Showing posts with label Ram Gopal Varma interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ram Gopal Varma interview. Show all posts
In the post-Dhurandhar era, it’s time to elevate the masala template-Ram Gopal Varma
10:51 PM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2026)
Bollywood has long been a dominant force in India’s film landscape, but the growing pan-India appeal of south cinema in recent years has challenged its supremacy. With the exception of a few Hindi releases, many films struggled at the box office, fuelling the narrative that Bollywood was losing ground. However, the massive success of Dhurandhar, which has entered the Rs. 1000 cr club, appears to have shifted the conversation – something filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma strongly believes.
In a post on X recently, RGV wrote, “The fireball of the southies’ invasion into Bolly wood has been kicked back by Aditya Dhar. From what I saw of Dhurandhar 2, if the first scared them, the second will terrify them.”
‘Aditya Dhar elevated the masala template aesthetically’
Known for his blunt opinions, Ram Gopal Varma clarified that his comment was not intended to undermine South cinema or create a divide. Speaking to Bombay Times, he said, “I referred to South cinema because their potboilers follow a certain template. Korean cinema is known for its unique style, and so is South cinema. Aditya Dhar took the same masala template, but elevated it aesthetically. That’s what has shaken everyone.”
According to him, the success of Dhurandhar will force South filmmakers to reassess their approach to scripts and storytelling. “The film is far more mature and nuanced in its execution,” he said, adding, “What makes the difference is the detailing. Instead of exaggerated action where people fly or bounce unrealistically, the action here feels believable. That level of maturity and character clarity is rarely found in traditional masala cinema, which often veers toward the tacky.”
‘In Dhurandhar, you don’t just remember Ranveer – you remember everyone’
Discussing Dhurandhar’s grounded storytelling, Varma highlighted the film’s decision to move away from the concept of hero worship, “When audiences embrace something as intense as Dhurandhar, how will over-the-top pan-India films survive? When Ranveer Singh makes his entry, the intention isn’t to make people clap. He’s treated purely as a character who disappears into the story. Every character matters equally. You don’t just remember Ranveer – you remember everyone. Giving each character their due is extremely rare.”
Addressing the claims that Bollywood is ‘finished,’ Varma remarked, “People say Bollywood is done because it stopped making films people enjoy. South masala films dominated during that phase. But would those films work the same way if they released after Dhurandhar? South cinema often strives for a perfection that ends up looking unreal – be it overly glamorous heroines or questionable relationship dynamics. That disconnect matters.”
‘The storytelling sensibility of South cinema often didn’t connect with North Indian audiences’
Reflecting on history, the filmmaker added, “Many South stars – Rajinikanth, N T Rama Rao in the ’70s and ’80s – rose to superstardom through remakes of Hindi films, especially Amitabh Bachchan’s. In the ’90s, Bollywood shifted from masala to musicals, driven by music companies turning producers. Then came a generation of foreign-educated filmmakers focused on slice-of-life cinema. The South, barring Malayalam cinema, never stopped making masala films, which is why their stars became nationally popular. But the storytelling sensibility often didn’t connect with North Indian audiences.”
He continued, “Dhurandhar uses the same action-masala template but grounds it in realism. It’s being discussed for its music, dialogues, cinematography and action. South films may generate huge numbers and entertain theatre audiences, but there’s often little to discuss afterwards – excluding period epics.”
Comparisons between Dhurandhar and Varma’s own films, like Satya (1998) and Sarkar (2005), have been inevitable. Responding to that, he said, “Human conflict is universal – whether it’s the American mafia, Mumbai’s underworld, or any other setting. What matters is how the conflict is portrayed. The Godfather (1972) became a global benchmark because of how it was made. That’s what great cinema does.”
I made Rangeela because of Urmila Matondkar-Ram Gopal Varma
8:40 AM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; September 11, 2025)
Thirty years after its release, Ram Gopal Varma’s iconic Rangeela still enchants the audience with its blend of sweetness, sensuality and cinematic magic. The film has been restored in 4K and will be rereleased in India theatrically on October 10. We caught up with RGV to discuss his celebrated film, featuring Mili (Urmila Matondkar), Munna (Aamir Khan) and Raj Kamal (Jackie Shroff). Excerpts:
Rangeela was a sleeper hit. Did no one expect it to succeed the way it did?
Around that time, Aamir’s films hadn’t worked. Urmila’s films also didn’t work. I am from the South, so no one really knew what to expect from this film. In fact, even the music was a new form. Rangeela’s songs didn’t sound like the hit film songs of that time. Whenever something new comes, people tend to get disoriented, but by the time the release came close, the music caught on.
Munna’s “AC idhar ghuma, kanda kaatke la” dialogue is remembered even today, among other special moments from the movie. Three decades later, what do you think gives Rangeela its lasting appeal?
Huge credit to writers Neeraj Vora and Sanjay Chhel. What really makes a film last is how unforgettable its characters are, because no matter how much time goes by, human emotions remain the same. With Munna (Aamir Khan), Mili (Urmila Matondkar) and Kamal (Jackie Shroff) still etched in our minds, the passage of time doesn’t matter anymore. The story of Rangeela will find appeal today or 30 years before it was made.
What inspired you to make Rangeela?
Cinematically, I would say my inspiration was the 1960s Hollywood musical, The Sound Of Music. Although it’s not the same story, Rangeela is also a love story where there’s no conflict at all. There is no antagonist either. Everyone is nice – Mili, Munna and Kamal. There’s not a single bad person, but the situation creates the conflict. I love the aspect that Rangeela is a sad kind of a story where your heart goes out to Aamir, but at the same time, you can’t really hate the other person either.
You have made some memorable films with Urmila. Do you consider her your muse?
When you’re working together for a long time, and especially when a film becomes so successful, you tend to make the next film with the same actor.
Urmila can give versatile expressions, which I realized after seeing her in the song Hai Rama. That’s the reason I cast her in such a wide variety of films – a horror film like Bhoot, the gangster film Satya and a caper like Daud. I made Rangeela because of her. Why I wanted to make Rangeela was because I felt inspired seeing a song of hers in my Telugu film (Drohi with Nagarjuna). The origin of Rangeela stemmed from my desire to showcase Urmila’s sensuality and her beauty. She had never worn such revealing clothes in the films she had done before that, but I told her, if you feel beautiful about your body, you shouldn’t be conscious. That bindaas attitude, the fact that she’s not aware of herself, and the fact that she’s not intending to create an effect on somebody else created a wild, animal-like, exotic feeling in the audience. The most memorable aspect of Rangeela was to look at Urmila through the camera.
On roping A R Rahman for Rangeela’s music
When I heard the songs of Roja, I was blown away. The kind of new sound, packaging and production that Rahman created was something no one had ever heard. It was inspiring for me to capture that visually. When the music is generic, everyone from the choreographer to the actor comes up with a predictable output, but because it was so unpredictable that no one had a choice but to reinvent themselves.
Two of my iconic films emerged from a failure-Ram Gopal Varma
8:16 AM
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; February 25, 2021)
Why have you left Mumbai and moved to Goa?
For most of the stuff that I am shooting, I am getting better locations in Goa. And frankly, it doesn’t matter where you are today. The visuals, the weather, and everything else is working out well for me over here. If I have some work, I will come back to Mumbai.
In one of our previous chats, you had spoken about how you want to work with credible actors who are not necessarily big stars. Going by your past record, you have worked with some of the biggest stars of our country. Has there been a mind-shift here?
Look, in a story, let’s say like Sarkar, I believe that without having the image or a personality of someone like Amitabh Bachchan as Sarkar, the narrative would not have worked. It would not have had the same impact with a new face playing the character. In Company (2002), I cast Ajay Devgn and Vivek Anand Oberoi. Ajay plays a character who is revered by people in his line of work, while Vivek’s character grows in stature from scratch. The characters influence my casting decisions. When I made Satya, I wanted an actor who could blend into the underbelly of Mumbai; he had to be someone who would fit in, easily. That’s the reason I cast Manoj Bajpayee and the rest of them.
The only thing I learned is that one can never fully learn. Every film you make is new. Even though you try to learn from your mistakes, you continue to make new mistakes. Anyone who says otherwise, doesn’t know what he is doing. We’re sum totals of what we have done in life. I don’t want to change anything about myself. A mistake could be in the perception of the outsider. Every failure has added to my personality. I don’t see them as mistakes because something which was bad at one point seems to be great at another time. I don’t quote box office when I pick on my worst works.
I think the worst film of my life was Drohi (1992) because I failed the material I had in hand. I botched it up. I don’t like Company for the same reason. I could not do justice to the material. But because of Drohi, I have a standing in the Hindi film industry. I met Urmila Matondkar while making it, which led to Rangeela (1995). I changed the backdrop of Drohi and made Satya. The credit for both those films rolls back to Drohi. I got two of my iconic films from that one film. Life, unlike a movie, goes on. Hence, you don’t need to look back every few moments for a lesson.
There is nothing anyone can teach you. You learn as much as you want to learn. Anurag’s style of filmmaking is different from mine and that is his individuality, and it is good for him. Manoj and he are talented people. I have never believed that I launched them in any manner or that I had taught them something. I have made a number of films and worked with numerous people. You brought up these two names because they have become names today. I am in touch with them, but they are busy, and we have not worked together (in recent years).
After Sarkar 3 (2017),you somewhat withdrew from Bollywood. Why?
I’m from Hyderabad. I got busy making political films there as there was a lot happening in that space. Then, I started making a movie based on martial arts, which I wanted to do for a while. It’s called Ladki. I had a balance of 15 days of shooting when the lockdown stalled everything. I’ve completed it now. You will get to see more of me. You will soon get to see a lesbian love story that I have made, it’s a crime drama. There’s another gangster drama that will shock the daylights out of people.
Do you ever feel the pace at which you continue to work can lead to burnout?
I have quadrupled my speed of work in recent times. I am doing much more now. I think people who don’t work much, burnout. I have so many stories to tell, and that is the only thing I do. I would rather ask people why they don’t feel motivated enough to clock every second of the day and do something with it.
When you introduced newcomers back in the day, there was no OTT space. Today, the digital space seems to have become a newcomer’s haven. What do you make of this trend?
The OTT platforms have helped filmmakers cut out the publicity and release costs, which were over and above the cost of making the film. One had to cast known faces so they could draw in people. Casting new faces was not seen as a reasonable decision. That’s not the case with the OTT platforms. They need content to feed their audience. If you’ve noticed, content works better than star faces in the OTT space. And like I said earlier, I never say that I have launched anyone. They were all casting decisions. In Sarkar, where a character called Rashid talks to Sarkar, I needed a new guy, an unknown person to walk in and talk to Mr Bachchan while looking him in the eye. That created a great impact. It’s not a question of modesty, but I am not here to launch anyone. I am a selfish filmmaker and every decision is for the best result.
Also, gangster dramas are back in demand today. What do you think of these new-age crime thrillers?
I’m not making a comment on anything specific, however, I see them very differently. I am into character studies. I see the emotional complexities of the people. Violence and crime are a very small part of the story. What I see is when people lead a difficult, complex life born out of tragedy — what happens to them.
Why Amitabh Bachchan won’t be seen as Sarkar again
8:06 AM
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who has helmed the Sarkar franchise,explains why Sarkar 4 is not on the cards
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; January 15, 2021)
Among other films, Varma has collaborated with the veteran actor for Sarkar (2005), Sarkar Raj (2008) and Sarkar 3 (2017), and over the last few years, there has been speculation about Sarkar 4 rolling out.
However, the filmmaker told BT that he had other plans of working with Bachchan, and Sarkar 4 is certainly not one of them.
“Sarkar 4 is not on top of my mind for sure, because it will be a case of overstretching a character and story. Even if you look at the three-film series of Godfather (1972, 1974 and 1990), no one let Francis Ford Coppola make part four. I’m sure they did it with good reason. The more you stretch something, the more impact it loses,” says the filmmaker.
He then goes on to reveal his plans with Bachchan, adding, “I’d rather do something new, and explore a genre with Mr Bachchan that I haven’t done before. I don’t want to go back to him to do Sarkar for the fourth time. In fact, I had something in mind, but Coronavirus threw my plans off-gear. Once I complete my current lot of films, I will go back to what I have in mind for him.” After the release of Sarkar 3 in 2017, the writer-filmmaker turned his attention to films down South.
25 Years of Rangeela: "I wanted to make a film that would showcase Urmila Matondkar's beauty," says Ram Gopal Varma
8:34 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 12, 2020)
A quarter of a century ago, Ram Gopal Varma spun a love story around Munna, who earns his living blackmarketing movie tickets, Mili, an aspiring actress who along the way becomes the girl of his dreams, and a suave star, Raj Kamal, who picks up Mili from the crowd of junior artistes, makes her his leading lady and loses his heart to her. Rangeela released on September 8, 1995, and was a blockbuster. It swept seven Filmfare Awards and to this day, Urmila Matondkar is fondly referred to as a ‘Rangeeli’.
RGV admits that Aamir Khan and he had bounced off several titles when, one day, after wrapping up the shoot, they were walking across the lobby of a hotel, when he said, “Rangeela.” Aamir didn’t react but on turning, RGV found his Munna had stopped a few feet behind. “What did you say?” he asked. He repeated, “Rangeela” and Aamir exclaimed, “That’s it, this has to be the title!” But they soon realised that the title was already registered for a Mithun Chakraborty film. “That surprised me because Mithun, those days, was making only action films in the forests of Mudumalai. I got in touch with the producer and he was kind enough to give me the title,” reminisces RGV.
He reveals that Munna was based on a boy he knew in college. “Rangeela was partly Ramesh’s story,” he shares. And Aamir, the method actor that he is, worked on what Munna would wear, how he’d walk and even picked up the Bambaiya tapori accent, getting Neeraj Vora to write him lines like, “Tu jaanta nahin apun ko, yeh area mein apun world famous hai, world famous”.
The surprise was Jackie Shroff. RGV admits he didn’t think the actor listened to a story and only went by gut instinct. “But one day, while I was narrating the climax to him, Jackie, who was driving, suddenly stopped the car and hugged me. It was his way of saying he loved it,” he recounts. Only Jackie would hug a director when told that despite being the star, he would not get the girl.
One of the filmmaker’s favourite scenes is the one in which Urmila, after performing a scene, looks at Jackie for a reaction and as he praises her, Aamir, sitting on the steps watching them, believes she’s in love with him. “To me there was only respect in her eyes as she looks at him. But there’s a very thin line between love and respect and I was worried the audience might not get the subtle distinction. If they also believed Mili had lost her heart to Kamal, then, when she professes her love for Munna, they’d wonder when she’d changed her mind. Fortunately, they understood the feelings for what they were,” says a relieved RGV.
While on the subject of communication, he recalls how, after Asha Bhosle had finished recording “Tanha Tanha”, A R Rahman asked her what she thought of the song. She replied with a noncommittal “It’s okay”, then, wondered, what he thought of her singing. “It’s okay,” he replied shortly and Asha ji prodded, “Is there a problem?”
Rahman was quick to assure her that he was very happy, but the words were sparse.
Watching them, RGV burst out laughing, realising that the composer was waiting for the songstress to praise his composition while she was waiting to be complimented on her singing. “Tanha Tanha” still resonates for Rahman’s genius and Ashaji’s ‘sweet 16’ voice.
While the two heroes impressed, Urmila was the scene-stealer. Ask RGV the challenges he faced turning a girl-next-door into an oomph queen and he retorts, “Actually, the reverse is true. I was shooting for a Telugu film, Gaayam, and was mesmerised as I watched her dance. I wanted to make a film that would showcase her beauty and didn’t have to work hard to create the oomph because it was already there.” Touché.
While he has no intention of taking the Rangeela story forward, with a remake or a sequel, he does acknowledge that of all his films, the only two which were near perfect were Rangeela and Satya. “Great films just happen and I couldn’t better these two even if I tried,” he signs off.
Nobody wants to see me naked, but I will be completely naked in my biopic-Ram Gopal Varma
8:43 AM
Controversy's favourite child and a man who has led 'a colourful life', Ram Gopal Varma says three-part biopic will have a no-holds-barred approach
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 28, 2020)
Never one to fail to amuse, be it with his candid demeanour or film choices, Ram Gopal Varma is set to turn the spotlight on himself with a three-part biopic on his life, essayed by two separate actors in the first two instalments, and by the man himself in part three.
The third part, he promises, will blow the lid off many controversies, including the time he invited criticism for visiting the Taj Mahal hotel in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks in December 2008, with former Maharashtra CM, Vilasrao Deshmukh.
“Apart from other things, the biopic will reveal specific details of what happened when Riteish [Deshmukh] and I had visited the Taj Hotel. I have never spoken about some of these things, because doing so at the time wouldn’t have been right. Part three will have sex, and controversies. I have led a colourful life, and the offering will shed light on some of my relationships. That will be the most interesting part, I suppose,” says Varma, who has been linked to actors like Urmila Matondkar and Antara Mali across his 30-year career. “Nobody wants to see me naked, but I will be completely naked, in terms of storytelling, here. I have told them [the team] about the events of my life, but they have done their research too by speaking to those who have assisted me over the years,” says Varma of his biopic, that rolls in September. His decision to venture into film-making and his “love affair with the police and underworld” will also be part of the initial instalments.
It was after reading his autobiographical book, Guns And Thighs, that makers Bommaku Creations felt there was potential for the making of a promising screen offering. Unfazed about facing the camera, Varma says, “I am playing myself, and not a character. So, this cannot be termed acting. Anyone who has paid heed to my journey [will be interested in this project]. I am excited that someone else is making it. Had I made it, it would have been boring and, [I would have seemed] pompous.”
Whether my daughter wants to be a doctor, engineer, porn star, or terrorist, it’s her choice-Ram Gopal Varma
7:49 AM
Upala KBR (DNA; June 20, 2017)
Of late, Ram Gopal Varma has been in the news more for his shocking statements than his films, which have been going out of theatres without even a whimper — like Sarkar 3. The director is now working on a web series, Guns And Thighs, and a short film, Meri Beti Sunny Leone Banna Chaahti Hai for his YouTube channel. He’s also mostly in the news for trolling young actors like Tiger Shroff, making berating comments at Sridevi, taking on Karan Johar (yawn) and quitting Twitter. Here, he explains why he does all that he does. Read on...
Why did you quit Twitter?
I enjoy that I can provoke or irritate somebody enough to react so strongly with whatever I have said or done. The reason I left Twitter was because I felt it had become predictable — the way I said things and people reacted. I thought I should change the medium and get on Instagram, where I could push myself to comment through pictures and videos rather than just saying a line or two.
If I said in a tweet, ‘There’s no difference between an engineer, doctor, pornstar and a housewife’, they would have collapsed on me. But the same content in a video called Meri Beti Sunny Leone Banna Chaahti Hai, (MBSLBCH) obviously would be taken in a very different way.
Why did you make MBSLBCH?
There is a female tennis player, whose father didn’t let her practise it beyond a certain age because she had to wear short skirts. You are using a woman’s sexuality against her choice, which is suppression. Meri Beti... is demonstrating the upper limit of the mindset. In India, we have an ex-porn star in mainstream cinema and nobody has a problem. On the one hand, you are conservative and on the other, you are liberal. Then there’s the mindset to suppress the same thing in your own house. I think there’s an incredible contradiction. Telling the story of a girl from a conservative, middle-class family who wants to be a pornstar, and is in discussion with her parents in the living room — that’s my attempt to bring it out in the open, to discuss the issue.
What if your daughter wants to become a porn actress?
Just because she’s my daughter, I don’t consider myself to be her master to order her on what she should do or should not do in her life. Whether my daughter wants to be a doctor, engineer, pornstar, pilot, soldier or a radical terrorist, it’s her choice. At best, I can advise or inform her from my experience but the choice and decision has to be hers. Truth is, no girl, no girl in her realistic sensibilities would want to do porn. Let alone try to convince her parents!
Please continue
The film is not about Sunny Leone, but using her as an example. In fact, Meri Beti… has got more hits than my trailer of Guns And Thighs. It is the first family film I made in my career. It’s about family issues between parents and children and their career choices. This is my Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!
Guns And Thighs have evoked some shocking reactions. Also, from Amitabh Bachchan. Comment.
I am not shocked by these reactions. People have not accepted that the digital world is a separate world from cinema. It is not pertaining to a region unlike cinema or language like Hindi, Telugu, Bengali etc. Narcos is being made in Columbia and people in South India are watching it — people who have never heard the word Columbia in their lives or that the country exists. Even Mr Bachchan’s first thought was, ‘Ramu, I don’t think Indian audiences will accept it.’ There is no such thing as an Indian, Pakistani or Saudi Arabian audience on the web. It will only connect to those people who have that sensibility and that could be anywhere in the world.
Why web series?
You can tell stories for an extended time or very short time depending on what the story is.
Looking back, do you think Sarkar 3 could have been a better film?
Anything could be better. Post analysing a film after the result has come out doesn’t make any sense. Once a film didn’t work, it’s best to leave it at that. Films are vague in terms of sensibilities and how people react to them. If I talk to 10 people, they will give me 10 different reasons why it didn’t do well and I will never know what happened.
What angers you?
Nothing upsets me. I never get angry about anything. I believe that everybody does things from their ability and their own perspective, so no one is ever really wrong. I am the person who angers people so I don’t have time to get angry! (laughs)
Why do you have a bed in your office?
I feel the place that you work in should be an extension of your own personality — what you believe in and like. Should any person come here even if he has never met me, just by the décor of the office he would already know what kind of person I am. My resume is in the office decor. I never thought of it as a bed. People want to see it as a bed (i) so the obscenity is in their eyes and not in the object there.
What do you have to say to people who ask, “Where has the real Ramu gone”?
I have answered this question many times, but what I have realised is that people never listen because they have already made up the answer in their heads. They are comfortable saying, ‘Ramu has lost it!’ And I don’t want to disappoint them, so yes, I think that is what has happened to me — I have lost it (laughs).
People ask why RGV can’t make another Rangeela or Company today…
People say it as a reaction to their impression of those films. Recently, I went through Francis Ford Coppola’s IMDB biography and I was shocked to see that he made some 40 films out of which I don’t know some 30. Now if someone tells Coppola why don’t you make Godfather again, as if he doesn’t know that… (laughs).
You seem to be an enigma…
I don’t think it’s easy to know me but people have made up their minds. I would like to believe that I have changed. If I look back at some earlier films of mine, I wonder how the hell did I make that film? Or how could I have fallen in love with that person? A lot of people like Company lot. I don’t like that film at all because today I have much more knowledge of the subject compared to what I had at that time, so I compare it to that.
Where will MBSLBCH air?
We haven’t decided on the platform, but right now I am making it for my YouTube channel called RGV Talkies and GAT will be the first one there. All the digital films I make, will be released there. As far as monetisation is concerned as long as there is some kind of product, there will be some revenue coming in. We will be doing partnership deals and associating with other places.
How do you keep getting funding?
First of all, anybody gets funded for a good idea. Nobody sees anybody’s face and gives money, na? Of course, unless you are an actor. Eventually, it’s all about an idea. If you come with an idea and someone sees the potential in it, that’s how it happens.
When a film works, the experiment is called new age cinema. If it doesn't, it's criticised-Ram Gopal Varma
7:54 AM
Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; May 7, 2017)
An array of films -the raw
Shiva, the cool Rangeela, the hard-hitting Satya, the spinechilling
Kaun, the edgy Company, the scary Bhoot, the gritty Ek Haseena Thi and
the Godfather-like Sarkar series - defines his approach to filmmaking.
Agreeably, there was a time when his next was keenly awaited. And then
came the downfall with a slew of unimpressive ventures.With Sarkar 3 and
Amitabh Bachchan by his side, Ram Gopal Varma hopes to redeem himself
as a filmmaker. Excerpts from our
conversation with him:
Perception is that a sequel works well if it's released within a few years of the first film. The gap between Sarkar Raj and Sarkar 3 is nine years. Why is that so?
I never really had an idea to make another part after Sarkar Raj. Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) started discussing the possibility of the third part with me two-three years ago. An idea struck and we're here. It wasn't a conscious decision to wait for so long. But sometimes, to be removed for a while has its advantages. You can look back on the strengths and weaknesses of the previous parts and make the new one better. Something like Godfather 3 came nearly 20 years after the second part. You need to give the subject a break before coming back to it.
It was speculated that the third instalment hit a roadblock as your collaboration with Ekta Kapoor post Sarkar Raj failed to take off.
That was a proposal for another film. There was no plan to make the third part with them (Ekta's company).
Sarkar evidently drew inspiration from Bal Thackeray and Godfather. Sarkar Raj made strong references to the Enron power project. Buzz is that Sarkar 3 is a spin on the rivalry between Udhav and Raj Thackeray. What's the truth?
There's a difference between being inspired by and being based on. Imagine a powerful man who, without being an authorised body, runs a parallel government purely on his charisma and the faith he instills in people. If Balasaheb Thackeray can exist, so can Sarkar. He was just a reference point. Godfather is not about the mafia. It's the story of a family. With Sarkar Raj, the idea was that a public figure will have issues to deal with, though I never thought of Enron as the basis of the story. While working on the subject, things just came up. As for Sarkar 3, I'd say that in any organisation, there are bound to be egos if it involves family members. How outsiders take advantage of a rift within the group is the gist of the narrative.
You have been critical of Amitabh Bachchan and have used some unkind words for him too. How do you get a nod from him for your projects, even when you've had a slew of flops?
When I'm critical, I'm being honest. It comes from the heart. I tell him what I would tell anyone else. I don't say anything behind his back. I believe he sees the sincerity and passion with which I approach my work.
You've teamed up with Manoj Bajpayee after very long. Was it easy to bury the hatchet and move on?
After a long journey and so many interactions, you lose perspective of what had happened. I made one phone call to Manoj for this film and he said yes. Even if we've put our differences aside, the media will make it a point to bring it up.
The first two films in the franchise had more seasoned artistes. Why did you
decide on Amit Sadh and Yami Gautam for this instalment?
Amitji suggested Amit Sadh's name. I called him for a look test and he turned out to be impressive. He plays a cocky, arrogant guy in the film. He nailed the part. As for Yami, we've seen her as an innocent girl in her previous outings but here, she plays an intense role.
Did it bother you that the movie's release was pushed by over a month?
There's a misconception here. The release of a film has more to do with post-production and the number of screens you might get in a certain window. I'm the last person to be bothered. It doesn't make a difference whether the film releases one month earlier or later. There's an exaggerated perception of release dates. It has never happened that if two films release, I've seen only one.
At one time you were hailed as a maverick for your school of thought. Where do you think you went wrong in the last few years?
It is partly my arrogance in a sense of taking things for granted and partly because I was never questioned when I started making those films. Not that I didn't have this kind of mindset before. But I tried reinventing myself and left Mumbai for a while.
What did you learn in that phase?
It would be presumptuous to say I won't make mistakes. At most, I may not repeat them. Today, I want to make films different from what others are making or watching.
In hindsight, do you think turning your production house into a filmmaking factory backfired?
I'm often criticized that I do too much too soon and I don't concentrate, which isn't true. Very often, I've gone by my instinct. I made Satya on my instinct. Films don't work just by planning. If something shapes up well, it clicks. No matter what people say, I know I did my best at that point.
You've experimented with an outlandish technique in Department that also didn't work.
When a film works, the experiment is called new age cinema. If it doesn't, it is criticised. Sarkar was experimental with close-up treatment. It worked, so it was talked about; if it hadn't worked, it would have been criticised. Likes and dislikes are based on the final result.
A lot of your protégés have fallen out with you. Why?
I never fell in to fall out with them. I used people as resources to make films.
Your blunt candour on social media has only led to tiffs with the industry. People may stop taking you seriously. Don't you think so?
I don't think people care about what an actor or a director does apart from making a film. They don't have the time or energy to waste on things that are not related to their day-to-day existence. If I want a product, I don't care about the manufacturer's life.
What do you plan to make next?
I'm working on Arrest with Abhishek Bachchan, which will roll out soon. I'm also planning a horror film. And yes, there will be a Sarkar 4, but I don't know when.
Perception is that a sequel works well if it's released within a few years of the first film. The gap between Sarkar Raj and Sarkar 3 is nine years. Why is that so?
I never really had an idea to make another part after Sarkar Raj. Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) started discussing the possibility of the third part with me two-three years ago. An idea struck and we're here. It wasn't a conscious decision to wait for so long. But sometimes, to be removed for a while has its advantages. You can look back on the strengths and weaknesses of the previous parts and make the new one better. Something like Godfather 3 came nearly 20 years after the second part. You need to give the subject a break before coming back to it.
It was speculated that the third instalment hit a roadblock as your collaboration with Ekta Kapoor post Sarkar Raj failed to take off.
That was a proposal for another film. There was no plan to make the third part with them (Ekta's company).
Sarkar evidently drew inspiration from Bal Thackeray and Godfather. Sarkar Raj made strong references to the Enron power project. Buzz is that Sarkar 3 is a spin on the rivalry between Udhav and Raj Thackeray. What's the truth?
There's a difference between being inspired by and being based on. Imagine a powerful man who, without being an authorised body, runs a parallel government purely on his charisma and the faith he instills in people. If Balasaheb Thackeray can exist, so can Sarkar. He was just a reference point. Godfather is not about the mafia. It's the story of a family. With Sarkar Raj, the idea was that a public figure will have issues to deal with, though I never thought of Enron as the basis of the story. While working on the subject, things just came up. As for Sarkar 3, I'd say that in any organisation, there are bound to be egos if it involves family members. How outsiders take advantage of a rift within the group is the gist of the narrative.
You have been critical of Amitabh Bachchan and have used some unkind words for him too. How do you get a nod from him for your projects, even when you've had a slew of flops?
When I'm critical, I'm being honest. It comes from the heart. I tell him what I would tell anyone else. I don't say anything behind his back. I believe he sees the sincerity and passion with which I approach my work.
You've teamed up with Manoj Bajpayee after very long. Was it easy to bury the hatchet and move on?
After a long journey and so many interactions, you lose perspective of what had happened. I made one phone call to Manoj for this film and he said yes. Even if we've put our differences aside, the media will make it a point to bring it up.
The first two films in the franchise had more seasoned artistes. Why did you
decide on Amit Sadh and Yami Gautam for this instalment?Amitji suggested Amit Sadh's name. I called him for a look test and he turned out to be impressive. He plays a cocky, arrogant guy in the film. He nailed the part. As for Yami, we've seen her as an innocent girl in her previous outings but here, she plays an intense role.
Did it bother you that the movie's release was pushed by over a month?
There's a misconception here. The release of a film has more to do with post-production and the number of screens you might get in a certain window. I'm the last person to be bothered. It doesn't make a difference whether the film releases one month earlier or later. There's an exaggerated perception of release dates. It has never happened that if two films release, I've seen only one.
At one time you were hailed as a maverick for your school of thought. Where do you think you went wrong in the last few years?
It is partly my arrogance in a sense of taking things for granted and partly because I was never questioned when I started making those films. Not that I didn't have this kind of mindset before. But I tried reinventing myself and left Mumbai for a while.
What did you learn in that phase?
It would be presumptuous to say I won't make mistakes. At most, I may not repeat them. Today, I want to make films different from what others are making or watching.
In hindsight, do you think turning your production house into a filmmaking factory backfired?
I'm often criticized that I do too much too soon and I don't concentrate, which isn't true. Very often, I've gone by my instinct. I made Satya on my instinct. Films don't work just by planning. If something shapes up well, it clicks. No matter what people say, I know I did my best at that point.
You've experimented with an outlandish technique in Department that also didn't work.
When a film works, the experiment is called new age cinema. If it doesn't, it is criticised. Sarkar was experimental with close-up treatment. It worked, so it was talked about; if it hadn't worked, it would have been criticised. Likes and dislikes are based on the final result.
A lot of your protégés have fallen out with you. Why?
I never fell in to fall out with them. I used people as resources to make films.
Your blunt candour on social media has only led to tiffs with the industry. People may stop taking you seriously. Don't you think so?
I don't think people care about what an actor or a director does apart from making a film. They don't have the time or energy to waste on things that are not related to their day-to-day existence. If I want a product, I don't care about the manufacturer's life.
What do you plan to make next?
I'm working on Arrest with Abhishek Bachchan, which will roll out soon. I'm also planning a horror film. And yes, there will be a Sarkar 4, but I don't know when.
Ram Gopal Varma reveals exclusive, interesting details about his memorable films
11:21 AM
The filmmaker takes us through almost three decades of movie magic
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 6, 2017)
SARKAR 1, SARKAR RAJ, SARKAR 3 (2005, 2008, 2017)
Strangely during all the films I have done with Amitabh Bachchan over the years, including the Sarkar series, only once have we had a difference of opinion. It was over a scene in the original Sarkar, where he throws his son Vishnu out of the house. I wanted him to play it cold-bloodedly, without emotion, as if the son he was chucking out were an insect. But he thought that given that they were father and son, he show some anger. I argued that when you take a decision like this, it means you have given up all hope so there should be no reason to rage. He disagreed and finally we did the scene his way. But that night, around 11 pm, he called me to say, "Ramu, I've been thinking about this scene and I feel now that you were right. Let's reshoot it tomorrow."
I see Subhash Nagre aka Sarkar as a realistic Superman, who people can look up to and depend upon to solve their problems when the establishment fails them. For me, he is a graphic comic book character who does not age, who I conceived for Bachchan, whom I, as a film watcher, had studied over the years. It was a culmination of the cumulative effect he had on me since Zanjeer. As the principal protagonist, Sarkar is integral to the franchise and I can't imagine any other actor playing the role. Sarkar has become synonymous with Amitabh Bachchan, just like doodh and milk.
BHOOT (2003)
I love to scare people. As a child, I used to hide behind the door and say, "Boo!" Now, I make horror fantasies even though I don't believe in ghosts. Yet, one night, after wrapping up the shooting of Bhoot at around 2 am, I returned to my apartment, where I live alone and in my L-shaped bedroom, I was lying on the bed when suddenly I got the feeling that the ghost from the film, Manjeet Khosla, was standing behind the wall.
I kept staring at the wall, but couldn't muster the courage to get up and check. I tried to laugh off my irrational fears, but the eerie feeling wouldn't go away. I turned my back to the wall and tried to will myself to nod off. But sleep wouldn't and I found myself turning to look at the wall again, this time calling out softly, "Manjeet? Manjeet?" I was greeted by silence and chuckling over how foolishly I was behaving, I turned again and shut my eyes resolutely.
Moments later, I heard the sound of footsteps and felt someone get into the bed with me. The soft sigh of someone breathing creeped me out. I turned, to be confronted by... nothing!
This time, I jumped up and, rushing to the phone, placing a call to Barkha Madan, the actress playing Manjeet whose ghost haunts the apartment. Only after speaking with her was I reassured that neither she nor her bhoot had entered my apartment.
COMPANY (2002)
I chanced to meet a gentleman who was very close to the D-Company, not a criminal really but more of a business associate. In the course of our conversation, he told me that in the fight between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan a number of people had got killed, yet the two guys still had so much love for each other. "Even today, if Dawood bhai calls, Chhota Rajan will stub out his cigarette instantly. They hate each other because they love each other so much," he told me. The last sentence caught my fancy and was the genesis of Company.
The premise of a mentor and his protege whose relationship slowly sours over ego issues is true of any company. The only difference is that in a normal company, a person gets fired if he doesn't do his job well or falls out of favour with the boss. In D-Company, they get fired, literally. The gentleman, who was my muse, was shot dead just months after I met him.
SATYA (1998)
I was sitting with someone when we got the news that Gulshan Kumar had been killed. I had met Gulshanji a couple of times and was shocked. The gentleman I was with knew him well and had spoken to him just that morning at 7 am. He mentioned that he had called him back an hour later. We have this habit of recounting details when a violent death occurs. And listening to him, a thought flashed through my mind. If Gulshanji woke up at 7 am, then when did his killer jump out of bed, I wondered. Before or after killing him, did he have breakfast? I know that these questions may sound strange, even funny, but they are relevant even though we only think of assassins when they kill or when they are killed. But between the two acts, they are people like any of us leading normal lives. They could be walking on the street, sitting beside you in the bus or the movie theatre and none the wiser. To see a guy like this in his world is what sowed the seeds of Satya.
The film made Manoj Bajpayee synonymous with Bhiku Mhatre. He had caught my attention in a small role in Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen after which I cast him in a brief appearance in Daud. I was impressed by his focus and intensity, both as an actor and a person, and ended up giving him this iconic role in Satya.
RANGEELA (1995)
I have five favourite films—The Exorcist, Mackenna's Gold, The Godfather, Dr Strangelove and The Sound of Music. Rangeela was my The Sound of Music where every character is lovable; it's the situations that create conflict. A R Rahman was new back then and to visually interpret his music on screen was a challenge.
I didn't think there was anything special about Aamir Khan (who played the lovable Munna) as an actor, but when I met him I was impressed with his dedication, focus and earnestness. I had not seen another actor who was more sincere, which is why I cast him as the street-smart orphan who makes a living selling movie tickets in black.
Why Urmila Matondkar? Well, I had gone to sign Madhuri Dixit for a film titled Drohi. She was not available, so we signed Urmila instead. I loved her spirit, her expressive face and her happy feet. I remember once when the choreographer couldn't make it to the set on time as he had missed his train, I told her to do the song herself. I was mesmerised by the way she danced and when Rangeela came up, she was my choice to play Mili, the movie extra who aspires to be a star and ends up with two men in love with her.
RAAT (1992)
Raat was the first film I wanted to make, even before Shiva. It was a really special film in terms of camerawork, the six-track stereophonic sound, the music and Revathy's performance. But back in the '90s, when our audience was still watching Ramsay horror flicks, it was perhaps a little too subtle and sophisticated for their liking, maybe even too cerebral.
Raat aficionados have grown over the last decade. Today, I have young girls aged 17 and 18 coming up and telling me that their favourite horror film is Raat, which they have seen on TV. When I hear that it surprises me. I wonder how the film on whose technicalities we lavished so much time and attention, can work on television? I don't know if I'd want to remake Raat, but I am working on another horror film. And today, I think I have finally understood the core of this genre.
Today, I feel Company is a half-baked film-Ram Gopal Varma
8:09 AM
RGV gets candid about hits and misses; says Twitter’s an extension of his personality
Meena Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 7, 2017)
One has known Ram Gopal Varma for 28 years but that amounts to zilch. Nasty one second and disarming the next, RGV remains an enigma. He lives vicariously through the movies he views and makes. He deliberately courts the Bollywood “outcaste” image and will not pander to the egos of either his actors or the media.
Excerpts from a chat with the incorrigible filmmaker:
Amitabh Bachchan has trusted you despite the fact that besides the successful Sarkar franchise, you also made the disastrous RGV Ki Aag with him. Comment.
I have the highest regard for Amitabh Bachchan. Unlike others who only look at the end result, he sees the effort I put into both Sarkar and RGV Ki Aag. Most people don’t bother with the causes and just react to the effect. That’s understandable. I’m not complaining.
You have been around for 28 years. In the early years of your career you could do nothing wrong. In the second half, most of the films you did were wrong. Why?
To start with, it’s not true that I did not do anything wrong in the early phase. After the super successful debut, Shiva, in 1989, I gave five flops in a row. Then, there were three flops before Rangeela in 1995 which was followed by another flop, Daud, two years later. People remember only the hits after some years. The media too wasn’t so aggressive in those days.
Would you say that somewhere along the way you’ve become a little complacent?
I know that’s what people think and that I do too many things too fast and so do not focus on the job at hand. But the truth is that I spent the maximum time, effort and money on films like Daud, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag and Department and they are my biggest flops while films like Satya, which was made without a ready script succeeded. There is no co-relation between working hard and making a hit film though I know nobody will believe me.
Sarkar is a franchise which has kept you on top of the game. What are your expectations from Part 3?
For me, Sarkar is the epitome of what great film characters meant from the days of an angry young Amitabh Bachchan to the Godfather trilogy. Sarkar 3 is the epitome of the franchise.
How close is Sarkar 3 to your heart and will we catch a glimpse of the genius that was there in Shiva, Company and Rangeela in it?
You will find the present RGV in Sarkar 3. Ridley Scott once said that when you see a film that you have made a long time ago, you almost feel as if someone else has made it. I agree. That is because we are continuously changing through our experiences. So today, when I see Company, I feel it’s a half-baked film because I know so much more about the complexities of the underworld now.
You are really aggressive on the social media like recently you got after Tamil Nadu’s CM-hopeful, Sasikala Natarajan.
For me, Twitter is an extension of my personality and I say whatever I feel strongly about at the moment. Also, it is not a public platform, it’s something between me and those who wish to follow me
But why are you always so offensive?
I am not offensive, I’m actually gentler than a lamb. But the truth I speak sometimes sounds offensive.
Is there a film in the offing on Sasikala?
Let’s see.
There is so much of you on the social media. Yet you continue to remain an enigma. What is the real RGV like?
You can meet the real RGV on Twitter. He is a mixture of one teaspoon of genius, two teaspoons of dumbness, a pinch of humour and half a cup of ‘mad’ common sense.
You once started your day watching a movie and went to bed watching one. Does this routine continue or has it given way to some other idiosyncrasy.
Earlier I used to watch only movies, now I watch a lot of documentaries and web series.
After Urmila Matondkar and Antara Mali you stopped giving Bollywood, heroines who could occupy mind space, stopped nurturing talent…
I would say I stopped ‘talenting’. Now, don’t ask me its meaning
Sarkar 3: Amitabh Bachchan returns as the Angry Young Man
2:31 PM
Sarkar 3 rolls next month with Ram Gopal Varma making amends for giving the actor mild, complacent characters in the past with an explosive role
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 22, 2016)
Ram Gopal Varma had earlier confirmed to Mirror (April 20) that eight
years after Sarkar Raj, he would be reuniting with Amitabh Bachchan for
Part 3 of the franchise which he'd kickstarted in 2005. The Big B's
Godfathersque avatar as Subhash 'Sarkar' Nagre has been one of his most
memorable performances and the duo has been intermittently discussing
how to take the franchise forward, clear that they wouldn't attempt it
unless extremely sure of the content. "Two-three ideas were worked upon
and discarded, and now, finally, we have a script we both are excited
about," says an upbeat RGV, adding that the film produced by Parag
Sanghvi and Waves, rolls next month and will release in summer 2017.The filmmaker describes Sarkar 3 as the "return of Bachchan's anger" which since it exploded in Zanjeer in 1973 has become synonymous with the actor. RGV points out that anger against injustice, suppression and exploitation were the hallmarks of the various characters the veteran has played down the years and which have collectively made him the legend he is. But in the last decade, many directors, he rues, wanting to capture his other shades, have forgotten angry man Bachchan.
"Even I, with my understanding of his cinematic power, created only mild characters like Vijay in Nishabd and Vijay Harshwardhan Malik in Rann," Ramu admits. "The only time I remember seeing him really angry in the last 10 years is in Sarkar. Anger is a common emotion but Amitabh Bachchan's anger gives it a larger-than-life quality which I tried to portray in the film."
For RGV, Zanjeer's Inspector Vijay Khanna tops the list of Bachchan's angry man avatars, followed by Vijay Verma, Deewar's don, the vengeful Vijay Kumar of Trishul and the misguided Vijay Kumar of Shakti among others— characters which have impressed and influenced him as a filmmaker. Any reason why he wants to bring back Bachchan's '70s avatar when he's 70-plus?
"Anger is a state of the mind and has nothing to do with age. It comes from a sense of justice, a feeling of righteousness. For too long he's been playing mild, complacent characters, it's high time his much-loved anger comes back," RGV argues, asserting that in Part 3, the scale and the negative forces of the earlier two films will pale in comparison, making the 'Sarkar' angrier than ever before. "Being an aam aadmi his anger will be against exploitation, oppression and injustice."
Surprisingly, there's not a single antagonist in Part 3. While the plot outwardly deals with multifaceted crisis in the Sarkar tradition, this time there will be much larger dramatic events and larger-than-life characters set against a backdrop of one-upmanship, criminal practices and terrifying conspiracies. "Sarkar's distinctive look won't change, but given the complexity of the script, the visual style will change."
Can Sarkar be envisioned without Bachchan? "It might be possible to make Godfather without (Marlon) Brando but not Sarkar without Bachchan," he asserts. "Since he arrived on the screen some 40 years ago, we haven't seen a single actor who has his kind of presence, personality and charisma."
It was my arrogance which caused all the failures-Ram Gopal Varma
8:01 AM
Ram Gopal Varma on courting controversies, his break from Bollywood and return with the gritty Veerappan
Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; May 26, 2016)
Ram Gopal Varma is back in
Bollywood after a two-year break with Veerappan, releasing this week.
The break that Ramu took during which he “psychoanalysed“ himself has
done him good. He feels rejuvenated, has become more systematic and is
now particular about the subjects that he chooses to make movies. What
of course hasn't changed about the man is his indomitable spirit,
outspokenness and a penchant for controversy. Over to Ramu...
You left Mumbai in 2013, but you've constantly been in the news.
I guess it's because of my outspokenness. I went away from Mumbai at the end of 2013, but I was on twitter all the time. When it comes to social media, it doesn't matter where you are.
Your tweets often give rise to controversies. Do you say things just for effect?
Yes, I say things only for effect. What is the point of saying something if it's not for effect? You can't just be blabbering for no reason. Effect is nothing but the fact that you are trying to draw attention to something that you feel. It may be an opinion that I want to voice at that point of time.
In recent times, you seem to have taken on everyone from Rajinikanth to Shah Rukh Khan in your tweets...
That's not true. People just accuse me of saying things about SRK or Rajinikanth. Everybody believes that to become a superstar, you need to have six packs, you got to be tall and have a handsome face. Rajinikanth doesn't have any of that, yet he is the biggest superstar, which means he has proven everyone wrong. I meant it as a compliment to him; how does that amount to demeaning him? Similarly about Shah Rukh. I believe that superstardom is about being oneself in a movie, and all I said about Shah Rukh was that he should be himself in his movies. This is something I have told him even when I've met him. In fact, Shah Rukh is more charming in person than he is on screen. Now I think in my case, because of the reputation that I have developed, people tend to read too much and look for things that I don't mean.
Coming back to your film, you first made Killing Veerappan in the South and there were protests from certain quarters there. How did you deal with them?
When you make a film on a real life character or a realistic situation, there is bound to be controversy. I knew I was within my rights as a filmmaker and there were people who supported me in making the film and tackling the issues.
Why did you think of making a film on Veerappan?
In the late 90s when I was shooting near the jungles in Tamil Nadu, I heard about Veerappan for the first time. It sounded strange that a man was operating from inside the forest with a few people and was terrorising the police of three states. That fascinated me, but I was not able to zero in on a particular aspect. Then I happened to meet some people who were involved in the operation which killed Veerappan. That's when I decided to make a film from the point of view of the people who actually got him killed. Sachiin Joshi saw the film and he liked it, but he felt that in Hindi we should make it even more elaborate.
Veerappan again reflects your love for dark characters.
Basically, I'd call that intense. Even in the case of Rangeela, it's unlike any normal love story. There's a certain seriousness. The characters are realistic, put in real space and time, rather than exotic sets and things like that. I get interested in intense subjects, which are not necessarily dark. I'm interested in larger-than-life characters, those that are radically different. For example, on the road when the signal is on, I'm always interested in the guy who breaks the red light.
So law-breakers interest you more?
Yes, because that's anti-establishment. Anything that goes against the flow is what creates drama and that is required for films. I'm interested in stones that disturb still water.
Is there a deeper reason for this penchant for anti-establishment?
Like I have said in the past, I'm a criminal at heart and because I don't have the guts to be a gangster, I live out my fantasies this way (laughs). But seriously, I am like a naturalist who studies animals. If I study King Cobra, it doesn't mean I want to be one. But probably I would know more about King Cobra than he would about himself.
You mean you know gangsters better than they may know themselves?
I think so because I look at them and study them on a very objective level. I like to psychoanalyse people. Of course, I don't mean it from a medical point of view. I took a break from Bollywood for two years because I wanted to psychoanalyse myself.
What did you conclude about yourself?
I realised that I'm not as much of a psycho as I think. But then again, I don't think a mad man will ever realise he is mad! On a serious note, I honestly needed that break. I wanted to look at myself from the outside. I wanted to analyse the way I was operating for the last few years. There were various factors, but one factor predominantly was my arrogance which caused all the failures. Arrogance is nothing but you taking certain things for grant ed, taking whimsical decisions assuming that every decision of yours will work. Choosing subjects without checking and rechecking the validity in today's context. Yes, I am like a wild horse, I am impulsive and that comes naturally to me, something I don't want to curb. But now I have tried to put in a system in place which can con trol me.
Are you are a changed man now?
When somebody asked me, 'Have you changed?', I said, 'Yes I have changed, but it could be for the worse!' I feel rejuvenated today. It's like I went through a personal psychological detox.
So, would you term Veerappan as a new beginning for you in Bollywood?
Definitely. It's a special film for me which has an interesting subject and it has given me the opportunity to do a lot, in terms of direction, actors' perform ances, sound, design, locations. It is going to be very different for the audiences.
You left Mumbai in 2013, but you've constantly been in the news.
I guess it's because of my outspokenness. I went away from Mumbai at the end of 2013, but I was on twitter all the time. When it comes to social media, it doesn't matter where you are.
Your tweets often give rise to controversies. Do you say things just for effect?
Yes, I say things only for effect. What is the point of saying something if it's not for effect? You can't just be blabbering for no reason. Effect is nothing but the fact that you are trying to draw attention to something that you feel. It may be an opinion that I want to voice at that point of time.
In recent times, you seem to have taken on everyone from Rajinikanth to Shah Rukh Khan in your tweets...
That's not true. People just accuse me of saying things about SRK or Rajinikanth. Everybody believes that to become a superstar, you need to have six packs, you got to be tall and have a handsome face. Rajinikanth doesn't have any of that, yet he is the biggest superstar, which means he has proven everyone wrong. I meant it as a compliment to him; how does that amount to demeaning him? Similarly about Shah Rukh. I believe that superstardom is about being oneself in a movie, and all I said about Shah Rukh was that he should be himself in his movies. This is something I have told him even when I've met him. In fact, Shah Rukh is more charming in person than he is on screen. Now I think in my case, because of the reputation that I have developed, people tend to read too much and look for things that I don't mean.
Coming back to your film, you first made Killing Veerappan in the South and there were protests from certain quarters there. How did you deal with them?
When you make a film on a real life character or a realistic situation, there is bound to be controversy. I knew I was within my rights as a filmmaker and there were people who supported me in making the film and tackling the issues.
Why did you think of making a film on Veerappan?
In the late 90s when I was shooting near the jungles in Tamil Nadu, I heard about Veerappan for the first time. It sounded strange that a man was operating from inside the forest with a few people and was terrorising the police of three states. That fascinated me, but I was not able to zero in on a particular aspect. Then I happened to meet some people who were involved in the operation which killed Veerappan. That's when I decided to make a film from the point of view of the people who actually got him killed. Sachiin Joshi saw the film and he liked it, but he felt that in Hindi we should make it even more elaborate.
Veerappan again reflects your love for dark characters.
Basically, I'd call that intense. Even in the case of Rangeela, it's unlike any normal love story. There's a certain seriousness. The characters are realistic, put in real space and time, rather than exotic sets and things like that. I get interested in intense subjects, which are not necessarily dark. I'm interested in larger-than-life characters, those that are radically different. For example, on the road when the signal is on, I'm always interested in the guy who breaks the red light.
So law-breakers interest you more?
Yes, because that's anti-establishment. Anything that goes against the flow is what creates drama and that is required for films. I'm interested in stones that disturb still water.
Is there a deeper reason for this penchant for anti-establishment?
Like I have said in the past, I'm a criminal at heart and because I don't have the guts to be a gangster, I live out my fantasies this way (laughs). But seriously, I am like a naturalist who studies animals. If I study King Cobra, it doesn't mean I want to be one. But probably I would know more about King Cobra than he would about himself.
You mean you know gangsters better than they may know themselves?
I think so because I look at them and study them on a very objective level. I like to psychoanalyse people. Of course, I don't mean it from a medical point of view. I took a break from Bollywood for two years because I wanted to psychoanalyse myself.
What did you conclude about yourself?
I realised that I'm not as much of a psycho as I think. But then again, I don't think a mad man will ever realise he is mad! On a serious note, I honestly needed that break. I wanted to look at myself from the outside. I wanted to analyse the way I was operating for the last few years. There were various factors, but one factor predominantly was my arrogance which caused all the failures. Arrogance is nothing but you taking certain things for grant ed, taking whimsical decisions assuming that every decision of yours will work. Choosing subjects without checking and rechecking the validity in today's context. Yes, I am like a wild horse, I am impulsive and that comes naturally to me, something I don't want to curb. But now I have tried to put in a system in place which can con trol me.
Are you are a changed man now?
When somebody asked me, 'Have you changed?', I said, 'Yes I have changed, but it could be for the worse!' I feel rejuvenated today. It's like I went through a personal psychological detox.
So, would you term Veerappan as a new beginning for you in Bollywood?
Definitely. It's a special film for me which has an interesting subject and it has given me the opportunity to do a lot, in terms of direction, actors' perform ances, sound, design, locations. It is going to be very different for the audiences.
Sachiin Joshi & I both have a common fetish for dark characters-Ram Gopal Varma
7:18 AM
Sachiin Joshi and Ram Gopal Varma in a friendly banter
Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; May 18, 2016)
Ram Gopal Varma and Sachiin
Joshi may seem like chalk and cheese at first, but the two actually have
some similarities - a cool sense of humour, the courage to call a spade a
spade and their passion for cinema, which has brought them together to
make Veerappan, a film based on the life of the notorious dacoit.
Excerpts from a conversation with the duo:
The two of you seem very different from each other... Veerappan brought you together.
Sachiin: Yes, we are completely different from each other.
Ramu: I think we have a common fetish for dark characters, which he hides and I show openly. Veerappan managed to bring both of us out in the open!
Sachiin: Yes, we all have positive and negative shades in life. Some like to talk about it openly, like Ramu.
Ramu: There is a dialogue in Company, in which Ajay Devgn says, 'Har insaan ke andar ek rakshas hota hai.' It's just a question of timing when it comes out.
So between the two of you, Ramu is the more outspoken one?
Sachiin: I am outspoken as well, but I choose my words.
Ramu: He is basically saying he is classy and I am massy!
And what about social media.. are you as active as Ramu?
Sachiin: Not really. I don't pursue it the way he does. I'm not that regular, it's only as and when required.
Ramu: So are you saying that I do it even when it's not required?
Sachiin: He needs an audience all the time!
On a serious note, how did you come together for Veerappan?
Sachiin: We had been interacting for a year-and-a-half. Ramu showed me his Kannada film Killing Veerappan and that's how it all began.
Ramu: I made Killing Veerappan because of my interest in the subject. After Sachiin saw it, he felt there were things that could be elaborated. It was his idea to make it in Hindi.
Sachiin: It focussed on how Veerappan was killed. The Karnataka audience knew a lot about him already, so telling them about how he died was fine for that market. I felt since Veerappan's story was so intriguing, it should be explored more and shown to the world. So, I thought we should make it in Hindi on a large scale.
When did you decide to play the cop's role in it?
Sachiin: It was not on my mind at all. I just wanted to make the film.
Ramu: When Sachiin broached the topic of making this in Hindi, he did not speak to me as an actor. He spoke to me only as a producer and as someone who is passionate about cinema and believed that this story should reach a wider audience. In the course of reworking the script, I felt Sachiin would be good for this particular role and I convinced him. It's not an elaborate part, but it's an important role.
Sachiin, what was your impression of Ramu before you met him? Has that changed now?
Sachiin: I had the same perception of Ramu as everyone else, but once I started interacting with him, I felt it was completely false. There's a very different side to him.
Ramu: In other words, he heard that I was bad and later realised that I was worse!
Sachiin: Actually, there is a lot that a person has within him which is difficult to express to everyone. After our interactions, I realised there was so much more to him.
Ramu, what do you have to say about Sachiin, the producer and the actor?
Ramu: My impression of him was that he was a rich father's son who made movies once in a while. When I met him, I was taken aback with his passion and understanding of cinema. He has a focussed approach and individualistic belief about movies. As an actor, he is professional. As a producer, he believes in giving people complete freedom. All in all, here is a producer, an actor and a very genuine, passionate film lover.
Were there any differences between the two of you while working on this project? If yes, how did you resolve them?
Sachiin: It was as simple as either you convince me or I convince you.
Ramu: That's easier said than done. It doesn't happen like that. But yes, in my whole career, I have never had a more comfortable creative interaction than what I had with Sachiin.
Sachiin: The understanding between us is quite good. Of course, Ramu has far more experience. He has seen many ups and downs, good and bad of cinema. I believe only a bad can teach you what good is. With that thought process and the belief that the captain of the ship knows his job best, I let people do their jobs.
What was the toughest part about making Veerappan?
Ramu: We had to depend on research material which came from diverse resources, like from people who worked with him, played the mediator and those who had tried to capture him. Different people have different perspectives about him. For instance, Veerappan's wife believes he was one of the nicest persons and was actually protecting the forests from the government and forest department. To tell his story, we took the point of view of those who wanted to kill him. So, it's not really a biopic. Getting all the information and putting it together in a two-hour film is not easy.
Sachiin: Veerappan is an intriguing and fascinating character who had no agenda. He was a criminal by fluke and then, he just started glorifying himself for various reasons, whether it was for power, name, fame, no one really knows. The things he was doing nobody would really do, not even a criminal. For me, fitting in the real space was difficult as an actor. We have seen films in which cops are glorified. But this one had to be realistic.
Did you miss the typical song and dance routine?
Sachiin: Not really ... I'm anyway not excited about it.
How nervous are the two of you as your movie approaches its release date?
Sachiin: We have made a good product. It looks good. We are happy and excited, more than being nervous.
Ramu: It's a very special project for me. I am doing my best to see that I can present it in the best way possible rather than thinking about whether it will do well.
Basically, rather than thinking only about the box office...
Sachiin: Anything can happen at the box office. Some day, a good film might not work while a bad one might do a business of Rs 300 crore. It's also about timing, the mind frame of people and what they want to watch. There's no good time or bad time; if you are there at the right place at the right time, it might just work.
The two of you seem very different from each other... Veerappan brought you together.
Sachiin: Yes, we are completely different from each other.
Ramu: I think we have a common fetish for dark characters, which he hides and I show openly. Veerappan managed to bring both of us out in the open!
Sachiin: Yes, we all have positive and negative shades in life. Some like to talk about it openly, like Ramu.
Ramu: There is a dialogue in Company, in which Ajay Devgn says, 'Har insaan ke andar ek rakshas hota hai.' It's just a question of timing when it comes out.
So between the two of you, Ramu is the more outspoken one?
Sachiin: I am outspoken as well, but I choose my words.
Ramu: He is basically saying he is classy and I am massy!
And what about social media.. are you as active as Ramu?
Sachiin: Not really. I don't pursue it the way he does. I'm not that regular, it's only as and when required.
Ramu: So are you saying that I do it even when it's not required?
Sachiin: He needs an audience all the time!
On a serious note, how did you come together for Veerappan?
Sachiin: We had been interacting for a year-and-a-half. Ramu showed me his Kannada film Killing Veerappan and that's how it all began.
Ramu: I made Killing Veerappan because of my interest in the subject. After Sachiin saw it, he felt there were things that could be elaborated. It was his idea to make it in Hindi.
Sachiin: It focussed on how Veerappan was killed. The Karnataka audience knew a lot about him already, so telling them about how he died was fine for that market. I felt since Veerappan's story was so intriguing, it should be explored more and shown to the world. So, I thought we should make it in Hindi on a large scale.
When did you decide to play the cop's role in it?
Sachiin: It was not on my mind at all. I just wanted to make the film.
Ramu: When Sachiin broached the topic of making this in Hindi, he did not speak to me as an actor. He spoke to me only as a producer and as someone who is passionate about cinema and believed that this story should reach a wider audience. In the course of reworking the script, I felt Sachiin would be good for this particular role and I convinced him. It's not an elaborate part, but it's an important role.
Sachiin, what was your impression of Ramu before you met him? Has that changed now?
Sachiin: I had the same perception of Ramu as everyone else, but once I started interacting with him, I felt it was completely false. There's a very different side to him.
Ramu: In other words, he heard that I was bad and later realised that I was worse!
Sachiin: Actually, there is a lot that a person has within him which is difficult to express to everyone. After our interactions, I realised there was so much more to him.
Ramu, what do you have to say about Sachiin, the producer and the actor?
Ramu: My impression of him was that he was a rich father's son who made movies once in a while. When I met him, I was taken aback with his passion and understanding of cinema. He has a focussed approach and individualistic belief about movies. As an actor, he is professional. As a producer, he believes in giving people complete freedom. All in all, here is a producer, an actor and a very genuine, passionate film lover.
Were there any differences between the two of you while working on this project? If yes, how did you resolve them?
Sachiin: It was as simple as either you convince me or I convince you.
Ramu: That's easier said than done. It doesn't happen like that. But yes, in my whole career, I have never had a more comfortable creative interaction than what I had with Sachiin.
Sachiin: The understanding between us is quite good. Of course, Ramu has far more experience. He has seen many ups and downs, good and bad of cinema. I believe only a bad can teach you what good is. With that thought process and the belief that the captain of the ship knows his job best, I let people do their jobs.
What was the toughest part about making Veerappan?
Ramu: We had to depend on research material which came from diverse resources, like from people who worked with him, played the mediator and those who had tried to capture him. Different people have different perspectives about him. For instance, Veerappan's wife believes he was one of the nicest persons and was actually protecting the forests from the government and forest department. To tell his story, we took the point of view of those who wanted to kill him. So, it's not really a biopic. Getting all the information and putting it together in a two-hour film is not easy.
Sachiin: Veerappan is an intriguing and fascinating character who had no agenda. He was a criminal by fluke and then, he just started glorifying himself for various reasons, whether it was for power, name, fame, no one really knows. The things he was doing nobody would really do, not even a criminal. For me, fitting in the real space was difficult as an actor. We have seen films in which cops are glorified. But this one had to be realistic.
Did you miss the typical song and dance routine?
Sachiin: Not really ... I'm anyway not excited about it.
How nervous are the two of you as your movie approaches its release date?
Sachiin: We have made a good product. It looks good. We are happy and excited, more than being nervous.
Ramu: It's a very special project for me. I am doing my best to see that I can present it in the best way possible rather than thinking about whether it will do well.
Basically, rather than thinking only about the box office...
Sachiin: Anything can happen at the box office. Some day, a good film might not work while a bad one might do a business of Rs 300 crore. It's also about timing, the mind frame of people and what they want to watch. There's no good time or bad time; if you are there at the right place at the right time, it might just work.
My arrogance was the reason for my flops-Ram Gopal Varma
7:56 AM
Ram Gopal varma explains his absence from Bollywood and his return, his failures, and why he loves Karan Johar
Subhash K Jha (DNA; April 26, 2016)
He’s back. The enfant terrible of showbiz, Ram Gopal
Varma, who happily offends one and all from Rajnikanth to Karan Johar,
returns to Mumbai after a three-year absence. He has already completed a
new Hindi film and is ready to make peace with all those who think he’s
a spent force. In a brutally candid confessional interview, Ramu spills
his guts...
Why did you take a long break from Bollywood?
I wanted to take a break from Bollywood and re-group my thoughts. I couldn’t do any soul-searching because I don’t have a soul, so I just settled down to take a long hard look at the way I used to think.
Why do you think all your recent Hindi films failed?
Many people believe that the reasons for my flops are that I do too many films and too quickly, but that’s not the truth. I took the maximum number of days to shoot and spent the maximum money on Department and Aag and they are my biggest flops. On the other hand, Satya was shot on a shoe-string budget; Sarkar I finished in 30 days. So it’s not the money or time, but it’s the wrong content which determines a film’s failure.
What according to you was the reason for your downfall?
I think it’s mainly my arrogance, which was the main reason for my flops. I was always a kind of a wild horse, very impulsive and fast. Both my path-breaking films and my crazy out-of-control films also were a result of that. If I try to control my wildness, I am sure I will lose my uniqueness and so I just worked towards steering my thoughts instead of stopping them.
What were you doing in these two years away from Mumbai?
I finished six scripts in these two years, to the extent of making a complete production breakdown of each of them. I also watched hundreds of films, specially Hollywood and foreign cinema to kind of rejuvenate myself.
Your obsession with anti-social behaviour continues inVeerappan?
Yes. I also deeply studied various dramatic real life situations and met many criminals and other larger-than life characters to fill in that part of my creative need of psychoanalyzing them to create characters away from my regular stereotypes.
Did you miss your colleagues in Bollywood while you were away? Where you in touch with any of them?
I never was really a social person and I never had friends but whatever little contacts I used to maintain I didn’t keep in touch with them too. I sincerely wanted both Bollywood and me to be rid of each other for a while. I hope this distance will make both of us a little more understanding of each other.
I hope Karan Johar is reading this.
I realised now after coming back that I very much love both Bollywood and Karan Johar and I hope that they both will at least like me a little. Jokes apart I don’t care who likes me because I only care about who and what I like and I do like Karan Johar.
What prompted you to return to Mumbai? And that too with such a bang?
I wanted to come back only after I was pretty sure of what I want to do. Armed with my understanding of the mistakes caused by my arrogance and my overconfidence I now came back to gloriously wage war with my inglorious past.
What prompted you to remake Veerappan in Hindi? What made you feel Hindi audiences would be interested in this bandit king?
The uniqueness of Veerappan is that there’s no other person like him who ever existed on this earth. A character like that will catch anybody’s interest anywhere in the world. I specifically wanted to come back with this film because I have something new to offer which no one has ever seen before, whether the subject matter or in the technique of filmmaking.
How did you find the actor who looks so much like Veerappan? How much did you have to work on his looks and performance?
I think in part it’s the greatness of my make-up person Vikram Gaekwad and in part the dedication of Sandeep Bharadwaj the actor who plays Veerappan.
Your Veerappan releases on the same day as your former protegee Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0, both films are about notorious outlaws. Is this a planned strategy?
I only got to know this a few days ago that Veerappan and Anurag’s Raghav Raman 2.0 are both releasing on the same day. I guess the better villain will win, but I really don’t know who’s a bigger villain or a better villain between me and Anurag.
Are you back in Mumbai for good?
Yes, and I am pleasantly surprised and thrilled to see so many people really happy to see me back.... I guess the reason for that is the few good films I made in the past. Hopefully some more will follow.
There’s a lot of talk about your new office Company.
Ha Ha, yes my new office Company is fast becoming a tourist attraction for not only those connected to Bollywood but also from Tollywood and even to some non-film people. Honestly speaking, the Company’s unique design is nothing but an external indication of the unique mindset of the people working from inside it. We all have sworn to each other to wipe my old slate fast and start drawing fresh.
Ram Gopal Varma takes on the censors, online, with Single X
8:05 AM
His first short, an erotic thriller, is dedicated to the Censor Board, and is the first of many to come
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 9, 2016)
Ram Gopal Varma took the Twitterati by surprise on Monday when he announced his short film debut with a provocative poster, cheekily adding that Single X is dedicated to the Censor Board. When Mirror caught up with the maverick filmmaker, he was shooting his next directorial, Veerappan, deep in the jungles. He informed that he is in the process of constructing an online theatre, RGV Talkies, which will soon open with the 15-minute erotic thriller, Single X.
Prodded
on his reasons for going into this space, he pointed out that unlike a
feature film, he will not have to adhere to a minimum length in this
format. "There are so many interesting stories which can be told in
five-20 minutes which if stretched can lose their steam," he reasoned. He added that he can also let loose his creative juices "without fear of getting fu**ed by the censors" and also "experiment with many genres without taxing or scaring investors".
He plans to explore different genres, including crime, drama, horror, suspense. "But RGV Talkies will absolutely not release films made on God because I don't believe in God, sports because I hate sports and definitely not romantic comedies because I take love and sex very seriously," he asserted, adding that he will not limit the banner to only films made by him but also give opportunities to films made by anyone as long as they suit his sensibilities. "In short, RGV Talkies will only release films that I want to see."
He describes the first film as an erotic thriller with a "woman's gorgeous body performing in it as much as its owner". It will be released only on YouTube as "that medium doesn't have a censor".
When quizzed on the title he revealed that Single X is a component of the story and that his target audience is "whoever is interested to see a film with that kind of poster".
I was inspired by Amitabh Bachchan's gun in Deewar & Sridevi's thighs-Ram Gopal Varma
7:59 AM
Ram Gopal Varma promises to come back from the dead with the third instalment of Sarkar
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 28, 2015)
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma
has dedicated his autobiogra phy, Guns And Thighs: The Story of My
Life, to The Fountainhead author Ayn Rand, martial arts artisteactor
Bruce Lee, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, porn star Tori Black and
Urmila Matondkar whom he re-launched with Rangeela. “A few gangsters
too,“ he is quick to add, saying the dedication is in accordance with
their contribution to his life, one way or the other.The maker who went on to direct Urmila in Satya, Ek Hasina Thi, Bhoot and over a dozen other films, chooses not to comment on his fallout with the actress, saying somewhat vaguely, “My status quo with anybody will be the status quo of their present self and my status quo of the past, present and presumed future.“ And why had Urmila's career come to a virtual standstill despite her initial box-office success and critical acclaim. He retorts, “I will only answer the question about somebody's career the day I can answer own about my own career.“
Ramu was last seen in the AIB video Fire taking a dig at his biggest
debacle, RGV Ki Aag, joking saying that if people do not make their
homes “fire safe“, he'll be back with Aag 2 next year.
While he continues to produce, write and direct Telugu films, his last
released Hindi film was Satya 2 in 2013. Is his Bollywood career over? “Whenever I am back from the dead I will direct Amitabh Bachchan in Sarkar 3,“ he says.
Earlier this month, the filmmaker had shared the cover of his book on
the social media promising some revelations about his cinematic journey,
his tryst with the city's underworld, his affairs with women and
“Amitabh Bachchan being an idiot“. He reveals that the title of the book
came from an answer to a question about what attracted him to cinema.
“It was the gun in
Amitabh Bachchan's hand in Deewaar and Sridevi's thighs in Himmatwala
that made me want to make movies,“ he says. “The book is about my love
affair with a gangster and my marriage with Amitabh Bachchan.“Ramu is known for his constant rants on social media. He posts over a dozen tweets a day, what is left to say in a autobiography? “My tweets are a spontaneous bullet point responses to what I feel at that moment about an issue. My book is both an elaboration as well as a dissection of a said topic which I have made, incision by incision,“ he signs off.
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