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'Was lucky to find Kangana': Anurag Basu revisits 'Gangster'
19 Apr 2026

As Anurag Basu's romantic crime thriller Gangster turns 20, the director spoke to Variety India about its making.

The film, which starred a then-debutante Kangana Ranaut, has become a cult classic over the years. Its screenplay, direction, music, and performances have garnered praise from the viewers.

In the interview, Basu revealed how he came up with the story and why he cast Ranaut as Simran.

Mahest Bhatt sparked the idea; Basu developed it into screenplay
Story development

Basu revealed that the initial spark for Gangster came from a one-line idea by Mahesh Bhatt.

"This one-line idea was of a gangster being betrayed by his girlfriend, the lover. So, the first spark actually came from him. Then, I developed it into a screenplay," he said.

"I was working on Metro...and I got stuck...so I thought maybe it was a good time to work on some other film."

"Eventually, in just two weeks, the screenplay was ready."

I was struggling to find an actor for Simran: Basu
Casting decision

Basu admitted that he struggled to find an actor who matched his vision for Simran.

"I had an image of the girl in my mind, which was very similar to Kangana, and I was lucky enough to find her. I was struggling because I was meeting many girls...but there was none like Kangana around that time."

"I auditioned her and said, 'You wait for five-six days. I'll get back. But I couldn't find one better than Kangana."

The director on his collaboration with Pritam and other challenges
Music and production

Basu also spoke about his collaboration with music director Pritam, whom he had known since their television days. "I knew our collaboration would be good, and Pritam gave his best for this film."

He also revealed that he was undergoing chemotherapy while making Gangster, but was determined to start shooting quickly.

Despite the challenges, including shooting in South Korea during the fall season, Basu managed to complete the project successfully.