Did You Know That Anurag Kashyap Wanted To Cast A Transgender Actor For Kukoo In 'Sacred Games'?

Anurag Kashyap will be soon be seen acting in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer ‘Haddi’, which stars Nawaz playing the role of a transgender person. In a recent interview, Anurag was asked about casting transgender actors in films and web shows, to which he said that the conversation has certainly started but there is still a long way to go. He added that one also has to be a good actor to get a part in a show or a film.

The filmmaker further revealed that when was casting for Kukoo’s part in ‘Sacred Games’, he wanted a transgender person but he could not get anyone who wanted to come on board. Eventually, Kubbra Sait played the role in the Netflix series. 

Anurag told Pinkvilla, “I faced this thing during Sacred Games. While casting Kukoo, whenever we reached out to somebody from the transgender community, they said no. At that time, the world was not ready to accept them as they were and they were also in fear.”

He added that one can’t get a role just because they fulfill the criteria of representation. “Representation can’t be taken for granted, (they) have to be a fantastic actor,” he said, adding, “There’s a casting requirement but there’s also a performance requirement.”

Recently, in shows like ‘Made in Heaven’ and the film ‘Ghoomer’, the audience was delighted to see that actors from the community were cast to play characters. He said that even in ‘Haddi’, there are several transgender actors. 

“There has to be representation, I understand, but representation can’t be taken for granted,” he insisted and said that one has to be ready to do workshops required for the part and be a “fantastic actor”. “You have to do workshops. Just because I am representing something, I can’t get the role. Because the conversation is happening now, people are workshopping.  The change is happening, it will not happen overnight,” Kashyap said.

Anurag signed off by saying that the audience is now more accepting in the post-pandemic era. “What has happened in the post pandemic time is that people have become more aware, they are accepting more.”

‘Haddi’ will be released on September 7, 2023, only on Zee5.