Unfortunate if people call ‘Udta Punjab’ controversy publicity: Anurag Kashyap

Mumbai, June 14 (IANS) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap says that it is unfortunate if people term the controversy surrounding his production "Udta Punjab" as a kind of publicity, as he feels he stays away from publicity as far as possible.

At a press conference, Anurag, asked about the entire controversy turning out to be publicity for the film, said: "If this would've happened with 'Black Friday', then I can say that there was no budget for publicity.

"But for this we had a budget for publicity. We just didn't know if our film was going to release or not. This whole thing had some kind of a truth that had made it like a tsunami.

"For the past four days where 'Udta Punjab' was talked about everywhere, there was a truth which reached the people. It is unfortunate if anyone would call it publicity. I anyway run away from it and the first day when I started talking about it someone had just caught me. If I have my way, I would rather stay away from it."

After numerous heated exchanges between the makers of "Udta Punjab" and the censor board, which suggested numerous cuts, the film was finally cleared by the high court with a single cut and three disclaimers.

According to reports, some of the cuts were suggested due to the fact that the portrayals in the film could influence the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab.

Asked about it, Anurag said: "I feel that the film is very far from politics and very close to reality, what is happening with the people and the characters. If the film would have come quietly and released, I don't think that it would've had the same impact, a strange kind of an impact was made out of it.

"For no reason, it was made so huge. I don't know if it comes out of insecurity or what, but the film is a story of four characters. In the film if you see a politician character, then it doesn't have any affiliation and it just comes and goes. The film is story of a society."

"Udta Punjab" starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh is slated to release on June 17.