Filmmaker Ritwik Pareek said director Anurag Kashyap was impressed by the indie film Dug Dug and supported it without requesting any changes.
The collaboration highlights the role of established directors in championing independent cinema, particularly stories that explore niche cultural traditions and regional devotion.
Dug Dug focuses on the Om Banna, also known as Bullet Baba, shrine in Rajasthan. The film depicts the deep devotion surrounding the motorcycle shrine, a subject that Pareek said blew Kashyap away [1, 2]. Despite his influence in the industry, Kashyap did not alter any aspect of the production, allowing the original vision of the indie project to remain intact [1, 2].
The road to a wide release was a lengthy process for the production. The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021 [2]. Following that premiere, it took almost five years to reach a theatrical release [2].
Dug Dug eventually arrived in theaters on May 8, 2024 [1]. The film's journey from a prestigious festival circuit to a general audience release reflects the challenges many independent filmmakers face when seeking distribution in India.
Pareek said Kashyap supported the content and the specific way the film handles the spiritual connection between the devotees and the motorcycle. By providing his backing without imposing creative changes, Kashyap helped bring a regional story to a broader national audience [1, 2].
“Anurag Kashyap was blown away by Dug Dug, didn’t change a thing”
The support of a high-profile director like Anurag Kashyap provides critical visibility for independent films that might otherwise struggle to find theatrical space. In this case, the preservation of the original creative vision suggests a growing trend of industry veterans acting as mentors and amplifiers rather than traditional executive producers who demand script revisions.
