Anurag Kashyap’s debut film Paanch to release after 22 years, confirms producer

The first film that director, and actor, Anurag Kashyap made has not been seen by the masses who love his style of filmmaking and cinema. But now, they will finally get to watch it.

Come 2025, the film will be seeing the light of the day, as per producer Tutu Sharma. In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, he confirmed that Paanch would be released in theatres. “Paanch is definitely coming next year. I plan to release it in cinemas within six months. The film was banned, and the negatives have slightly deteriorated. The process of restoring them has already started. As soon as it’s ready, we’ll release Paanch,” Sharma said.

Sharma also noted that the earlier conflicts with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) were resolved, but additional challenges kept the film unreleased. He expressed optimism about the film’s potential, citing the current trend of re-runs and a receptive audience for such films.

He also added, “Not just Kay Kay Menon but even Tejaswini Kolhapure is brilliant in the film. According to me, it is Anurag Kashyap’s best film to date. Many people believe that. You’ll agree with me once you see it (smiles).”

Starring Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, Joy Fernandes, and Tejaswini Kolhapure, Paanch is loosely based on the 1976–77 Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Pune. The film encountered trouble with the CBFC due to its depictions of drug abuse, violence, and foul language. Although it eventually received approval, production-related issues delayed its release.