In a surprising revelation, acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has disclosed that his ambitious 2015 period drama, Bombay Velvet, was originally written with actor Ranveer Singh in mind. This insight comes amidst renewed public discourse comparing the careers of Singh and his contemporary, Ranbir Kapoor, who ultimately starred in the film. Kashyap shared these details in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN on December 30, 2025.
The Original Vision: A Film for a Fresher Ranveer Singh
Kashyap explained that the initial conception of the film was tailored for Ranveer Singh's energetic persona. "Earlier, when I wrote it, it was for Ranveer Singh. He was much fresher then," the director stated. The project was not initially planned as a high-budget spectacle. However, the dynamics changed when the studio involved decided to market and sell the film based on Ranbir Kapoor's star power, leading to a significant increase in budget and a pivotal casting shift.
"It took me at least a year to wrap my head around it," Kashyap admitted, highlighting the creative adjustment required when the actor he envisioned was replaced. He emphasized that the change was a studio-driven decision related to marketability and had no bearing on Ranbir Kapoor's formidable talent.
Working with Ranbir Kapoor: A "Dream Actor"
Despite the initial mental hurdle, Anurag Kashyap was all praise for his leading man. He was quick to clarify that his adjustment period was about his own creative process, not any deficiency in Kapoor's abilities. "Ranbir himself is a great actor, there was no issue there. It was just me wrapping my head around the fact that I had to work with a different actor," he said.
Kashyap described the eventual collaboration as terrific, lauding Kapoor's exceptional commitment. "He is literally a dream actor to work with. Once I wrapped my head around that, we started working, and it was a terrific time to create the film," the filmmaker recalled. This endorsement underscores that the film's eventual commercial failure was separate from Kapoor's performance or their working relationship.
The Lasting Scar of Bombay Velvet's Failure
The conversation also delved into the profound personal and creative impact the film's box office reception had on Kashyap. Bombay Velvet was a major commercial disappointment, and its fallout altered the director's cinematic trajectory. Kashyap revealed a deep-seated desire to tell more stories rooted in the city of Bombay (Mumbai), a plan that was derailed by the film's performance.
"The thing is, there are so many stories of Bombay that remain untold, and I have them inside me. But what happened in Bombay Velvet at the box office, I think, it has scarred me for life," he confessed. This scar led him to consciously move away from Bombay-centric narratives in subsequent projects like Raman Raghav 2.0 and the web series Sacred Games.
This revelation adds a poignant layer to the legacy of Bombay Velvet, framing it not just as a box office misstep but as a pivotal event that reshaped a leading filmmaker's creative choices. The disclosure also adds fascinating context to the enduring narrative of the Ranveer Singh-Ranbir Kapoor dynamic, illustrating how market forces can fundamentally alter a film's artistic genesis.
