Vikram never responded: Anurag Kashyap says he had approached him for Kennedy, a film named after the actor

Anurag Kashyap is currently in France for Cannes Film Festival 2023. The premiere of his film Kennedy will soon take place at the prestigious festival. In a new interview on the sidelines of Cannes 2023, the filmmaker spoke about the original choice for the film – Vikram. Anurag said that the actor, who was recently seen with Aishwarya Rai in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: II, has a special connection with the film’s title. Anurag said Vikram’s nickname is Kennedy. Also read: Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, Rahul Roy-starrer Agra, Ishanou among Indian films to be screened at Cannes 2023

Kennedy had been selected for a Midnight Screening at Cannes Film Festival 2023. Helmed by Anurag, Kennedy features actors Rahul Bhatt, Sunny Leone and Abhilash Thapliyal in the lead roles. The film revolves around an insomniac ex-cop, long thought to be dead, but still looking for redemption.

Speaking about his film with Film Companion during the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, Anurag revealed Rahul Bhatt was not his first choice for the film. He said, “I actually had a specific actor in mind, when I wrote this film. Which is why the film is called Kennedy.”

When asked ‘do you want to tell us who’, Anurag said, “Because that actor’s nickname is Kennedy. The film was called Kennedy Project. It is Chiyaan Vikram. Chiyaan Vikram’s real name is Kennedy. I reached out to him. He never responded. So then, I reached out to Rahul. I said ‘Read it’. His reaction, his response was enthusiastic. And not like as an actor. And he was like, ‘Yeh Kaun kar raha hai (Who is doing this role)?’ I said, ‘Karega (Will you do it)?’ He said ‘Me?’ I said, ‘Yes, but you will have to give it all’. And he was supposed to do some films. He gave eight months of his life to Kennedy.”

On Saturday, Anurag had attended the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon at Cannes Film Festival co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. He was joined by director Vikramaditya Motwane. Anurag has also been documenting his journey at Cannes 2023, and keeps sharing pictures and videos from Cannes on Instagram.