Rahul Bhatt on working with Anurag Kashyap in Kennedy: Was never his first choice
Actor Rahul Bhatt opens up about reuniting with Anurag Kashyap for Kennedy and reveals why this collaboration felt inevitable from the beginning.
Actor Rahul Bhatt has once again teamed up with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap – this time for Kennedy. The reunion marks their third collaboration, and if Bhatt’s candid comments are anything to go by, this wasn’t a project he could have missed.
had an exclusive conversation with India TodayBhatt admitted that working with Kashyap was rarely comfortable – and that’s exactly the point. “They’ve broken me several times,” he joked. He said the filmmaker has a habit of pushing actors into emotionally vulnerable places. Yet, beneath the intensity lies confidence. “Anurag and I have cried together many times. I am so grateful that I have someone like him.”
Why was Kennedy different this time?
By the time Kennedy arrived, there was no hesitation in the air. According to Bhatt, Kashyap was certain about casting him from the beginning.
Their first collaboration, Dobaara, had discussions about roles and casting possibilities – Bhatt even suggested other actors at one point. Ironically, it was a producer who asked the obvious question: Why not him?
However, there was no such back-and-forth with Kennedy. “I think I was on his mind from the beginning,” Bhatt said, adding that the decision seems intuitive rather than strategic.
Was Rahul Bhatt the first choice?
Bhat’s answer is very honest. He admitted, “Maybe I wasn’t his first choice. I guess I was never his first choice.” But he quickly recapped the story: “The most important thing is that I’m the choice. The right choice.”
It’s a perspective that reflects both humility and quiet confidence – something that seems to define his creative partnership with Kashyap.
What makes Anurag Kashyap an ‘actor’s director’?
For Bhatt, it was easy to say yes to Kennedy. He said, “I’d be crazy to say no. Any actor would say yes.” He credits Kashyap for honing his craft and calls him a filmmaker who improves acting rather than merely showcasing it.
Kennedy’s idea may have taken shape while Kashyap was editing Dobara. One day, Bhatt received a script and a simple message: Let’s make this film.
And just like that, the third chapter began – intense, unpredictable, and exactly the kind of creative gambit the two seem to thrive on.