Actor Pankaj Jha, who shot to fame with his portrayal of Vidhayak ji in the show Panchayat, recently slammed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for not living up to his promise, and even went on to call him 'spineless'. Jha was earlier offered a role in Kashyap's pathbreaking Gangs of Wasseypur, however, he was replaced by none other than Pankaj Tripathi.
For those unversed, Jha was offered the role of Sultan Qureshi, one of the most prominent characters in Gangs of Wasseypur. Jha shared that Kashyap offered him the role while he was shooting in Patna, and when he had said that he would return in two days, the filmmaker had promised him the role. However, on returning he found out that Pankaj Tripathi was already cast in the role.
However, Jha stated that he was happy with where he has reached today, and that he unbothered by the politics in the film industry. He stated that he does not let the politics affect him as that would mean that the 'backstabbers' had won.
"While films like Satya and Gulaal create actors, they also make directors. But there are so many timid and spineless people here that they can’t even keep their word," he added, taking a dig at Kashyap.
However, he later quipped that he has no hard feelings for Kashyap.
Before Gangs of Wasseypur happened, Jha had collaborated with Kashyap in two of his critically acclaimed films -- Gulaal and Black Friday.
A National School of Drama alumni, Jha has also starred in films like Anwar, Company, Monsoon Wedding, and other projects.
