Anurag Kashyap has recently shed light on why Sushant Singh Rajput stopped communicating with him, particularly concerning the film Nishaanchi. According to Kashyap, the late actor became unresponsive after signing two films with Dharma Productions.

Kashyap revealed that he initially offered Nishaanchi to Rajput in 2016. At the time, Rajput's career was gaining momentum, especially after the success of the biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. This success led to numerous offers, including those from major production houses. Kashyap stated that Rajput stopped responding after he signed Dil Bechara and Drive, both Dharma Productions films. Consequently, Nishaanchi was shelved for a while.

In a conversation with Galatta Plus, Kashyap mentioned that several actors in the industry knew about Nishaanchi and had expressed interest, but he never felt it "hit home" with anyone until recently. He emphasized his determination to make the film the right way and reiterated that Rajput was his initial choice.

Kashyap recalled an earlier instance in 2020 when Rajput dropped out of Hasee Toh Phasee because he received offers from Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Dharma Productions. Kashyap said that YRF offered Rajput a deal, leading him to choose Shuddh Desi Romance and leave Hasee Toh Phasee. Kashyap noted that actors often seek validation from established production houses.

In 2020, Kashyap shared WhatsApp chats with Rajput's manager to explain why he was hesitant to work with the actor. The chats showed Rajput's manager requesting Kashyap to consider Rajput for future projects. However, Kashyap responded that Rajput was "too problematic".

Kashyap later admitted regretting his decision not to respond to Rajput's attempts to reach out to him just three weeks before his death. He expressed feeling guilty for not being available to talk. Following Rajput's death, Kashyap reached out to people he had lost touch with, including Abhay Deol and KK Menon.

Anurag Kashyap also clarified that he had approached Sushant Singh Rajput for Mukkabaaz, but Rajput was already committed to Dharma Productions' Drive. Kashyap proceeded with Mukkabaaz using Vineet Kumar Singh.

Nishaanchi is now back on track, marking the debut of Aaishvary Thackeray.