Panchayat actor Pankaj Jha’s recent comments about Anurag Kashyap and Pankaj Tripathi stirred up a controversy. In an interview, the actor mentioned how he was supposed to play the role of Sultan in Gangs of Wasseypur, which later went to Tripathi. It was also reported that he allegedly called Kashyap spineless and a coward for not keeping his promise. However, the actor denied making such comments, saying that his statement has been twisted.

Responding to Jha’s alleged comments, Anurag Kashyap exclusively told IndiaToday.in that every story has two versions because two people are involved in the same story: “I don’t remember exactly what happened. But we were shooting for The Girl in Yellow Boots and he had gone to Osho in Pune to paint. We had to start shooting for Gangs of Wasseypur and he (Pankaj Jha) was not available. We were low on budget and couldn’t wait for him. We made the film in a very different situation and budget.”

Kashyap said Pankaj Jha is probably speaking about it now because he is upset because Pankaj Tripathi has become so successful: “Now he must be thinking that 20 years later he could have become Pankaj Tripathi.”

Calling Jha his ‘go-to actor’, Kashyap said, “I have worked with him and he is indeed my go-to actor. We have worked together in Gulaal and Black Friday. I would love to work with him again, but the truth is that he is not accessible at all.”

A few years ago, Dev D actor Abhay Deol had made comments about Anurag Kashyap and even called him ‘toxic’. Since an actor-director relationship is based on trust, we wonder how he takes all these statements.

“With Abhay, it was a different story. Whatever happened, the true story cannot be told publicly. I said whatever I had to, he and I too. He said, “Both of us have said what we had to say. Neither of us can say anything more about this.”

Anurag Kashyap will soon be seen playing the main antagonist in the upcoming series Bad Cop on Disney+ Hotstar. This thriller directed by Aditya Dutt and starring Gulshan Devaiah will release on June 21.