Anurag Kashyap Speaks On Gulaal Actor Savi Siddhu Forced To Work As A Watchman: ‘Proud Of Him, He Will Have To Help Himself’

Just a day after reports said Gulaal actor Savi Siddhu was forced to work as a watchman to support himself, the film’s director Anurag Kashyap wrote a series of tweets hailing him for choosing to live his life with dignity instead of becoming an alcoholic or wasting himself away.

A media report claimed Monday that Savi has been working as a watchman in a housing society and his financial condition does not even allow him to watch a film. “I am highly influenced by Amit ji and Dharam ji. But people told me that I will have to make my own identity. Isliye fir bhoot utar gaya. Now, I am working as a watchman at a building in Malad with a hope that my bank balance will increase and they (filmmakers) will give me a chance. I know they will not say no. I have always received a positive response from them. They are waiting for me, mai aa raha hoon,” Savi had said in a video by Film Companion.

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Anurag said he has respect for Savi as the actor is supporting himself with dignity. “There are so many actors out there who don’t have work. I respect Savi Siddhu as an actor and have cast him thrice when he earned the role. I respect him that he chose to live his life with dignity and picked a job unlike so many entitled out of work actors who have either become alcoholics or wasted themselves away. Nawaz used to be a watchman, I used to be a waiter, I met one actor who sells bhelpuri on streets, I know and actor from Black Friday who drives a rickshaw, the lead from Salaam Bombay used to do the same,” Anurag wrote in a series of tweets.

Anurag has worked with Savi in three films - Gulaal, Black Friday and Paanch.

“I have seen the great Uday Chandra who did Hum Paanch and Khel Khiladi Ka in my early days walking the street. This is also true for many people in all walks of life. This could also be me or anyone else in the future. To give an actor a role out of sympathy is insulting .The art and the artist... Savi will have to help himself. Only thing one can do is get the casting directors to audition him for him to earn the role and for that he will have to walk to that casting directors office like million others. He has made a conscious choice and one should be proud of him that he did not allow the vanity of the artist to destroy him, and he actually does a job . I have writers that I have worked with who are always borrowing money, I have seen filmmaker’s I have admired borrow money from me for a meal.”

Anurag also said no job is small or big and added that “at least he is not begging”. He further suggested how one can help people like Savi -- by buying tickets for films with “unknown amazing talent”, not with charity.

“To be a watchman is a job, I don’t see it as a small job or big. At least he is not begging . And I genuinely believe that charity does not make art or an artist. There are millions of stories like Savi Siddhu’s. You want to help artists like him then you need to start watching their art by paying for it, by actually be a paying audience. Tweeting the story to me won’t help. I have worked with new comers all my life and I move on to the next new talent I can find . We all make conscious choices. Go to cinemas and buy tickets for films that has unknown amazing talent like Savi Siddhu to make sure that they continue to be what they are best at, to be the artist they want to be. That’s all I had to say . Thank you,” he signed off.