Who is Istanboss? The Nigerian content king who speaks fluent Hindi
Agu Stanley Chiedozie, known to his million Instagram followers as Istanboss, has come a long way from Lagos. The 6’5″ creator arrived in India seven years ago as a student and fell head over heels for Bollywood after watching Gangs of Wasseypur. That film didn’t just entertain him—it became his Hindi textbook. Today, he’s not just fluent in Hindi but also Marathi, Bhojpuri, and Gujarati, making him one of the most beloved foreign content creators in the country.
Now, Stanley is making his mainstream Bollywood debut in Anurag Kashyap’s crime thriller Bandar, releasing in cinemas worldwide on June 5. The film, also titled Monkey in a Cage internationally, had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival’s Special Presentations section. Industry insiders say the buzz around the film is massive, and Stanley’s role has already sparked curiosity.
Anurag Kashyap is ‘bahut chill’: Istanboss on working with the auteur
For a newcomer, stepping onto the set of an Anurag Kashyap film could be intimidating. But Stanley found the director to be the opposite of his intense filmography. “Anurag Kashyap is a very fun person. Bahut chill aadmi hai. He is not strict. Straight to the point, he’ll tell you whatever the problem is,” Stanley shared in an interview.
The actor recalled meeting Kashyap at his home with half of Bandar already shot. The ten days they spent together on set felt like a dream. “I feel like I’ve known him for a long time. It was a very, very chill interaction. I would always love to work with him again,” he said. For Stanley, working with the man behind the film that changed his life was nothing short of a full-circle moment.
‘Bobby Deol has a goon vibe’: What Istanboss learned from his co-star
Sharing screen space with Bobby Deol turned out to be an acting masterclass for Stanley. “I’m looking forward to you guys seeing what Bobby Deol has pulled off in this movie. He has that goon vibe. He’s a hard guy. When you see what Bobby Deol has done in this movie, it’s flabbergasting,” Stanley said.
But it was a quiet moment that left the deepest impression. “He cried for a scene, and watching Bobby Deol cry, I’m like, okay, now I know he should be open to different kinds of characters. You should see yourself in such a way that you can always show up in whatever character you’re given. That’s something I took back home after working with Bobby Deol,” he revealed. Bandar centers on Samar, a fading television star played by Deol, whose life spirals out of control.
Stanley’s Bollywood journey is just beginning. He’s also set to appear in the upcoming Telugu musical fantasy Sing Geetham and has multiple Hindi and regional projects in development. For a guy who once used Hindi films as a survival tool in a new country, the future looks brighter than ever.