Ram Gopal Varma despises sports and kiddie flicks and would rather opt for hard-hitting cinema. Maybe, this theory sums up him venturing into yet another underworld drama Contract, which releases today as we ask him…
With Contract you’re back to your familiar territory.
You’re making it sound like a homecoming. In fact, it has been so that the other day, someone asked me why I make films on the underworld, and I said maybe some gang or the other will take note of me and offer me a job! So, you see the connection?
Contract completes the circle that began with Satya?
I will never be through with the underworld as there are so many facets to work on. Forget about trilogy, I would make a hunderedology!
You feel you’re best suited for mafia flicks?
No. I have made Rangeela, Kaun, Bhoot and Sarkar — each of them different from the other. It’s just the popular mindset, which thinks I am cut out for underworld films.
Contract’s Adhvik Mahajan has been kept out of sight. Why?
More than the actors, it should be the content that should be on the forefront. When I am making a movie, my intention is not to launch an actor. Launching should best be left to fathers and uncles.
It wasn’t because of your fallout with most of your protégés — Manoj Bajpai or Mohit Ahlawat — who bad-mouth you?
If they are criticising me, they must be having their reasons. I wouldn’t know.
The PR machinery takes the accent away from the craft. As a filmmaker, does that bother you?
Promotion serves two purposes — it creates awareness and presents audience with the view as to what to expect from the film. So in that manner, it helps, but it also bothers, as you never know what kind of signal it is sending.
Something like what happened to Aag?
To an extent, yes. I think had each person, who went to watch Aag, spent half an hour with me, I would have psyched him/her to love the movie.
About Aag’s criticism…
Every person is entitled to an opinion, and as long as you accept this fact, criticism wouldn’t affect you in any way. In any case, if Sholay is the benchmark in best cinema, Aag is the benchmark in flops!
Does you daughter watch your movies?
No she doesn’t. She is all for Karan Johar’s movies.
You never speak about her.
I refrain from doing so.
Urmila Matondkar, Antara Mali, Nisha Kothari and Jiah Khan.. no muses currently. Why?
I have been working with the same set of technicians, composers and a whole lot of people but nobody discusses that. The presence of an actress is scoop-worthy, so there, you have the muse thing happening.
Recently, you patched up with Aamir Khan.
We never had a fallout. Even if there was one, it was sorted long ago.
Don’t you have any friends in the industry?
No. And why only the industry, I don’t have friends whatsoever.
Not even Karan Johar? We’d heard you two patched up.
My only problem was that I didn’t believe in Karan’s cinema. It was only after I visited Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai’s wedding that I realised Karan’s cinema is much more realistic than mine!
Will we ever see you making a Chak De! India or Taare Zameen Par?
No. Neither do I watch such stuff. I don’t like sports films and children’s films.
mid-day.com