Why Anurag Kashyap, Nikkhil Advani, Vasan Bala backed Dug Dug's India release: ‘Opens up a little space for indie films’

FIlmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Nikkhil Advani, and Vasan Bala feature united forces to back up the indie shoot Dug Dug, with the take of championing meaningful stories that often struggle to find visibility due to limited marketing budgets. The four acclaimed directors have come on board as executive producers for the film, which is directed by Ritwik Pareek and hit theatres on May 8.Also Read | Irrfan lights up a ghost story with his presence in The Last Tenant, yet there are more questions to be askedVikramaditya Motwane on championing Dug DugIn an interview with PTI, Vikramaditya Motwane highlighted that one of the biggest hurdles faced by independent cinema is distribution, even when there is a niche audience willing to watch such films. He explained that reaching those viewers becomes increasingly difficult without strong industry backing or visibility. The Lootera filmmaker also pointed out that indie projects simply do not have access to the kind of massive marketing budgets that mainstream commercial films enjoy.Motwane explained, “There's an audience out there to watch, of course, smaller audience than the ones who will go to see big films. But to reach that audience and tell them it's worth their while, I think having names that can endorse it is necessary, which is why many of us have started this process over the last two or three years, with ‘Stolen’, ‘Sabar Bonda’, and ‘Dug Dug’. It gives validation to the film, makes people notice it and opens up a little space for indie films to play alongside the larger ones.”Anurag Kashyap on collaborating with indie voicesThe Lust Stories creator explained that when independent voices in cinema are backed or represented by established names in the industry, it naturally sparks “curiosity” among audiences – something that can gradually be nurtured into trust and sustained interest. He also reflected on why independent cinema has struggled to thrive in India in the same way it has in Hollywood, where studios like A24 have built a strong identity around indie storytelling. According to him, one of the major reasons is the lack of dedicated platforms and infrastructure in India to consistently support and promote independent films.Speaking about collaborating with independent filmmakers, Anurag Kashyap said, “We hope it (combined support to indie films) can generate curiosity for sure and slowly generate trust. After that, the film has to run on its own legs, or we lose that trust. If we build on it, doing so also needs curation. It's not necessary that what's working in Hollywood works here too. There they have independent cinemas, we don't (have it here). There is a diverse audience that they have, while ours seek those films elsewhere. We want to find a way to bring them to cinema and find them a platform and if we succeed in doing so, we give ourselves a platform too.”Vasan Bala and Vikramaditya Motwane on diverse audiencesVasan Bala explained that the intention behind their collaboration was not necessarily to break down distribution barriers, but to lend their names and credibility to the project in a way that could inspire trust among audiences. Beyond that, he stressed, the film still has to rely on genuine hard work and word-of-mouth support. When asked whether audience fatigue surrounding big-budget “tentpole” films is driving viewers towards more grounded storytelling, Bala said he preferred not to generalise audience behaviour.The Zigra director said in the interview, “We don't know what the audience is seeking. I definitely know what the artist or cinephile in me is seeking, so the effort is to create that atmosphere. You get what you vote for. I vote for the alternative (cinema).”However, Motwane disagreed with that notion, arguing that diverse audience preferences have always existed and are not a new phenomenon. According to him, viewers are constantly searching for fresh and different stories, even if a large section continues to gravitate towards mainstream, mass-produced entertainment. He emphasised that there will always be a segment of the audience looking for something unconventional and distinct.He explained, “The audience is looking for something new and different all the time and even though 60 to 70 percent will watch a certain kind of thing, there's 30 percent of the audience that is going to watch something different. We are seeing it on streaming, reels, micro dramas, and the big screen. I don't think tentpole films are fuelling this counter movement. It's always been there, it's always existed. The important thing is to be able to give people options and opportunity to watch something that is not tentpole.”About Dug DugInspired by true events, Dug Dug revolves around a strange phenomenon in a village where a deceased man’s motorbike is believed to possess miraculous powers. According to local belief, devotees can have their wishes fulfilled if they pray to the bike and offer it alcohol. As stories of answered prayers begin to spread, the superstition rapidly grows into a fully commercialised religion, blurring the lines between faith, obsession, and opportunism. Starring Altaf Khan, Yogendra Singh Parmar, Durga Lal Saini, Gaurav Soni and Sarvesh Vyas, the comedy-mystery satire has received positive responses from audiences for its unique premise and sharp social commentary.