April 17, 2025 | Mumbai – Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has stirred a fresh conversation on caste and censorship in India through a bold and unfiltered Instagram story. Reacting to the reported censor board decision on his upcoming film Dhadak 2, Kashyap shared a sharply-worded note targeting the continued denial of casteism in India and the contradiction that lies at the heart of it.
Kashyap reveals that during the screening of Dhadak 2, the censor board claimed that “Modi ji ne India mein caste system khatam kar diya hai” (Prime Minister Modi has abolished casteism in India). Based on this logic, the film Santosh was also reportedly not cleared for release in India.
The director questions the logic behind such decisions, especially when dominant castes—particularly Brahmins—continue to show discomfort with figures like Jyotiba Phule, a pioneering social reformer who fought against caste oppression.
Kashyap asks, “When caste no longer exists, why should someone identify as a Brahmin?” He challenges those who are offended by Phule’s portrayal, questioning their identity and discomfort. He argues that if casteism is truly abolished as the censor board claims, then there should be no offense taken by a particular community.
He writes provocatively, “Kaun ho aap? Aap ki kyon sulag rahi hai?” (Who are you? Why are you burning with rage?) The filmmaker suggests that either casteism exists, and hence reformers like Phule and Savitribai are relevant — or it doesn’t, in which case no one should be offended by their mention.
The post takes a direct jab at the state of discourse in India, calling out what he sees as a strategy to mislead the public — “Ya sab log milke sab ko chuhiya bana rahe ho.” (Or are you all making a fool of everyone together?)
He ends with a stark challenge:
"Decide kar lo. India mein casteism hai ya nahi. Log chutiya nahin hain."(Decide whether casteism exists in India or not. People are not fools.)
Kashyap’s message isn't just a rant—it’s a call for clarity and honesty in the national narrative. His frustration is clearly aimed at the institutional hypocrisy that dismisses caste when it's politically convenient, but still enables structures that uphold it socially and culturally.
