Latest news with #RGV
Pink Villa
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
‘Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi and NTR became stars with Bollywood remakes': RGV on South films' glory
Ram Gopal Varma recently commented on superstars Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Sr NTR and their popularity. The filmmaker highlighted that the South stars enjoy the glory they have today because of the remakes of Bollywood ventures back in the day. In an interview with India TV, RGV said, 'In the beginning, all four South Indian movie industries remade Amitabh from the 70s and 80s. Stars like Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, N T Ramarao and Rajkumar gained fame by acting in such remakes.' Continuing his remarks about films during the career gap Big B took during the 1990s, the filmmaker revealed that many music companies were producing movies to promote their soundtracks. RGV concluded his words with a comparison between young Bollywood filmmakers during the 1990s. The director revealed how many of them were interested and would easily connect with international films due to their English proficiency. However, on the other hand, South Indian cinema producers in the 1990s did not have the same interest in global cinema and mostly focused on making films that had a story with mass appeal. Recently, RGV made the headlines for an entirely different reason after his appearance with Anurag Kashyap in a podcast interview. During their conversation, the filmmakers were commenting on the extensive use of VFX and high production costs. With Kashyap detailing about the same, the Shiva director commented by taking his own film's example and said, 'I never consciously thought of making Satya at low cost. I was spending what was required, and it created authenticity and realism. If I had spent Rs. 5 crores more, Satya's quality would have been five times less.' Coming to RGV's work front, the filmmaker was last seen helming the project Saaree, a psychological thriller which received panned reviews from the audience and critics. Moreover, the filmmaker had made a cameo appearance in the film Kalki 2898 AD, starring alongside Prabhas. The movie directed by Nag Ashwin was an epic sci-fi film, taking its origins from the mythology of the Mahabharata. Apart from Prabhas, the movie had actors like Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and more in pivotal roles.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Ram Gopal Varma says South industries survived by remaking Amitabh Bachchan films: ‘Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao did remakes, became demigods'
Although the film industries in the South seem to be successful curently, while Bollywood struggles to produce hit films, there was a time, particularly the '70s and '80s, when they too were making rip-offs of films from other languages. God forbid a filmmaker came up with a fresh idea in any language, even English, and the film turned out to be successful; their counterparts immediately jumped on it and churned out remakes, making a fortune at the expense of others. As a result, movies with original ideas were a rarity back then. Interestingly, while Bollywood is now often criticised for its fixation on remakes, the Southern film industries too once followed a similar path. Recently, legendary filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) commented on this trend, noting how several South Indian superstars, including Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi, rose to fame by largely remaking films originally headlined by Amitabh Bachchan. RGV said during a chat with IndiaTV Showbiz, 'In the beginning, the entire South, all four languages, were remaking Amitabh Bachchan films. Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao and Rajkumar were making remakes of Bachchan's films of the '70s and '80s. Then, in the '90s, Mr Bachchan took a long five-year break. At the same time, coincidentally, the music companies entered the scene. They made films just to sell their music. That's when movies like Maine Pyar Kiya came out. But the South never stopped making the so-called masala films, which they picked up from Bachchan. That's how those stars became big demigods. It continues to date.' Meanwhile, he said, the then-young Bollywood directors began gaining more exposure to foreign cinema, largely due to their knowledge of English and their upbringing in urban areas. 'If you observe, most commercial directors in the South are very less exposed to cinema. They can't talk about cinema like we do. They're very close to the ground root,' RGV added. RGV further went on to recall the reaction of a producer, whom he did not wish to name, to director Sukumar's Pushpa: The Rise, starring Allu Arjun in the titular role. 'Upon seeing the movie about three or four days before the release of the movie, he said the audience would puke on Pushpa. He was not referring to the actor. He was simply turned off by the character. They are so used to good-looking six-pack heroes on staple diets that they can't comprehend a hero chewing paan at all. They are not watching the film; they are watching the film as what they perceive the audience would watch,' he pointed out.
Mint
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Ram Gopal Varma slams boycott of Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, deletes tweet calling threats 'new hooliganism'
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma briefly voiced support for actor Kamal Haasan amid growing backlash and boycott calls against Haasan's upcoming film 'Thug Life' in Karnataka. Varma, who criticised the threats to ban the film, later deleted his post from social media. In a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), Varma wrote, 'DEMOCRACY's new name is INTOLERANCE.., irrespective of factual correctness, threats to ban 'Thug Life' in Karnataka unless Kamal Haasan apologises, amounts to a new kind of HOOLIGANISM.' RGV post on X for Kamal Haasan. The controversy began after Kamal Haasan made a statement during a promotional event, saying, 'Kannada was born out of Tamil.' His comments triggered strong reactions from pro-Kannada groups, who called for a ban on *Thug Life* in the state. Effigies of the actor were burnt in protest, and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has since stalled the film's release. In response, Haasan approached the Karnataka High Court, seeking permission to release the film. He stood by his statement, refusing to apologise. In a post on X, Haasan said, 'Love will never apologise. I will apologise only if I am wrong. If I am not, I will not.' In another interview with PTI, the actor also said, "So lets leave all this very in-depth discussions to historians, archaeologists and language experts. If you look at it from the northern point of view, according to them it is right, if you look at it from Thenkumari (south), then what I say is right. There is a third angle to it-- the scholars, the language experts. This is not an answer, an explanation. Love will never apologise." 'Thug Life' marks Kamal Haasan's reunion with director Mani Ratnam after 38 years. The film features a star-studded cast including Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Joju George, Pankaj Tripathi, and others. It is scheduled for a worldwide release on June 5. The film is jointly produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies, and Red Giant Movies. The outcome of the court case will decide its fate in Karnataka.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘I thought Vidhu Vinod Chopra would hit me': Ram Gopal Varma says 12th Fail director ‘believes he's the best filmmaker', Anurag Kashyap recalls quitting his film
Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra was the topic of conversation for directors Ram Gopal Varma and Anurag Kashyap. In a recent interview, the duo revealed hilarious anecdotes and their memories of working with the 12th Fail director. While Kashyap called him 'self-obsessed' and recalled leaving his film Mission Kashmir, RGV said that Chopra believes that he is the best filmmaker in the world. During a conversation with India TV, Anurag spoke about quitting Chopra's Mission Kashmir. Without revealing the details, he said, 'I had written a script for Shivam Nair to do for television. That is when I left Mission Kashmir and I asked Shivam, 'Can I direct my own script?'. Shivam gracefully agreed.' Having said that, the Gangs Of Wasseypur director praised Chopra's creative mind. 'The child in him is still alive. His self-obsession and vanity co-exist. There's one sequence in 12th Fail where Vikrant Massey's character has gone all the way to (Uttarakhand). It's a single-shot scene. The way he has designed it, he's a craftsman. When he's at his peak craftsmanship, you do admire him,' he added. ALSO READ | Ram Gopal Varma says Mani Ratnam called Dil Se co-producer 'mad' for wanting to change film's climax: 'We should switch to Chaiya Chaiya' Ram Gopal Varma had his own funny anecdotes to share. Recalling a script narration for Mission Kashmir, he said, 'He mentioned 'shikara' (houseboat). Now, I am not a Hindi guy. I assumed that 'shikara' meant hunter! I thought that he differently pronounced 'shikari' (laughs). A little ahead into the narration, he told me, 'The shikara blows up'… After 10 minutes, I asked him, 'Why was the hunter killed?'' He continued, 'He said, 'Ramu, you don't know shikara'! He was so angry with me (laughs)… I screwed up the entire narration. He was so angry with me that I thought he was about to hit me or something!' RGV also claimed that Vidhu Vinod Chopra believes he is the best filmmaker in the world. 'He genuinely believes that he's the best filmmaker in the world. Whether he's one or not, I am not going to say that. But I don't think any filmmaker in the world will believe that,' he concluded.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Has he gone mad?': Ram Gopal Varma recalls Mani Ratnam's blunt reaction to changing Dil Se climax
's 'Dil Se' stands as a significant film in Hindi cinema, but its initial release was met with mixed reactions, largely due to its tragic ending where Shah Rukh Khan's character dies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a recent interaction, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who co-produced the film, revealed a fascinating behind-the-scenes conflict where he acted as a mediator between Ratnam and another producer, Bharat Shah. The proposed alternate ending RGV recalled that producer Bharat Shah was profoundly unhappy with Dil Se's poignant climax. Following the film's initial negative audience feedback, Shah even suggested a drastically different ending to Mani Ratnam. Speaking on IndiaTV ShowBiz, RGV recounted Shah's exact proposition: "When Dil Se released and there was massive negative talk, initially Bharat Shah said that people didn't like Shah Rukh being killed. He asked not to make it a tragedy. After the film released, he told me that we should cut the bomb blast scene. He said that the moment Shah Rukh and Manisha hug each other, we should switch to the 'Chaiya Chaiya' song.' Shah's intention was for the audience to perceive a happy ending if a popular song played after the lead characters embraced. Mani Ratnam's blunt response RGV, acting as the intermediary, conveyed Bharat Shah's unconventional suggestion to Mani Ratnam. He recalled the director's unequivocal and blunt reaction: "Mani told me, 'Has he gone mad or what? How can Shah Rukh hug Manisha and in the next moment imagine Malaika Arora.'" This humorous yet firm dismissal underscored Ratnam's commitment to his artistic vision for the film's tragic narrative. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Dil Se concludes with Manisha Koirala's character, a suicide bomber, being embraced by her lover, played by Shah Rukh Khan, just as the bomb detonates, killing both of them. The reason behind the unusual suggestion During the interview, it was also revealed that Bharat Shah's unusual idea to end the film with 'Chaiya Chaiya' wasn't random. It stemmed from feedback he received directly from exhibitors. Apparently, a significant number of people purchase tickets primarily to watch the immensely popular 'Chaiya Chaiya' song, which plays approximately ten minutes into the film, and then leave the theatre shortly thereafter. This practice caused financial issues for theatre owners, particularly impacting sales of snacks like popcorn, cola, and samosas. Exhibitors had reportedly suggested moving the hit song to a post-interval slot to encourage audiences to stay longer and boost concession sales. Despite its initial box office challenges in India, Dil Se garnered positive reviews from critics and achieved significant success overseas, cementing its status as a cult classic.
