From AK vs AK to Bad Cop: Anurag Kashyap's unforgettable characters on screen

From criminals to complex characters, Anurag Kashyap's noteworthy performances showcase his remarkable versatility as an actor.

Anurag Kashyap in a still from Bad Cop

Actor, director, writer, and multihyphenated Anurag Kashyap has left an indelible impression on India's cinematic landscape. He plays a wide range of characters, giving each of them richness and complexity. The performances that Kashyap delivered, whether as the manipulating stepfather in I Am or the infamous criminal in Shagird were memorable and impactful. His investigations into multi-faceted personalities continue in Akira, Ghoomketu, AK vs. AK, Haddi, and Chhuri.

In the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar release Bad Cop set to stream on June 21, 2024, Kashyap will play the lead antagonist, Kazbe. His versatility and mastery of his craft have established him as a major player in modern Indian cinema, and audiences can't wait to see him in this role.

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Anurag Kashyap films as an actor to watch on OTT

I Am (ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium])

Onir directed the 2010 anthology film I Am. The four films that make up the collection are Omar Afia, Abhimanyu, and Megha. Fear is a common thread running through all of these films, which are based on true stories. Over 400 people from all over the world donated to the film's budget, many of whom were on Facebook. The characters in each story are interdependent. Abhimanyu addresses the issue of child abuse, Omar raises awareness about LGBT rights, Megha delves into the Kashmiri Pandits, and Afia tackles the topic of sperm donation. Anurag Kashyap was a guest star in the Abhimanyu section, playing Sanjay Suri's stepfather.

ALSO READ: Bad Cop new promo – Anurag Kashyap’s Kazbe sets the Friday mood with his Humpty Dumpty special rhyme

Shagird (ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium]; Prime Video)

Tigmanshu Dhulia directed Shagird an action thriller from 2011, which stars Mohit Ahlawat as Mohit Kumar, Rimi Sen as Varsha Mathur, and Nana Patekar as Hanumant Singh. Set in Delhi, the film is an action-packed police drama that moves at a breakneck pace, with the paisa and politics playing major roles. Hanumant Singh is a respected and feared officer in the Delhi Police Crime Branch. He mentors Mohit, a new subordinate officer on his team. Anurag Kashyap's notorious criminal Bunty Bhaiya becomes involved, leading to a clash of ideas. Rajmani Singh (Zakir Hussain), a corrupt politician who uses unjust methods to dominate the state, hires Hanumant Singh and Bunty Bhaiya as henchmen. Who is correct and who is incorrect at this intersection? Whoever wins by donning a mask gets to recount the story from this point forward.

Akira (Disney+ Hotstar)

In 2016, A. R. Murugadoss released his action thriller Akira. Starring Sonakshi Sinha, Konkana Sen Sharma, and Anurag Kashyap, it is a reimagining of the 2011 Tamil film Mouna Guru. Akira, a college student who has always aspired to be independent, is the protagonist of this riveting action thriller. After she becomes entangled in a crime involving four crooked cops, it all goes downhill for her.

In her little village, Akira grew up learning to advocate for women's rights from her father. Akira finds herself in detention at a young age, having committed an innocent crime. After 14 years, Akira and her mom uproot and head to Mumbai, India, to be closer to her brother. She moves into a dorm at Holy Cross College and begins to endure the bullying of her fellow students. But Akira gets back at him. After finding a large sum of money in the man's car, unscrupulous police officer Rane and his colleagues murder him on the Panvel Highway. A student from Holy Cross College snatches Maya's handycam as she records Rane's phone call to use as blackmail. In an attempt to blackmail Rane, his fellow cops record his phone call. However, a Holy Cross College student takes her hidden camera, so the cops end up watching the students' arrests very carefully. Maya has shown Rane the recorded video, and Akira believes she has it. However, Rane's men are preparing to murder her and the two men she showed the tape to. They have caught the incorrect woman, so Rane contacts his coworkers Rajeshwar and Manek and tells them to leave Akira. After noting that they had killed someone, Rane orders Manek to kill Akira. Shortly after hitting Rajeshwar, Akira accuses herself of going insane and flees the scene. They subsequently sent her to an asylum.

Ghoomketu (ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium])

Pushpendra Nath Misra is the man behind the 2020 comedy-drama Ghoomketu. While Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, and Chitrangada Singh make cameos, the film's principal leads are Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Ragini Khanna, Anurag Kashyap, Ila Arun, Raghuvir Yadav, and Brijendra Kala. Phantom Films and Sony Pictures Networks Productions made the film, which ZEE5 later bought. As the tale unfolds, an aspiring amateur writer from a small town flees to Mumbai in pursuit of his dreams.

AK vs. AK (Netflix)

In 2020, Vikramaditya Motwane's Andolan Films released their debut feature film, AK vs. AK a black comedy thriller. Along with Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap (executive producer and dialogue writer), Harshvardhan Kapoor and Yogita Bihani (debutante) play important parts.

In Avinash Sampath's story, the protagonists play themselves in a film-within-a-film plot. Following their public feud, eccentric filmmaker Kashyap abducts Anil Kapoor's daughter (Sonam Kapoor Ahuja), sends Kapoor on a quest to find her, and has his assistant Bihani film the entire ordeal for Kashyap's next project; Bihani's camera captures the majority of the footage.

Haddi (ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium])

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anurag Kashyap, and Ila Arun star in Akshat Ajay Sharma's 2023 criminal drama Haddi. One of the characters played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui is transgender, and he performs double roles. In this ZEE5 Original film, Haddi, a transgender, relocates to Delhi and becomes a member of a gang of transgender and cross-dressers run by a powerful man. Is ambition driving this action, or is revenge at play?

Chhuri (Lionsgate Play [OTTplay Premium])

Mansi Jain directs Chhuri a short film that captivates viewers with Tisca Chopra's nuanced and perceptive performance. Anurag Kashyap and Surveen Chawla are among the outstanding actors in this short film, which boasts an intriguing plot. In Chhuri, Tisca Chopra portrays Meera, a content housewife, who begins to suspect Vinay, Anurag Kashyap, of infidelity. Meera chooses to tackle the problem directly after becoming alarmed by Vinay's suspicious behaviour. Her cunning scheme to expose her husband reveals her resilience and intelligence. Meera's suspicions lead her to a surprising revelation as the plot develops. The film expertly examines the interplay between marital trust and betrayal. Their confrontation reveals the latent tensions and the complexity of Meera and Vinay's relationship.

ALSO READ: Anurag Kashyap on the contrast in his Bad Cop character Kazbe – He’s trying to run a family and he’s having fun

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