Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has not held back in his recent criticisms of Netflix India, branding the streaming service's operations as "morally corrupt" and rife with hypocrisy. Kashyap's comments were specifically aimed at Netflix's leadership and their approach to greenlighting content for the Indian market, which he believes stifles creativity.
On March 19, 2025, Kashyap took to Instagram to express his admiration for the British miniseries Adolescence, which has garnered acclaim for its bold storytelling. Released on March 13, 2025, Adolescence centers around a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, using a groundbreaking filming technique that captures each scene in a single take. Kashyap lauded the series, expressing a deep sense of envy over its daring narrative style.
He wrote, "I am numb and envious and jealous that someone can go and make that," while praising the performances of child actor Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham, who not only stars but also co-created the show. He noted the immense effort and preparation that must have gone into its creation, stating, "The amount of hard work that has gone into the show. I can’t even imagine the rehearsals and prep they did, so they could shoot every episode in a single shot."
However, the tone of Kashyap's message quickly shifted to a critical assessment of Netflix's approach to Indian content. He called out CEO Ted Sarandos and Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, accusing them of hypocrisy regarding the Indian market, which he noted holds a significant 1.4 billion consumers. He lamented the platform’s fixation on subscriber growth, saying, "This hypocrisy of Ted and Bella via a vis the Indian market, where their only interest is an increase in subscriptions and nothing else."
In his post, Kashyap recounted his frustrating experiences while working on the popular series Sacred Games, where he felt met with a "total lack of empathy" from Netflix then. He noted, "Having gone through twice with them post Sacred Games and dealing with total lack of empathy, courage and dumbness mixed with immense insecurity of the series head and the team that keeps getting fired. It frustrates me."
Kashyap emphasized a growing rift between what he perceives as meaningful storylines and the Netflix content strategy. He expressed disappointment over the direction of shows being developed for the platform, suggesting that had the narrative of Adolescence been pitched to Netflix India, it likely would have been rejected or adapted into a shorter format. He wrote, "If they were pitched this, most probably they would have rejected it or turned it into a 90-minute film."
In expressing his ambitions for Netflix's future content, Kashyap noted the contrast between the critical acclaim enjoyed by shows like Delhi Crime and Black Warrant, which were either acquired or underestimated by Netflix initially. He stated, "I hope they learn from the reception of it and realise that all the best things Indian Netflix does is mostly either acquired or the ones they least believed in (Kohrra, Trial by Fire). Fingers crossed for a better future."
As Kashyap's critiques sparked conversation among filmmakers and viewers alike, they shine a light on the broader challenges faced by regional content creators in dealing with global platforms. By calling out these issues, Kashyap hopes to inspire a shift towards a more accommodating and creative environment for filmmakers within the Indian content landscape.
