This was pretty much on the cards. After media went ballistic during last few days lashing out at Ram Gopal Varma for his visit to Taj along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, it was expected that Ramu would reply through his blog. And this is what he has done where after explaining his visit to Taj as being purely incidental, he has challenged the very mentality of media that has sensationalized the entire issue.
''I find it shocking that in the wake of such a terrible incidents happening in the country, the media can waste so much time and telecast hours and subject the people of the country to something as inane as some filmmaker's presence at a place which for the life of me I can’t understand how it can affect anybody or anything in comparison to what else is going on'', he fumes.
Settling down, he goes on to explain what really transpired, ''I know Riteish since years as I have done films with him and also since we belong to the same fraternity. On that day I went to meet Riteish to discuss Rann, my new film, with him which incidentally has got nothing to do with terrorism. As we were talking, Riteish said that his dad was going to Taj and he wished to go with him. So since I was with him I accompanied him there. Mr.Vilasrao has never been formally introduced to me and he didn't even know that I was with Riteish as me and Riteish were in another car.
''As far as Riteish is concerned his information was that the areas we might be able to see are the ones where the investigations have already been completed. By the time we reached Taj, there were more than 60-70 people there including Police officers, some Government officers and Hotel staff. In that whole crowd, I doubt Mr.Vilasrao even noticed me. Yes, I was amazed that I got a opportunity to see the place where such a horrendous incident happened and I would like to know which person in the entire country would not have been curious to see the place", he questions back.
Taking a dig at the media and the inference that was made around his visit adding to the reasons that led to the CM's resignation, he quips, "Media makes us believe, not necessarily by intent, that only they have the interest of people in their hearts, and due to that people tend to believe in them blindly. This is a classic example of the blind leading the blind. Outcome of this can be many times ridiculous. As per some Media people's suggestions even if remotely this episode can affect a Government’s standing, I find that almost as dangerous as terrorism."
The shocker comes in the end when he compares media with terrorists, "If people who attack the unarmed are defined as terrorists then Media at various levels with their coercive methods and insinuations are very similar. A terrorist attacks the mind and kills the body, the media attacks the mind with its interpretations and kills a person’s spirit with its insinuations. In a way I would say that Media is more dangerous than terrorists because they do it under the guise of safe-guarding values."
''Media is more dangerous than terrorists'' - Ram Gopal Varma
Big B and RGV join hands again
After the disastrous performance of “Ramgopal Varma Ki Aag” and “Sarkar Raaj”, Amitabh Bachchan had decided to maintain a distance from Ram Gopal Varma.
He was reportedly upset with the performance of the movies at the box office and did not want to be a part of RGV’s Factory.
But apparently things have changed and once again both of them have decided to join hands for a project.
Confirming the news Big B said Ramu has always entrusted him with challenging roles and this time too it will be a very challenging one. He also said he enjoyed working with RGV.
However, Bachchan refused to divulge any details about Ramu’s project. So we have to wait till things are finalised.
RGV meets Mallika Sherawat on the sets of her film 'Hissss'
All this speculation was put to rest when Ram Gopal Varma dropped by on the sets of Mallika's upcoming film Hissss, recently. Apparently RGV heard about the film from Mallika and immediately expressed his desire to visit the sets to see how Hollywood's leading special effects director, Robert Kurtzman, worked on creating the much-hyped 'Naagin' of the film. As we had reported earlier, a lot of detailing and effort has gone into getting the right look for Mallika's character.
Ramu (as he is fondly known as) interacted with Mallika, director Jennifer Lynch and even make-up and special effects expert Robert Kurtzman. The director was so impressed with Robert's work and the treatment of the film that he went on to say that Hissss has the potential to become one of the greatest films made in India. In fact, the director also expressed desire to work with Robert for one of his films in the near future.
Theatrical trailer of 'Contract' with 'Sarkar Raj'
There is not much that has been shown in the first look of Contract so far, other than the pigeons flying the skyline of Mumbai. Still, even those few seconds with a haunting background score have immediately worked in the film gaining attention by the followers of Ram Gopal Varma's cinema.
So, are we going to see something more than 'just pigeons' over the next few weeks en route to the film's release?
Ramu says after a hearty laugh, "Don't worry, the film is not about pigeons. We wanted to create some excitement about the film coming after Satya and Company, and hence, we refrained from showing anything more than that in the first look. However, you would know more about Contract as the film's full length theatrical trailer would be out along with the release of Sarkar Raj."
With the film being less than week away, it should be double the excitement for cine goers, who would now also catch a glimpse of Contract that mainly stars relative newcomers. Stated to be third in the trilogy of his underworld films, Contract also explores the angle around what happens when underworld meets terrorism.
Promising to be another gritty affair, Contract marks the return of Prasad Purandare, who had enacted the role of 'Don Zameer' in Shimit 'Chak De India' Amin's Ab Tak Chhappan. In the film, he was quite a revelation as a don who shared a unique love-hate relationship with the 'encounter cop' played by Nana Patekar.
Surprisingly, he wasn't seen in any other film in the years gone by. Now after a gap of 4 years, Prasad is returning to the big screen Contract which also stars Sakshi Gulati, Vineet Sharma, Sadia Siddiqui, Saurabh Mahajan and Amruta Khanvilkar (from Mumbai Salsa).
Produced by PVR Cinema and Ace Movie Company, Contract is looking at a 18th July release. The film has music by Amar Mohile, Bapi-Tutul and Sana Kotwal, with action by Allan Amin.
Sarkar Raj to release its background score
Mumbai: Sarkar Raj becomes the first feature film in India to release its background score.
Power of Sound, the background score album has 32 tracks featuring moods and situations from the film. Amar Mohile has composed the background score.
Film director Ram Gopal Varma said on Thursday night that internationally, there are no song and dance routines like in India, and thus background score for special event films like James Bond and Harry Potter series are released.
He said apart from the background score album, the film has a regular music CD containing 12 tracks.
The film’s lead cast Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan released the album. Amitabh spoke on the importance of background score and how often it is ignored.
When the megastar heard a strange sound coming from the background music being played on stage, he said, “The score reflects my mood for the evening. I have come here after penning a page of my blog only to see the broadband connection going away with my thoughts.”
When Aishwarya was asked how was it to work with Abhishek in the film when they are not paired opposite each other, Abhishek asked, “Do you mean we lack chemistry?” To which Varma said, “This is what happens after marriage.”
The filmmaker refused to entertain questions whether Tanisha, the actress paired opposite Abhishek dies in the film to make Ash and Abhishek come together.
As part of the promotion of Sarkar Raj, a yatra is being planned across five cities from June 13. Varma said the yatra is an exact replication of a scene from the film, where a procession travels from one destination to another.
The three Bachchans will participate in the road show. The film releases on June 6 and will be premiered at the IIFA weekend in Bangkok.
Abhishek’s death in the climax scares distributors
A source who attended one of the private screenings reveals that the climax of the film has given distributors cold feet. “In the climax of the film, Abhishek Bachchan is shot dead.
There is a huge build-up to the scene. Abhishek’s character Shankar Nagre who joins his father in politics wants to make changes and create a revolution.
His death is quite unexpected and is bound to give a big jolt to the viewers. Everyone expects one of the supporting characters, who protects Bachchan Jr, to die. But in the end, Abhishek is gunned down.”
The industry is abuzz with rumours that distributors are worried that Abhishek’s death won’t go down too well with the audience. “Abhishek’s death was always a part of the initial script, but the way it’s shot is quite gory. Also, once he dies, the film takes a dark turn and becomes really depressing.”
Says a industrywalla, “If Abhishek dies, Sarkar becomes an Amitabh movie. And the last memory of Amitabh and Ramu together is Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, and that’s gives distributors sleepless nights.”
It is believed that Amitabh wanted Sarkar Raj to be the first big release of 2008, but had to change that due to Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar, which released early this year.
When contacted, Ramu denied that Abhishek dies at the end, while Bachchan replied, “See the film.”
Ash's character could have been played by a man in Sarkar Raj" - RGV
"Believe me Sarkar Raj would have been all the same even if the character played by Aishwarya Rai would instead have been a man. Not a single word of the basic plot of the film would have changed if I had taken a male protagonist instead", declares Ramu who is caught at his cheerful best.
In the film's prequel, Sarkar, Abhishek Bachchan turned out to be a surprise element. Though all eyes were (rightly) focused on Amitabh Bachchan, who did come up with one of his best performances in last few years, Abhishek did manage to stand on his own and came up with a delightful performance. Considering the fact that it is a given the two Bachchans would come up with yet another powerhouse performance again, what's the surprise element to look for in Sarkar Raj?
"Aishwarya Rai", says Ramu promptly, "As Anita Rajan, she enters the lives of Subhash (Big B) and Shankar Nagare (Abhishesk) and her character grows over a period of time. She is an element which connects audience with the Nagare family."
He continues to add though that Ash plays a very strong character in the film even though there is absolutely no scope of any romance built up in Sarkar Raj.
"Don't even look for a romantic drama in Sarkar Raj since there isn't scope of any. Just because a film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai doesn't mean that they start romancing with each other. And let's not forget that Abhishek's character is already married to Tanisha (Mukherjee) in the film", jokes Ramu.
Also starring Ravi Kale, Govind Namdeo, Victor Banerjee, Supriya Pathak, Sayaji Shinde, Dilip Prabhawalkar and Upyendra Limaye in principal roles, Sarkar Raj is confirmed for a 6th June release and is the most anticipated film arriving this summer.
Ramu on the buzz about Ash’s character in Sarkar Raj and more
Enron’s Dabhol project in Maharashtra was the centre of a major controversy and grabbed headlines.
In a chat with Ramu we catch up on what Rebecca Mark means to Ramu and why Ash stunned the filmmaker:
The buzz is that Aishwarya’s character in Sarkar Raj is based on Rebecca Mark of Enron.
I have no idea what Enron is. I thought it made pens, because my knowledge of such things is limited. I have no idea what Rebbeca was doing.
Just because Rebecca is a woman in some project it’s simpler to put her as some character in Sarkar Raj. In the film we are dealing with a family that deals with politics and rules the state.
Obviously there are going to be strong references to issues that the government deals with like industries, projects, slums — so whatever it is there is bond to be some reference there.
The story is fictional and has nothing to do with anything happening now or what has happened before.
Among the three Bachchans who is the best in the film?
I take both Amitabh and Abhishek for granted so for me, Aishwarya came as a complete shock. I never thought she was a good or bad actress. Her beauty comes so much in the forefront that you don’t tend to see beyond it.
I needed someone with her looks for the role and I was sure I could make her act. But I was completely taken aback when I saw her on the sets. She completely fit into the rugged, raw realism of the character, almost like a fish takes to water. I am personally most impressed with her.
Sarkar was based on Godfather. Is SR based on Godfather 2?
No. Sarkar Raj has got nothing to do with Godfather 2. The original Sarkar was definitely influenced by Godfather. Sarkar Raj is about how a man like that, over a period of time, becomes part of so many complex situations.
It’s also about incidents that happen and how he deals with them. I would call it the further adventures of the Nagre family. It’s like watching an Ekta Kapoor serial where you don’t compare episodes — once you get hooked on to the characters you flow with them. The scale of SR is much larger and not so simplistic as the first plot.
Are you nervous about Sarkar Raj?
I never get nervous or excited about any film that I make. My job as a filmmaker is to do it the best way I can. If you keep being sensitive to what all everyone’s saying, then it’s very difficult to survive or exist. The moment the mixing of the film is over, I don’t think about that film — no matter what!
Upala KBR
Sarkar Raj promotions advanced
Varma says that Sarkar Raj is a bigger film than its prequel because it doesn’t carry the old story forward, but takes a look at another episode in the Nagare family’s life. Abhishek Bachchan who is currently in Miami for the shooting of Dostana will be returning on 23rd May for the film’s promotional activities.
Sarkar Raj will be premiered at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) to be held in Bangkok. The director of the film Ram Gopal Verma and Amitabh Bachchaan are already in Bangkok for the press conference that will be held on 30th April. Ram Gopal Verma had unveiled the first look of Sarkar Raj on 20th April which was the first wedding anniversary of the lead pair, Abhishek and Aishwarya.
The film is set to hit the big screens on 6th June.
Pankaj Sabnani
Now, Adi ki Aag!
Ram Gopal Varma may well be one of the few filmmakers who know how to laugh at themselves.
When Yash Raj Films’ Tashan released on Friday, RGV was shocked on being flooded with a barrage of responses from the industry saying Tashan was worse than/as bad as his Sholay remake — Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag!
An amused Ramu texted Amitabh Bachchan about it who was even more amused by Ramu’s casual manner and reproduced his SMS on his blog (http://blogs.bigadda.com).
Bachchan posted this on his blog yesterday, “Ram Gopal Varma amuses me with his self-deprecatory remark on the SMS.
This morning his text reads: ‘Sarkar (we address each other thus), people are saying Tashan is as bad as Aag!
If Sholay has set the benchmark for the ultimate hit then the least I achieved with Aag, is that I made it a benchmark for the ultimate flop. Ha...ha.”
Says Ramu, “You mean he has put it on his blog? Yes, I have heard people are comparing Aag to Tashan.
On Saturday, I got a lot of calls from people saying Tashan should be called Aditya Chopra Ki Aag.
They thought it was as bad as Aag.” Was Anurag Kashyap one of those who messaged him? “Anurag hasn’t messaged me for a year now.”
Does the comparision make him feel bad? “All these criticisms don’t make me feel bad but yes it keeps me motivated enough to make Sholay again,” says Ramu.
Upala KBR
SARKAR RAJ - The most awaited film this summer
Unlike Ram Gopal Varma's last few films which were marred by an all around negative energy (RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG, DARLING, SHIVA, NISHABD), response to SARKAR RAJ has been widely positive till date which gives a very positive signal to this mega film coming from the risk taker film maker.
The teasers which have been aired so far have met with tremendous applause all over while coming together of the Bachchan family is an event by itself. Also, Ram Gopal Varma's vintage touch is more than just visible in SARKAR RAJ as the film certainly appears to be moving a few steps ahead in the right direction.
The film is now all set to arrive on 6th June, the first weekend after the IPL Finals would have been played. Though BHOOTNATH, JANNAT and WOODSTOCK VILLA are the three prominent movies releasing in next few weeks, it is SARKAR RAJ which should pave the way for many more money spinners to follow after its release.
No wonder, SARKAR RAJ is all set to take a phenomenal opening across the country with Mumbai certainly being the best. And remember, you read it first here!
Joginder Tuteja
Ramu’s not too happy
Ram Gopal Varma may not express his displeasure verbally but the truth is the director wasn’t too thrilled with the way the Sarkar Raj event was conducted on Sunday night.
Ramu sent out invites to unveil the first look of his film starring the Bachchans (Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya). He, however, was miffed when complete attention was given to AbhiAsh’s first wedding anniversary on the same day.
Ramu hadn’t really figured that the evening would be restricted to the celebrations without really talking much about his film.
A source present at the venue reveals, “Ramu had his people tell the media that they should restrict questions related to the wedding anniversary and talk more about Sarkar Raj.
However, that didn’t happen, as most of the questions fielded were about Abhishek and Aishwarya’s anniversary. Even though Ash and Big B spoke about the movie, the focus was still on the anniversary.”
The source adds that after the event Ramu was heard contemplating another event exclusively for the movie. “He is very proud of Sarkar Raj and wanted to showcase it.
He thought that having the entire Bachchan family at one place to talk about it would be a unique opportunity. However, it didn’t work out the way it was planned.”
Ramu prefers to laugh off the buzz. He says, “I am not planning to have any more events till the film’s release date.”
RGV introduces Sarkar Raj, the Big B loved it!
It was a wonderful idea well-implemented; the unveiling of the first look of Sarkar Raj to the media and selected guests on Sunday evening.
Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, the focus of the event shifted somewhat from the film to the couple of the evening Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan who celebrated their first wedding anniversary the same evening and were on video-conference from Miami talking to the press.
Naturally media persons got more interested in the couple's anniversary plans than their take on the film. In fact, Aishwarya was quizzed as much about Shankar's Robot and Karan Johar's Dostana as Sarkar Raj. But Ramu didn't seem to mind. He was just thrilled to be the first filmmaker to bring his film's stars to the media via satellite. "In fact," joked Ramu, "this could set a new precedent. Stars could now refuse to show up for film events and just speak to the media from home."
Mr Bachchan seemed extremely pleased with the outcome. "The event was just so enthralling. The film, the promo and most of all the children (Abhishek and Aishwarya) live from Miami with us on this a very auspicious day, their anniversary. It was a personal moment and yet so public."
Subash K. Jha
‘Sarkar Raj isn’t on Godfather 2 or about the Thackerays’
Abhishek-Aishwarya, Jaya Bachchan’s guest appearance, Narmada controversy. Director Ram Gopal Varma clears the hoopla around his big sequelWhy have a media circus today to unveil Sarkar Raj? Is that a sign of your insecurity after Darling, Aag and Go, the three fiascos of last year?
(Sarcastically) Oh yes, I’m so frightened I can hardly breathe. But seriously, this isn’t the first media event for my film. We had a launch event for the first Sarkar film also. We’ll be showing a show-reel and formally announcing the release for June 6 and also introducing the media to the theme.
Is Sarkar Raj more crucial than your other recent films?
Every film works on its own merits. I don’t think I made Darling or Aag thinking they won’t be liked. People watch a movie or don’t watch it for their own reasons. For me, Sarkar Raj isn’t that career-changing event that it’s being made out to be.
So much speculation on it. One website wrote Mrs Jaya Bachchan makes a secret appearance in the film.
So secret even I don’t know about it. I told them it’s not true. They still sms-ed Amitji for a confirmation and in fact, told him that I had confirmed she’s in the film. What do I do?
The film might be a casualty of over-expectation.
First of all, I don’t know what the expectations are. I do my work. I don’t even watch TV. Audiences know Sarkar Raj is a drama. Once I got into that family’s life, I was curious to know where it went from there.
However, the second part does NOT take off from where the first part left. You can call it another episode in the adventures of Sarkar. When you’re dealing with the life of a political gangster — for want of a better term — you can’t resort to a linear narration.
Is Sarkar Raj bigger?
The sequel’s scale is much larger. I feel the plot in the first part was fairly simplistic, firstly because it was inspired by The Godfather — the Mafioso father and two sons — done dozens of times. Sarkar Raj is much more complex. It’s certainly not Godfather 2. There’s absolutely no reference to Godfather in Sarkar Raj. It’s much more original and connected to the Indian socio-political reality.
It’s said to be inspired by the Thackeray family.
Let me say this once and for all. Sarkar Raj has no bearing to any real-life politics or politicians, at least not directly. There’s much speculation about the film being inspired by the Narmada project. I don’t know anything about the Narmada.
I know nothing about politics. I’m completely ignorant of what happens outside the film world. If people are comparing the plot of my film to Narmada because they both involve a degree of social protest, then all I can say is that protest is an essential part of any drama that goes beyond entertainment.
But Sarkar Raj does have political references.
I don’t know what politics is. When I made films about the underworld, I only understood its workings in as far as they served as a backdrop to my drama. What interests me as a filmmaker are conflicts that arise out of situations where characters are faced with a moral dilemma.
The political scenario in Sarkar Raj isn’t researched in any depth. It’s politics as understood by a common man. I’m interested in the psychological and emotional dynamics behind politics.
You’ve pitched Abhishek and Aishwarya against one another?
First of all, they’re pitted against one another only in a specific ideological situation. Sarkar Raj isn’t formatted as a typical commercial film. So there’s no question of pitching characters against one another.
Aishwarya says she’s relatively marginal to the conflict.
She’s more an observer in the drama that unfolds in Shankar’s (Abhishek) family, and how she gets converted by Shankar’s ideology is the graph her character follows. When I first approached Aishwarya, I didn’t even know there was marriage between Abhishek and her on the cards. I wanted her to play the character because of her dignity and elegance. Even though her beauty is overpowering, I was surprised by her restrained performance in Sarkar Raj. Many people feel heavy dialogue-baazi and rona-dhona is a good performance. I think a good performance is more about reacting. I was stunned by Aishwarya.
So is Sarkar Raj better than Sarkar?
It’s like asking Francis Coppola if Godfather 2 was better. Not that I’m comparing myself to Coppola. But yes, Sarkar Raj has situations that are more complex and require more layered performances than Sarkar.
Finally, after all your differences with T Series, Sarkar Raj’s music is being released on their label!
Yes, we sorted out our differences. At the moment, we’re coming together for the soundtrack of Sarkar Raj. We shall see after that.
Subash K. Jha
A Sneak Peek at Sarkar Raj
The film is expected to release sometime in June but this Sunday (April 20) is the day when the makers have decided to unveil the first look of the film. Incidentally, the day also marks the first wedding anniversary of Abhishek and Aishwarya. While Big B would be gracing the event, Abhi-Ash would be making their presence felt in a virtual way. As Abhishek and Aishwarya are currently in Miami, (where Abhishek is shooting for Dharma Productions' Dostana) Papa Bachchan decided to have them present at the function in Mumbai via video-conferencing. Big B is even going through all the last minute details to see that everything is in order on the D-Day… Must say, first through blogging and now video-conferencing, Amitabh is surely becoming more and more tech savvy
Sarkar Raaj to release on June 6
Confirming these developments Ram Gopal Varma says the film's release date has been on the anvil for a while. "People have been unnecessarily speculating about the matter. We never announced any date. I was very clear that I wanted to release it during the summer vacations. We were undecided between the last week of May and the first week of June. Now we've zeroed in on June 6," says Ramu.
Confirming Sarkar Raaj will be premiered at the IIFA, Ramu says, "With the Bachchans being closely associated with the IIFA, it seemed appropriate to premiere it at that venue."
Any specific thoughts on Sarkar Raaj? "People have been making so many assumptions about the film I wonder what they expect!" chuckles Ramu. Firstly, audiences should not expect Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play their real-life roles as husband and wife as they did in Mani Ratnam's Guru. For most of the film, the couple plays adversaries and opponents in business and morality rather than partners.
Secondly, the senior B's character goes into the shadows as Abhishek takes over the empire. And thirdly, Ramu insists, people should stop drawing real-life parallels. "This time the socio-political content is higher than in Sarkar. But the characters are not modeled on real people."
Subash K. Jha
'Sarkar Raj' at IIFA?
According to sources, the IIFA team is in talks with the makers to premiere the film in Bangkok. Watch this space for further developments!
Taran Adarsh
Noida Police summons Ram Gopal Varma
Talking about the current status of the case, Narendra Sharma, Senior Inspector of Police (Noida) said, “We have issued a legal notice to Ram Gopal Varma asking him to submit all the legal documents pertaining to the case, before April 5. If for any reason/s, RGV fails to turn up in the allotted time-span, then, he will have to undergo a rigorous trial.”
When Bollywood Hungama enquired Sharma, about the section/s, under which RGV would he be held, in case he is proven guilty, he said, “It will depend to what extent he is proven guilty, which will be clarified after he submits the legal documents.”
The court case is expected to commence as soon as the documents are filed with the Noida police by RGV.
Bollywood Hungama