Subrata Roy, who passed away on November 14 at the age of 75 after a prolonged illness, played a key role in the careers of several film fraternity folks. Ever since his foray into showbiz in the early 2000s with Sahara One Motion Pictures, he not only backed several movies that set the trend with the advent of the multiplexes but also bailed out several actors and filmmakers from their financial crises. Apart from film production and distribution, Roy expanded his media conglomerate with news and general entertainment channels, too.

That’s not all. His studio gave a new lease to the careers of actors like Sridevi and Karisma Kapoor with television serials like Malini Iyer and Karishma: The Miracles of Destiny on the group’s general entertainment channel, Sahara One. Moreover, several B-Town celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were on the board of directors of Sahara entities. Not surprising then, that whenever any Sahara event was scheduled in Lucknow, where the group headquarters were located, most of Bollywood would fly down to show their allegiance to and solidarity with Roy. 

At the same time, it’s also not surprising that when Roy and his Sahara Group got caught in financial issues in 2011, several film industry folk began keeping their distance from the ‘controversial’ businessman.

However, few continued to associate with Sahara Shri, as he was called. One of them is Vivek Oberoi, who forged a bond with the businessman-industrialist before he began working with the latter’s studio. Beyond the equation they shared, the actor remembers two unforgettable instances. One is when the actor got injured during the shoot of Yuva on the Howrah bridge in Kolkata.

“Even Mani Ratnam sir had a heart issue and had to be hospitalized. Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan were taking care of me. Sahara Shri called me, spoke to my father and took over—he organized the beat doctor and orthopedic for me at Hinduja Hospital. When I was to be flown down to Mumbai, he got the front row seats of an Air Sahara flight removed so I could be accommodated with the stretcher,” recalled Oberoi. 

The actor was even more touched to see the business magnate had flown down to Mumbai to be by his side. He added, “After the surgery, while I was in and out of consciousness, Dada sat there by my side. It was great a gesture from Dada, a billionaire industrialist who had tons of things to do in his corporate empire.”

The other instance was when the actor was getting married to Priyanka Alva in 2010. Businessmen, industrialists, politicians and VIPs were invited to the wedding, besides his friends and colleagues from the industry. “Even though he was a VIP himself, he asked if there was something he could do. Dada was there on stage like a family member, receiving guests, ensuring they were looked after, asking if anyone needed anything. That is what set him apart as a person; his honesty and integrity also continued in his relationships,” reminisced Oberoi. 

Ram Gopal Varma, for many years now, has been churning out films without a pause. A huge part of his recent slate of movies is in Telugu, but he’s gearing up for several Hindi films this year. Recently, the filmmaker, who has helmed movies like Rangeela (1995), Satya (1998), Company (2002) and Sarkar (2005), among others, chatted with Bombay Times about moving base to Goa, his successful protégés like Manoj Bajpayee and Anurag Kashyap, and how some of his failures have shaped him as a filmmaker. Excerpts:

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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. 

1. Bigil - 1,40,14,00,000 (2019)
2. Viswasam - 1,31,87,00,000 (2019) 
3. 2.0 - 1,28,85,00,000 (2018)
4. Sarkar - 1,23,72,00,000 (2018)
5. Mersal - 1,23,19,00,000 (2017)
6. Petta - 1,15,91,00,000 (2019) 
7. Master - 1,13,00,00,000 apprx (2021) (2 weeks)
8. Endhiran - 1,01,59,00,000 (2010)
9. Darbar - 93,26,00,000 (2020)
10. I - 79,28,00,000 (2015)

Ram Gopal Varma is currently nestled in the idyllic surroundings of Goa, but instead of soaking in the sun and sand, he has been busy drawing up plans to work with his favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan.

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.

His deep baritone spills on to our pages, flowing into reams of stories and anecdotes, that often go on to become 'quotables' for ever. Such is the power of his impeccable voice and his unfettered memory. He has that supreme quality of keeping you riveted in the movies, and stirring up a conversation on the couch with as much passion. At 74, AB is cooler than the millenials of the day. He's a champ on social media - taking the good, the bad and the trollers in his stride. Yes, he plays it safe with words, but his words are seemingly unstoppable. At the same time, he's never lost the emotional connect with the people or the 'golden' phase of cinema that roots him to his beginnings. Long before he turned into a megastar. As the third instalment of Sarkar, directed by Ram Gopal Varma (RGV), awaits release, in a long-winding chat, he talks about trolls, timeless classics of Bollywood, legends of yore and the superstars of the future. Read on...

Ram Gopal Varma says that if you hadn't agreed to play Sarkar on screen, he wouldn't have made the film. He has also said, 'The Godfather can be made without Marlon Brando, but Sarkar cannot be made without Amitabh Bachchan.' Your reaction?
He is being too generous. Sarkar (2005) was my first film with Ramu, but even before it was made, I was always appreciative of his work. It was Abhishek who initiated the idea for Sarkar 3. Ramu and I kept meeting over the years and talking about it. We would discuss various aspects of life and movies and I would chat with him about palace politics. For instance, even in a king's home, there must be disturbances and domestic problems. We always wondered that if the king was emotionally upset about his personal issues and he had to make a decision that would impact the lives of others, would his choices be ridden by his emotional conflict. Would he carry the same vein of disappointment when he had to make a statement that would probably change the lives of millions?

That was one aspect. The other interesting aspect we explored was the several rings of power points around every powerful individual, be it a king, president, prime minister or any celebrity. Isn't it possible that each ring inadvertently becomes a power centre and has its individual influence? We thought of building a story which incorporates all of this. From Sarkar to Sarkar Raj (2008) and now Sarkar 3, the story has progressed. The main protagonist is being played by the same actor, unlike in The Godfather (1974). Marlon Brando finishes in one, and then Al Pacino takes over for the remaining two.

Talking about The Godfather, what impression did it leave on you when you first watched the film?
Who wasn't impacted by The Godfather? The whole world of mafia has been very intriguing, exciting and interesting... just to understand how it works, who are these people, what are their lives are and what is their thought process.

As part of Sarkar 3 promotions, you were interviewed for the first time ever by your director and that too, by someone like RGV who doesn't mince words...
I talk to all my directors about my movies and other films, which often leads to a healthy debate. For the first time, I was interviewed by my director (RGV) and it was filmed. I think a general interview makes for good reading, but there isn't any kind of documentation of facts and stories that go beyond the actor. I lament that and I feel that we are not leaving anything for posterity. I would love to know what went through Dilip (Kumar) saab's mind when he was doing Devdas (1955), how he prepared himself to say those lines in the way he did. What was Guru Dutt thinking when he was making Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), which, according to me, is his most brilliant work... I would love to know why he used a certain kind of lighting or why he used a crane for a certain scene. Why did Raj Kapoor think of making Awaara (1951), and how did Mehboob saab conceive the idea of Mother India (1957)? It is sad that nobody talks about all this. So many greats have gone by and we have no documentation of these facts. After understanding those scenes, maybe you would want to go and watch the film again; it makes it so much more interesting. Somebody has to provoke actors to be able to do that. They do it in the West all the time, and not just with their own films. A friend of mine who was studying in a college in London, told me that she admired my films and wanted to meet me. When I was visiting London, she took me to SOAS (School of Asian Studies), and I went to a class where British students were watching one of my films, and the teacher (also a Brit), was decimating frame to frame. That is how they were being initiated to Hindi cinema. I am sure Indian institutes that have courses in film studies do that too, but it would be wonderful if such material reached more people. Our audiences are intelligent; it would only make them more aware if we have an archive or library where they can go and see and read all this.

In an interview, Ramu had said that while filming Sarkar, there was a scene that you wanted to shoot differently. You called him up at night and discussed it and there was a creative difference. The scene was reshot, but eventually, you retained the first cut. Do you often find it tough to detach from the character you are playing after you are done shooting for it?
Sometimes, after you finish your day's work, you go home and think about a particular scene or shot. Yes, there have been many times when I have called up directors in the middle of the night and asked them whether we should change a scene or do it better. Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee) would almost slap you and say, 'Rubbish! If you want a retake, you better pay for it'. As an actor, this is my personal attitude and I am fortunate that my directors often gave me the chance to reshoot a scene and improvise. Well, there were also times when I suggested something and it completely failed. It would happen with Manmohan Desai. I would tell him, 'Man...isko ek baar aur kar dete hai'. He would say, 'Ja, ja...sab theek hai'. I would request again and he would let us reshoot the scene. And once the shot was done, he would say, 'Pehle wala take rakhna, yeh bakwaas kiya hai isne' (laughs!). So, these are special moments we actors share with our directors.

Ramu is the kind of person who says what he feels. He is expressive, sometimes even politically incorrect, but he stands by what he says. How do you react to the flattering comments he makes about you on social media - in his own style (at times abusive, too)?
I think Ramu has the quality of an honest man, and nobody wants to appreciate that. He says what he feels, and there are very few who can express themselves. He is open-minded and he can tell you on your face that 'This is rubbish, I don't like what you are saying. I don't like what you are doing. How can you be working on this film? You have praised this film, but I think it is rubbish.' How wonderful it is to have someone who can be upfront and tell you what he is really thinking. That's his temperament and attitude and I don't think that there is anything wrong with it.

In an interview, Yami Gautam (your co-star in Sarkar 3) said that the name Amitabh Bachchan in itself is intimidating. Every time you work with actors from the younger generation, there is a process where they have to first get over their 'awe moment' and then move on to give the shot...
These are aspects in the mind of the media. We are all artistes and professionals who come on the set and act. Why should someone be intimidated by me?

Well, they would be nervous and conscious, at least?
No. In fact, I feel nervous around younger actors, because they are so well developed in their craft that I have great admiration for them. I see the ease with which the younger generation of actors work, that's the kind of ease that I never had in all these 48 years. I ask them how they are so comfortable doing what they are doing. It is quite amazing, really. I always tell Ranbir Kapoor that his face is God-gifted. He doesn't have to move his face or change his expressions much, he can just stand there and whatever he has to say is conveyed. For an actor, it is the most difficult thing to do. In Bajirao Mastani, Ranveer Singh was incredibly perfect. For someone who is not a Maharashtrian, the way he pulled off the role was impeccable. In Highway, there is a scene where Randeep Hooda is depressed and Alia Bhatt holds him close and consoles him. I cannot forget her expression in that scene. And then you see her in Dear Zindagi where she is unbelievably different. I see films of these actors and I learn a lot from them.

Lately, trolling has become a huge point of discussion and a growing concern, too. You have a massive following on social media and you are a prolific user of that platform. What are your views on it? Have you also become overcautious about what you write, tweet and blog, fearing how it will be interpreted?
I think initially, it was great fun to be able to express yourself, and more enjoyable when someone reacted to it. Then gradually, as I wrote certain things, I could see that there were people who were reading between the lines and making their own interpretations, and it appeared as though I was offending someone. I didn't want to do that. At the same time, I don't want to stop tweeting and I am not going to stop anyone from abusing me, but yes, I think I need to be a little cautious about what I say on social media and how I say it, because there could be people who could misinterpret it and perhaps, in a peculiar way, I could be responsible for either intimidating or insulting them. Sometimes, you have to be cautious about what you write. In the world that we live in today, where everything is open, known, spoken, heard and read, this has become an obvious issue. There are some who don't care about it and I admire them as they have the guts and the strength to express themselves and eventually face whatever happens. I feel that I don't want to insult anyone; therefore, I make an effort to check what I am saying and analyse it so that it doesn't offend someone.

Recently, the Harvard University Press came up with a book on your film Amar Akbar Anthony. Your thoughts?
Even around the time that it was being made (1977), there was an American author who had come down to Mumbai where I was shooting for Suhaag, and she had expressed her keenness in writing a book on Amar Akbar Anthony. There was an interest particularly in that film and many other films made by Manmohan Desai around that time. In this book, they have analysed the entire film and put it in the context of what India is today and what it means.

Do you think their perspective of the movie is very different from ours?
I don't know, I guess they would be able to say that better. I think that we make some very good cinema and when some people ask me, 'When are we going to make films like Hollywood?' I turn around and ask them, 'When is Hollywood going to make films like us?' Hai ki nahi, aisa films banake dikhao...

Katrina Kaif, 31, is intelligent, incredibly sensitive and self-made. She is not just one of our most beautiful actresses, but she is absolutely honest and can be loyal to a fault when it comes to her family and friends.She is deeply spiritual and very funny. Over an hour-long conversation with Bombay Times, ahead of her upcoming action entertainer Bang Bang, she talks about her love for her family, her spiritual connection with Alvira Khan and what makes her care for Ranbir Kapoor the way she does. Excerpts:

How did you come into films?
I was born in Hong Kong. My mom is British, while my father, Indian and they separated when I was very young. I have six sisters and a brother and have three of my siblings younger to me. My mother always worked for non-profit charitable organisations. She first came to India at the time of tsunami and has been here for the past 6-7 years in Madurai, doing charity work and building a school for children that is now almost complete. Due to her charitable work, as kids, we travelled across various countries with her. We never had an elaborate life and so I wouldn't say that we would go shopping, until I started earning for myself or going to the mall or driving around in luxurious cars. Our life was very frugal, just how it is for the life of all non-profit organisation workers' kids. We were not financially secure. I was doing home school and little bits of modelling post school in London, when I first came to India at 17 to shoot for a magazine. So, I spent the last three years before coming to India in London. One of the first people I met in Mumbai was Anaita Shroff Adajania. I walked into her office in a ganji and shorts. And she asked me, 'You came walking on the streets like this? You will have to do a little bit of adapting.' And I then met Atul Kasbekar and Reshma Shetty as they were working together at that time. I had always been adventurous and fearless, but the difference was that this time, I had come alone to India. I somehow sensed a huge amount of warmth in everybody and felt that Mumbai is this one big cuddly city, where everybody is so nice. I was here for about two months and spoke to photographer Farrokh Chothia and told him, 'I am not really getting booked.' He asked me how long have you been here? I said, 'Two months.' He said, 'You are young and really impatient. Persist. People need to know that you are here. Take your cards with your picture and drop it at all the model coordinators and agents for ad films.' So, I would go to Famous Studios every day and stand in the long line, holding the placard with my name and number and audition for all kinds of ads. Very quickly, I started getting selected for a lot of my auditions. The only one I didn't get selected was where, in one of them, I was required to play kabaddi, as I didn't know what was kabaddi. I started modelling and after a few years of doing that, I got my first Hindi small but apt role in Sarkar. My first big break was in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya with Salman.

Did Salman Khan have a role in casting you?
At that time, for almost all the films that I was a part of, a lot of the actors had a say in it and of course, Salman was very supportive of me.

What are you like?
I still have a lot to discover about myself, but I know that I am intelligent. I have invested a lot of time from a very young age in actively pursuing work and wanting to establish myself in the world. Financial security was important to me and it was important for me to become something. I wanted to find my identity in whatever field it may be and finally found my identity in films. I worked with so much focus and passion, that maybe it not only helped consume a lot of my head space from a very young age, but also made me discover who I am. I know that there are things that life will throw at you, which will shake you up. God has helped me achieve a lot of my dreams and ambitions that I had set myself out to do. I wanted to achieve this against what people thought I could achieve, given my limitations. I learnt that with hardwork, you can always get and achieve what you want, but there are times when no matter how hard you work and what you do, how much you want something, there will be things you cannot change and you have to accept that. And the great thing of getting through that time of your life is that you know that things are not as bad as they may seem at times and you can go through a lot and still be happy. And still survive and still be strong and still come out.

Which was your lowest period?
I am very emotional and incredibly sensitive. I am actually very sensitive, shy and emotional, but closed to people who I don't know. So people who don't know me may feel that I am not a warm, friendly person, but I just have to know you and if I like you, then 99% I will love you till the end of my life and it would be very unusual if anything can change that. In my equations with people yes situations may change, the presence in their lives may change, but I believe I am loyal to my emotions and I don't think they are fickle. That has its plus sides and downsides. The downside is that a lot of people may take you to be cold as I may not say a hi beyond to two people, but they don't realise that even when I didn't know anybody I would still do that. It's a part of my nature I think. I am half the time daydreaming and my mind is somewhere else and that's a bad habit that I need to try and change. I also have high expectations from people that I like and thus can get deeply disappointed if I am hurt by them. And my emotional reactions are quite dramatic. Being emotional, while you may be career-focused and ambitious but your most strong emotions are evoked by love, so your lowest point turns out to be connected with heart breaks, as that's when you feel the most pain.

Barring Ranbir Kapoor, who are the people you care for the most in the world?
I love my mother the most and love all my sisters equally. In my head I think am a boy and feel responsible for my family and sometimes I am uncomfortable with my weaker feminist side as I am usually so adjusted to being the stronger one. I am equally close to each of my sisters and when it comes to the normal things and the boy problems, we are all equal and we sob, there is full judgment that happens and we all become just girls. I count it as a huge blessing in my life that I can look after any financial difficulty in my family and those are the moments you feel proud of yourself. In India the three women I am closest to are Reshma Shetty, Alvira Khan and Karishma who has been an AD on many of my films and is now my friend. With Reshma, I truly believe that she cares about me and I have seen her put herself in discomfort to try and help me with what I want.When I came here, I was very young, I would go stay at her house and would cry and she would fight for me and stand up for me. A lot of people can say that it is about work, but I don't believe that to be the connection. Alvira is very spiritual and I met her when I was very young. She would take me to so many religious places and people. I believe it gave me a lot of stability and peace in my life. Her spiritual beliefs and her conviction in it and her support in me, her love for me also gives me peace as I am deeply religious and a big believer in God.I may not get to see her as much, but I have almost the same feeling for her that I have for my sisters. I love her and I know that she loves me.

To your credit, you are one of the few actresses who has never talked about films you were offered but did not do, or about bringing down other actresses.
Yes, as you have to have some principles in life and I just feel that it is not dignified. Also, I feel that the only way you can maintain and achieve and sustain success is when you deliver. The only time I get emotional when it comes to work is when you become friends with a director and feel hurt if he doesn't take you in his film.

Which are the directors you are emotionally close to?
Ali Abbas Zafar (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan), Kabir Khan (Ek Tha Tiger) and earlier when I was worked with Vipul Shah on Singh Is Kinng and Namastey London. I am also very fond of Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar and Ayan Mukerji. I will feel missed out if in the future they will cast others, but so far such a situation has not presented itself to me.

What is Ranbir Kapoor like?
In the time that I have known Ranbir since Saawariya released, I have seen a lot of change in him as a person. Not only from the proximity that I have known from, but also as an outsider, given how much he has matured and evolved as a person. The film industry is where he belonged and was immediately accepted, but I have seen him hugely grow even as an actor. Ranbir is like me, in the way that he is very loyal and emotional to the peo ple he really cares about in his inner circle, which is very small. He can come out very detached to people outside of that. The only difference between his behaviour and my behaviour, let's say on a film set, is that while he is incredibly charming and polite with everyone that he comes in con tact with, I don't think he yet realises what an important and amazing trait that is, I will get tired after saying a good morn ing to just three people. He is incredibly polite at all times and makes that extra effort to come out of that circle of intro spection and make that other person feel good. I see in him a lot of depth and he has so much in him that probably even he has yet to discover. I think he has the capacity to help people even more than he does and as time goes by , he will find even more strength and satisfaction in giving strength to other people. He can be detached, but I can't be. He is incredibly funny and charming. I guess to con nect with a person at such a deep level, our souls must be connected.

What does he like the most about you?
Maybe the way I think, my mind.

Who is brighter between the both of you?
Out of the two of us, let's pretend that both of us were scientists, then I think it would be me who would make the bigger discovery.

Who is more emotional?
I would say me, but then, every one gives themselves more marks.

He had told me last year that he can give his life for you. How special is he for you?
I care a lot for him and feel protective about him. He has the capacity to be an extremely talented actor and a deeply evolved, highly intellectual and sensitive human being at the same time. He has the capacity and I can see the height of his potential.