Anurag Kashyap’s Debut Film Paanch Set for Release After 22-Year Delay

Anurag Kashyap's first directorial venture, Paanch, is finally set to hit theatres over two decades after its completion. Producer Tutu Sharma has confirmed that the film, which has remained unreleased due to multiple hurdles, will be restored and released within the next six months.

“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 revealed.

Explaining the long delay, Sharma said, “The issues (with the Central Board of Film Certification) were resolved. But then we faced some more challenges; hence, the film was lying on the cans. Also, the trend of re-runs is here now. So, one can imagine the potential of Paanch. That’s a very encouraging sign. Also, the times are such that such films are being watched, and they have an audience.”

Paanch was shelved in the early 2000s due to objections raised by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over its controversial themes, including explicit language and graphic violence. Loosely based on the infamous Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders of 1976–77, the film stars Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, and Tejaswini Kolhapure.

At the time of the film’s making, Kashyap was an established writer with acclaimed projects such as Satya (1998), Shool (1999), Kaun (1999), Jung (2000), and Nayak (2001). Despite Paanch being shelved, Kashyap debuted as a director in 2004 with Black Friday, which cemented his reputation for hard-hitting narratives.

The announcement of Paanch’s release comes shortly after Anees Bazmee’s Naam, which had been delayed for over 15 years, finally opened in theatres. The re-release trend has found strong traction among audiences, fueling interest in shelved projects from the 1990s and 2000s.

Kashyap’s latest project, Kennedy, has also faced delays, but Paanch’s restoration marks a significant moment for the filmmaker and his fans. As Sharma undertakes the task of bringing the film back to life, the long-awaited debut of Paanch is poised to become a much-anticipated cinematic event.