Abhay Deol and Anurag Kashyap collaborated for the volatile romance, Dev D, where Deol played the central character. Very unlike the previous adaptations of Devdas, this was unabashed and unkempt in its style and narrative. The actor was always hailed for his unique film choices, and despite those esoteric characters and films, critics and audiences looked forward to what he would do next.

It has been over 11 years since Dev D, and Kashyap recalls the memories he has of shooting with the actor. They aren't very happy ones, states the director. While talking to Huffington Post India, he said, "It was painfully difficult to work with him. I don't really have great working memories with him. And haven't talked to him much since I finished shooting."