Anurag claims Sushant 'wanted validation from YRF'

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap opened up about late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and said that he chose to work with certain heavyweights of Bollywood as he wanted the 'validation'. He also said that he offered Sushant two films, but he decided to work with bigger banners instead.

In an interview, Anurag said, "Sushant was very successful. You make your career based on your choices, not on your talent. Aap kya choose karte ho, aap kiske saath kaam karte ho, woh aapka career banata hai (What you choose and who you choose to work with, makes your career). Sushant was super successful and made choices himself."

Anurag said that he had just finished casting for 'Gangs of Wasseypur' when he met Sushant.

"(Casting director) Mukesh Chhabra used to operate from my office. Sushant aaya, maine kaha, 'Yaar, tu Bihar ka ladka hai. Mujhe pehle milta toh main tujhe film mein kaam de deta' (When Sushant came to meet him, I said, 'Oh, you are from Bihar. If I had met you earlier, I would have given you a role in the film)". The director then recommended Sushant's name to filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor, who was specifically looking for a television star for 'Kai Po Che'.

Anurag said that he cast Sushant in his production 'Hasee Toh Phasee' and approached Parineeti Chopra for the female lead. Sushant ended up talking to 'Yash Raj Films' (YRF), who was handling Parineeti and signed a three-film deal with them.

"'YRF' called him and said, 'We will give you a deal. You do 'Shuddh Desi Romance'. Sushant, who used to sit in my office with Mukesh and all of us used to sit together, signed up with 'YRF' and dropped 'Hasee Toh Phasee', a film of an outsider because

usko validation 'YRF' ka chahiye tha (he wanted validation from 'YRF'). It is with every actor, so I am not holding any grudges," Anurag said.