Behind the Rift: Abhinav Kashyap Opens Up About His Strained Bond with Brother Anurag

Abhinav Kashyap has opened up about his long and troubled equation with brother Anurag Kashyap, one that’s gone from affection to complete silence. The Dabangg director said they haven’t spoken in years, even though they once shared everything from childhood mischief to professional dreams.

The two grew up together in Gwalior, studied at the same schools, and even came to Mumbai around the same time. Back then, Abhinav says, their bond was strong. But as time passed and tempers flared, cracks started showing. “He’s my elder brother. When he thought I made mistakes, he would get angry and sometimes even physically,” Abhinav said, adding that he never retaliated out of respect. “But there came a point when I decided I couldn’t continue like this, so I stopped talking to him.”

Words, Wounds, and Misunderstandings

The rift, Abhinav insists, isn’t just about those confrontations. It’s about things that were said and misheard. Over the years, social media memes and half-baked reports painted Anurag as having called his brother mentally unstable. Abhinav says he doesn’t take offense anymore. “Maybe people twisted what he said. I still see him as my elder brother. But after a point, silence feels safer than conflict.”

Despite the bitterness, his tone carried traces of humor and longing. He mentioned once joking to Anurag that their mother was “ready with old shoes and utensils” to welcome him back home, an old Indian expression for angry love.

Two Filmmakers, Two Worlds

Their differences extend beyond family matters. Abhinav made his mark in Bollywood with the Salman Khan-starrer Dabangg, a mass hit that cemented his commercial success. Anurag, meanwhile, built his reputation on dark, raw, and independent cinema. Professionally, they’ve always been opposites,  one mainstream, the other fiercely arthouse.

Still, Abhinav speaks without hatred. “He taught me a lot,” he said, “but right now, distance is the only peace I know.”

The Kashyap brothers’ story isn’t about rivalry — it’s about how even deep bonds can bruise under the weight of pride and pain.