Anurag Kashyap says Netflix ghosted him after script submission

Acclaimed Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has opened up about a deeply personal setback in his creative journey: being completely ghosted by Netflix after pouring nearly two years into a sprawling adaptation of Suketu Mehta’s acclaimed nonfiction book, Maximum City.

In a candid interview with The Juggernaut, Kashyap shared that back in 2004, he set out to turn Maximum City into an ambitious three-part, nine-hour streaming series. Rather than typing it out, Kashyap handwrote every word, filling about 900 pages in total. “I dedicated a year and a half of my life to it,” he said. But after finally delivering the script to Netflix, he claims the streamer never replied. “They didn’t even have the courage to walk up and tell me, ‘We can’t do this’ or ‘We have concerns,’” Kashyap recalled. “They just vanished.”

For Kashyap, this wasn’t just about a project being shelved — it felt like a personal betrayal. “It broke me,” he admitted, reflecting on the silence that followed his submission. The experience left him questioning the creative promises streaming platforms often make to filmmakers: openness to risk, space for unique voices, and willingness to tell complex stories.

Kashyap didn’t stop at recounting what happened; he offered a sharp critique of Netflix India’s approach to original content. According to him, the local team is too focused on playing it safe and chasing subscriber numbers, rather than supporting bold or challenging narratives. “Netflix India only wants to buy content that’s already made or easy to market,” he argued. In his view, the platform relies too heavily on data and algorithms, instead of believing in creative instinct.

By contrast, Kashyap pointed to global Netflix hits like Squid Game, which succeeded precisely because the streamer backed a risky, unconventional idea. “Netflix worldwide is bolder,” he suggested, “but Netflix India has lost the courage to produce something truly new.”

Kashyap’s proposed series was an adaptation of Maximum City, Suketu Mehta’s celebrated book exploring the dark complexities, contradictions, and human stories that define Mumbai. Given Kashyap’s filmmaking style — raw, layered, and deeply rooted in Mumbai’s underbelly — many believed he was uniquely positioned to bring such a story to screen.

This revelation shines a spotlight on broader issues within the Indian streaming space. Streaming platforms have often marketed themselves as safe havens for creative freedom, but Kashyap’s experience suggests otherwise: riskier, complex projects still face hurdles, and the push to please algorithms or avoid controversy may hold back truly original storytelling.

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