Paanch is available for free downloading on several websites

Original uploader claims director Anurag Kashyap himself leaked the copy

Original uploader claims director Anurag Kashyap himself leaked the copy

Director Anurag Kayshap's debut film Paanch has finally releasedu00a0-- thanks to online piracy! A relatively good print of the film popped up on various torrent sites on December 9.

The completed film was due for release in the summer of 2003 but it never did, due to the various problems the censor board had with several scenes in the film. The young (at the time) and somewhat arrogant Anurag Kashyap wanted no compromises on his film and refused to make the cuts needed to be able to release the film. Till date, Paanch lies wasting away in cans, shelved.

Tejaswani Kolhapure and Kay Kay Menon in Paanch

Forgotten?
Since then, Kashyap has released several films including Gulaal (which was stuck for the longest time) with the help of Zee Telefilms. The status quo of Paanch was never discusssed. Tutu Sharma produced the film and after the film's non-release, kept his silence.

Thanks to...
The film has now sprung up on several video download sites where the 700 MB version of the film is available for free download. What's quite unprecedented is the claim the film's original uploader makes: that Kashyap himself gave a copy of the film. He writes on his blog:'Source Creditsu00a0-- goes to the director of the movie and a special thanks to him for leaking a preview copy on the net, Pirates Salute.'