorial, also faced delays in getting a release date but was eventually released in 2007.
It’s a significant development for fans of Anurag Kashyap’s work, as they will finally get to see his controversial debut film on the big screen after more than two decades of waiting.
