There has been a celebrity feud brewing for quite sometime now. No, we’re not talking about Diljit Dosanjh and Kangana Ranaut but the intense rivalry between Anurag Kashyap and Anil Kapoor, which is merely a promotional gimmick for their upcoming movie, AK vs AK. While we truly believe that the filmmaker and actor adore each other in real life, their jabs, even for the sake of PR, hit too close to home.
It all started in early December, when Anil Kapoor took to Twitter to congratulate the team of Delhi Crime for bagging an International Emmy Award for Best Drama. Anurag Kashyap was quick to respond to Anil’s post, mocking him for never getting international recognition even if he is a top star in India. Here’s what he said:
Nice to see some deserving people get international recognition. Waise, aapka Oscar kidhar hain? No? Achha… nomination? 😜 https://t.co/P2ZuiPOUWP
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) December 6, 2020
The filmmaker, who graces the red carpet of international film festivals every year, took a jab at the actor who is mainly popular for his mainstream Bollywood roles. But Anil Kapoor was quick to remind the Twitterverse that he played a prominent role in the Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire whereas Kashyap has no awards in his kitty. The stars continued to pull each others’ legs and the Internet exploded. We now had a new celebrity feud and many wondered if the actors’ accounts were hacked.
But all doubts were cleared the very next day, when the trailer of AK vs AK dropped on YouTube.
Starring Anurag Kashyap and Anil Kapoor, this Vikramaditya Motwane directorial has the actors playing themselves. The story follows a filmmaker (Kashyap, duh!) who in a quest to make his next blockbuster kidnaps the daughter of a famous celebrity actor (Kapoor). As Anil Kapoor goes around the city in search of his daughter (yes, Sonam Kapoor will be making a cameo as well), he comes across fans and haters who refuse to take him seriously.
While the cat was out of the bag, the two actors have continued their Twitter jabs that are only getting more hilarious by the day. This is how Anil Kapoor decided to reveal the poster of the film:
I definitely like half of this poster! #AKvsAK @anuragkashyap72 @VikramMotwane @NetflixIndia pic.twitter.com/yL1R4GnuF9
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) December 9, 2020
He also decide to release a version of the trailer that has been depicted from his perspective. Check it out here:
No more fooling the audience please. As promised, the REAL narrative of #AKvsAK from the REAL AK.@VikramMotwane @netflix_in pic.twitter.com/c728E7AgHo
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) December 7, 2020
Anurag Kashyap, meanwhile, has been busy taking the mickey out of the actor and even responding to troll messages and memes. #KashyapvsKapoor has become a legit trend on Twitter now.
Ab pata chala kaise @AnilKapoor ka career 40 saal se khada hai. #KashyapVsKapoor pic.twitter.com/nZGhRRwyWn
— Karan Talwar (@BollywoodGandu) December 6, 2020
Anil Kapoor has not been idle either. He loves to remind Kashyap and his fans that even if he has been a part of many questionable films over the years, his box office returns trump those of Anurag Kashyap.
#neverforget
Bombay velvet Box Office Returns = 43 Crores
Race 3 Box Office Returns = 300 Crores https://t.co/hG1IQC3Vav— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) December 6, 2020
In Kashyap’s own words, “paisa bolta hai“! In one of their latest promotional videos, the actors went all out! They swapped houses and the two actors took a tour of the other’s house, making bitter remarks along the way. This video is too good to miss because apart from their hard-hitting rivalry, we also get a glimpse into two celebrity houses. Watch it here and decide for yourself who won this round.
And like in most cases of quirky movie promotions, celeb friends have joined in. The latest video by Anil Kapoor features Jackie Shroff for a “Bhidu reunion”.
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In response, Anurag Kashyap decided to create a diss track – a celeb favorite – along with comedians Tanmay Bhat, Ashish Shakya, and Rohan Joshi.
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AK vs AK hits Netflix tomorrow. Meanwhile, billboards around Mumbai are also picking sides for this upcoming battle.
😘 https://t.co/ahR5XE9Lg1 pic.twitter.com/NQkXUtrE2U
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) December 21, 2020
After weeks of seeing their intense rivalry unfold on the Internet, we cannot wait to see how it plays out in the film. Don’t forget to tune in to Netflix tomorrow to find out who emerges champion in AK vs AK. Meanwhile, you can find out which AK you’re more like in our quiz right here!