Filmmaker says family has received rape and death threats after controversial social media post; refuses to retract his comment but appeals for his family to be left alone.
Acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, known for his hard-hitting cinema and outspoken nature, has found himself at the centre of a fierce controversy after a provocative comment on the Brahmin community triggered widespread outrage and threats against his family. While issuing what he described as an “apology,” Kashyap made it clear that he would not retract his original statement but condemned the rape and death threats targeting his loved ones.
The controversy erupted when Kashyap responded to a social media user who commented, “Brahmins are your fathers. The more you mess with them, the more they will burn you.” Kashyap replied, “I would urinate on Brahmins, any problem?” and later shared a screenshot of the exchange on Instagram. The remark sparked a barrage of criticism, including a stern rebuke from Union Minister of State for Coal, Satish Chandra Dubey, who called Kashyap a “vile scumbag” and demanded a public apology.
“This vile scumbag thinks he can spit filth on the entire Brahmin community and get away with it? If he doesn’t issue a public apology immediately, I swear I’ll make sure he finds no peace anywhere,” Dubey said in a strongly-worded statement.
In the wake of the uproar, Kashyap posted a long note addressing the backlash, in which he revealed that his family had been receiving rape and death threats. While reiterating that he would not take back what he said, he extended an apology to protect his family from further harm.
“This is my apology, not for my post but for that one line taken out of context and the brewing hatred,” Kashyap wrote. “No action or speech is worth your daughter, family, friends, and colleagues getting rape and death threats from the kingpins of sanskar.”
Urging critics to target him instead of his family, the Gangs of Wasseypur director said, “Abuse me all you want. My family didn’t say anything. If you want an apology, here it is. Brahmins, spare the women.”
Kashyap concluded his note with a pointed message: “These values are imbibed in our scriptures, too, except for Manuwaad. Decide which Brahmin you are. Rest, here’s an apology from me.”
The incident comes amid heightened tensions around Kashyap’s upcoming film Phule, which stars Pratik Gandhi and Patralekha and is based on the lives of social reformers Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule. The film, which highlights the duo’s fight against caste and gender discrimination in 19th-century India, has faced objections from certain Brahmin groups. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reportedly recommended cuts, and the release of the movie has been postponed by two weeks to April 25 to avoid further controversy.
Meanwhile, a police complaint has been filed against Kashyap in Mumbai by a Bombay High Court advocate, adding a legal dimension to the already fiery public debate.
As the controversy continues to simmer, Kashyap’s statement has done little to douse the flames, drawing both support and condemnation from different quarters of the public and political spectrum.
Sources By Agencies
