Acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is experimenting with on-screen acting these days. His latest Tamil film ‘Maharaja’ released on Friday, June 14, and sees him sharing screen space with Vijay Sethupathi. Next week, Kashyap’s web series ‘Bad Cop’ will also release on Disney+ Hotstar, in which he plays the villain. In an exclusive conversation with IndiaToday.in, the filmmaker spoke about his experience of working with Sethupathi in ‘Maharaja’ and also revealed what made the ‘Jawaan’ actor say yes to the project.

Kashyap smiles and says, “Working on Maharaja was amazing. It was Vijay who convinced me to do the film. I had been refusing to act in Tamil for a long time. Vijay came to meet me at my office where he watched ‘Kennedy’ and gave me suggestions, which I collected and used. That’s when he told me about the story and that he wanted me to act in it. Honestly, I agreed only because of him.”

Recalling his association with the ‘Super Deluxe’ actor, the filmmaker said he met him many years ago for ‘Mard Ko Dard’.

“Sethupathi had even said yes to do that Hindi film. However, we couldn’t work it out and the film was made by someone else. We couldn’t make it, so I said yes just for him. And then I met the director (Nithilan Swaminathan) and he is a very shy person; very sweet but also very candid. Vijay helped me with the performance and the language. We were really focused and the whole performance that has come out… is all because of him.”

Recalling the conversation between the two on the set, Anurag Kashyap said, “First of all, he would feed me some of the best food. His wife would send us food every day. We would talk about everything related to cinema. Vijay is a very secure person. Also, as an actor, he helped me in every nuance of performance, including the language. There are very few secure actors who would do everything possible to help their co-actor look so good. He is also a very secure person and he really inspired me, sometimes even pushed me to do better than him. He is a dear friend today and he is so amazing.”

While Vijay Sethupathi has been a big name in the southern part of the country, we asked Kashyap for his opinion on whether he feels Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawaan’ put him on the national map.

“I don’t think so. Vijay had fans even before ‘Jawan’ and that’s why he was cast in this. He has always been a great actor, but I think his biggest fan following has come from ‘Vikram Vedha’. People across the country have seen his acting and loved him,” Kashyap said.

Finally, when asked to comment about the South industry, and if it is as disciplined as it is said to be, the filmmaker said, “They are definitely more disciplined in storytelling, but I also feel that in the South industry, some of the people, especially the assistants in various departments, are paid very less.”

‘Maharaja’ released to mixed reviews on Friday (June 14).