Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has spoken out about the hidden costs of the film industry and how some actors in Mumbai do not take their craft seriously. He pointed out that a major part of a film’s budget goes towards the lavish lifestyle of those involved, including their entourage. Anurag also said he is frustrated with actors who prefer to spend their time in the gym rather than attending acting workshops and theatre, and focus more on their looks than on honing their acting skills.

In a video going viral on Reddit, Anurag says, “Ab film banane jaate hain na, to log kaam karne jaate hain, jo itni saari cheezein hain industrial ki, bahut saara kharcha jo hota hai wo film my nahi jaata.” Woh paraphernalia mein jaata hai, entourage mein jaata hai. Matlab jungle mein shoot kar rahe hain, lekin aapko jungle mein shoot map hue city se five-star se burger chahiye, to ek gaadi extra uske liye jaati hai (When people make a film, they encounter a lot of problems and expenses which they don’t need. There is not really investment in the film itself, rather a lot of the money is put into the paraphernalia and the entourage, for example, if you want a five-star burger from the city in the jungle),”

The filmmaker also said that actors in Mumbai don’t try to hone their skills. Instead, they pay more attention to their physique. He added, “That is the process I don’t do. And in Mumbai, actors are mostly busy in workshops and theatre, you have to go to the gym (you don’t get to see the entire process. And especially in Bombay, I see that half of the actors I tell to go to workshops and theatre go to the gym).”

Anurag Kashyap was last seen alongside Vijay Sethupathi in Maharaja.