Anurag Kashyap reveals Bombay Velvet was written for Ranveer Singh but studio sold it on Ranbir Kapoor’s name: “It took me a year to…’

Anurag Kashyap wrote Bombay Velvet with Ranveer Singh in mind.

Ranveer Singh is riding high on the success of Dhurandhar, which has not only emerged as the highest-grossing film of his career but has also surpassed the box office collections of his immediate contemporary Ranbir Kapoor’s biggest hit, the 2023 blockbuster Animal. The milestone has reignited conversations around the long-standing comparison between the two actors, often viewed as the defining superstars of their generation. While the rivalry narrative has persisted for years, the truth is more nuanced. Over the past decade, Ranveer Singh surged ahead with a string of successful films, while Ranbir Kapoor experienced a comparatively uneven phase, marked by several box office disappointments. Among them was the highly ambitious Bombay Velvet, directed by Anurag Kashyap.

Interestingly, in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Anurag Kashyap revealed that Bombay Velvet was originally conceived with Ranveer Singh in mind. However, the studio backing the project pushed for Ranbir Kapoor instead. Recalling the change, Kashyap said, “The film was not a high-budget film initially. It was sold at a very high budget, and it took me time to get around to that, and to the change of actor. Earlier, when I wrote it, it was for Ranveer Singh. He was much fresher then. But everybody sold it on the basis of Ranbir, and the actor changed. It took me at least a year to wrap my head around it.”

Anurag Kashyap says Bombay Velvet was his most censored film.

He further clarified that the change had nothing to do with Ranbir Kapoor’s abilities as an actor, describing the experience of working with him in glowing terms. “Because, you know, when you write something thinking of one actor and then have to work with another, it takes time. Ranbir himself is a great actor, there was no issue there. It was just me wrapping my head around the fact that I had to work with a different actor. And it was terrific. Ranbir’s commitment was terrific. He is literally a dream actor to work with. Once I wrapped my head around that, we started working, and it was a terrific time to create the film.”

In the same conversation, Kashyap also reflected on how the commercial failure of Bombay Velvet deeply impacted him creatively. He spoke about his long-standing desire to tell more stories rooted in Bombay, a plan that was ultimately derailed by the film’s reception. “With Raman Raghav then Sacred Games later on, I wanted to get away from Bombay. I didn’t want to make films in Bombay. The thing is, there are so many stories of Bombay that remain untold, and I have them inside me. But what happened in Bombay Velvet at the box office, I think, it has scarred me for life.”