8 Must-Read Books Handpicked by the Visionary Filmmaker Aurag Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap, renowned for his raw and intellectual films, shares his top book recommendations from various sources

Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s "Crime and Punishment" follows Rodion Raskolnikov, a destitute ex-student in St. Petersburg who, convinced of his superiority over the law, commits murder for money and spirals into madness.

Albert Camus’s "The Outsider" also known as The Stranger tells the story of Meursault, an indifferent man in Algeria, famously beginning with the line, “Mother died today, or maybe yesterday.”

Franz Kafka’s "The Trial" follows Josef K., an ordinary man who is arrested and tried without ever being informed of the crime he’s accused of.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s "Notes from Underground" is a diary-style exploration of the Underground Man, an isolated narrator in St. Petersburg, who reveals his bitterness and self-loathing.

Franz Kafka’s "Metamorphosis" tells the story of Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one day to find himself transformed into a bug, exploring themes of alienation, identity, and modern life's impact.

James Joyce’s "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" follows Stephen Dedalus from childhood to adulthood as he discovers his identity, artistic voice, and independence.

Albert Camus’s "The Rebel" examines the nature of rebellion and revolution, exploring what drives individuals to rebel and whether violence and destruction can be justified in the quest for freedom.

Harper Lee’s "To Kill a Mockingbird" addresses racial discrimination and injustice through the lens of a black man’s experiences in the past.