26/11 film has changed me: Ram Gopal Varma

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has finished shooting for his movie " The Attacks of 26/11", and says the film, based on the Mumbai terror strike, has changed him as a person.

"Just took the last shot of the massacre at CST (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) station and with this, the film is completely done. Kasab and his fellow terrorist Ismail had killed nearly 65 people at the CST station and injured hundreds more, " Varma tweeted.

Varma admits the film has changed the way he looks at people now.

"If the reel horror was looking so gruesome while I was shooting, I can't even begin to imagine how gruesome the real horror was, " he wrote.

"The 26/11 film has changed me as a person in terms of my changed understanding of both human nobilities and also their evils, " he posted.

read more...

My film has authentic information about 26/11: RGV

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says he has stuck to authentic facts for "The Attacks of 26/11", his movie based on the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

A 15-minute sequence from the movie was showcased Friday.

"As much as possible, I would say that it is a complete, true representation of what happened and the reason for that is most of the sources are either eyewitness accounts or Kasab's (terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab) confession to police charge sheets to the judgment copy...," Varma said at the screening.

"So most of it is authentic information. I did not try to suggest anything which is not in the popular knowledge," he added.

Meanwhile, asked about the opposition he faced during the making of the film, Varma said: "Actually the reverse is true. I think a lot of people went out of their way to co-operate in this film's shooting, including authorities."

"If (there are) some people who have a problem, it is more of a misunderstanding and misconception. They don't know about my correct intention behind this film. But most people have incredibly co-operated in the making of this film," he added.

In the movie, Varma has shown the exact sequence of events of 26/11, the night when 10 terrorists created havoc in Mumbai, killing 166 people.

read more...

7 minutes opening sequence of RGV’s The Attacks of 26/11 launched

Ram Gopal Varma is known for his brave cinematic attempts. And this time he has filmed a cinematic interpretation of the tragic event of 26/11. The film is called 'The Attacks of 26/ 11' and he has released a 7 minutes long opening sequence of the film on YouTube.

The sequence opens with Nana Patekar taking a pledge in the court room followed by the entrance of the terrorists in the Indian waters. The scenes are shot extremely well as RGV manages to recreate the 26/11 terror on screen.

Ram Gopal Varma has touched upon a sensitive subject one more time and as usual he had a unique way of presenting it. Apart from the 7mins release online, he also organized for a special screening showcasing the 15 minute opening sequence of the film. This screening had invites to the victim familes, witnesses & media only.

Ram Gopal Varma has made the film in remembrance of the fallen victims and their families. Produced by Allumbra Production, The Attacks of 26/11 will be distributed by Eros International.

read more...

RGV to unveil first look of his 26/11 film in front of Policemen, Survivors

On 23 November the intrepid Ram Gopal Varma will show 15 minutes of his film on the ghastly 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai in 2008. 

Present at the unveiling of what promises to be another controversial RGV film would be people closely linked to the incident that shook Mumbai. 

Says Ramu, That's right. We're are inviting the policemen who were involved in those attacks and the immediate survivors for the first-look launch on 23 November. I did this film after extensive research and after having conducted in-depth interviews with not only the involved policemen but also with the survivors and many others both directly and indirectly connected to those incidents.

In his characteristically unfazed manner Ramu seems unaware that the screening of the first-look of a film on an incident that shook Mumbai city so close to the date when it happened four years ago, could open up old wounds that would never heal, and also cause new a new hurt and resentment among Mumbaikars. 

Says the filmmaker, The terrorist attacks of 26/11 were probably the most horrific happenings in post independence India and the intention of the film is to truthfully portray the emotional aspects of those tragic moments.

So it's nothing to do with the launch date being near or far to the anniversary date but it is to do with the true intent of making this film. I am showing a 15-minute sequence of the opening which will clearly establish the purpose and the intent of why a film on this subject has been made.

Ramu says he is sure the policemen and survivors from the 26/11 attack would empathize with his intentions once they see what he has done. Never in the history of the world were there more terrifying attacks than those that happened on 9/11 in New York. But considering the sheer audacity of their execution I felt the attacks of 26/11 on Mumbai were far more shocking.

In the film Ramu has shown the exact sequence of events on that horrific night. Many of us know of the attacks which happened that night but very few of us have a knowledge of how they happened and that is exactly what we felt should be known to everyone in the world and hence we decided to make this film both for the Indian and international audiences.

The cast, says Ramu, is composed mostly of unknown actors. The cast is completely new along with some known actors. But the known actors were taken for their acting talent rather than their existing image.

read more...

Karan takes a dig at Ram Gopal and his tweets

It was filmmaker Karan Johar's turn to take a dig at Ram Gopal Varma saying that he feels important that RGV chose him to market his film.

"I was thrilled, I was thrilled to bits to read each and every tweet, I waited for the next one actually. He is an exceptionally prolific filmmaker... I mean really that he gave me the importance for being the big tool to market his films, I think nothing could make me prouder," the 40-year-old said here at the launch of Filmfare magazine edition. 

The edition features Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra on the cover page, all three of whom debut with Karan's "Student of The Year" that hits theatres Oct 19.

"I feel like the most important person on the earth, thank you. Secondly, I realised he is still alive, you know I really got worried for a moment because I thought we have lost him, so, I don't want such a great filmmaker to ever, ever leave us. So, I am so happy," Karan added.
When asked to comment on Ram Gopal Varma's film "Bhoot Returns", Karan said: "Oh, he is returning from where? I have already said he was alive. It's his debut, is it? 'Bhoot Returns'. I am not so sure." 

read more...

Horror films need not have a new story

The premise of 'Bhoot Returns' is a child sensing a supernatural activity which grown-ups do not understand, something we have seen in many horror films. The film's director Ram Gopal Varma says horror films need not have an original story

The film is already being said to be inspired by other scary flicks and Varma says it is not necessary for such films to have an original concept in order to scare the audience. 

"I don't think horror films should have a new story. In Amityville Horror, there were a series of films with the same story but different set up. Fear is a basic emotion, it is not related to the plot. In fact, if you put a new story and original plot it can be counter-productive," Varma told.

'Bhoot Returns' revolves around a girl, about five or six years old, who feels that there is an entity in the house, but her family members do not believer her. 

"You don't know if the entity is there or she is imagining it. The whole eerie feeling comes from the fact that the family doesn't know what the girl is seeing," said Varma.

Hollywood films like 'The Ring', 'The Sixth Sense' and even Varma's own 'Vaastu Shastra' (2004) have used a child as a catalyst for horror. The director says fear is most effective when it comes from unexpected quarters.
"Horror is most effective when it comes from unexpected quarters. A scary looking person would be a very obvious tool. But a cute, innocent kid scares you more because you don't expect it. Even beautiful women have been used. In the black and white films earlier, there were these women wearing a white saree and singing in the voice of Lata Mangeshkar."

'Bhoot Returns' is Varma's first 3D film and Varma says the technology has helped him make the film more scary. "There are two kinds of horror films, one is psychological and the other is the shock factor - blood and gore. 'Bhoot Returns' falls in the first category. 

"This being my first 3D film I have used the technology and sound effects in a very unique way. 3D is very compatible with the horror genre because it makes the audience feel they are a part of the situation," he said. The sequel comes nine years after 'Bhoot' released. Varma says there is no particular reason why he decided to make the film now. 

"I had this idea at this point, there is no logical reason as to why I decided to make this film at this time. It's that kind of a sequel where you take the film's theme forward with a different story and new set of characters." 'Bhoot Returns' stars JD Chakravarthy, Madhu Shalini and Manisha Koirala, making it her first mainstream commercial film in a long time.

"I have always been a fan of Manisha, we've worked together in Company. She took a break for whatever personal reasons she had. I thought she was very apt to play the role of a mother who is scared of her own daughter," said Varma. 

read more...

RGV's CST shoot stopped in its tracks again

After being refused permission to shoot his film on 26/11 at CST this June, the filmmaker had received a verbal go-ahead; however, when he sent a letter requesting the railways to allow him to shoot at the station this week, his request was turned down yet again 

It wouldn't be uncharitable to state that Ram Gopal Varma has had to deal with more disappointments than successes in recent times. Yesterday was another washout for the maverick filmmaker and his crew as railways refused to award them approval for shooting parts of a motion picture based on the 26/11 attacks at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). 

Sources say the team had mailed dates and timings of the shoot to the railways and it was believed that authorities had granted them a go-ahead orally. But when RGV sent a letter asking for permission in writing, railways rejected his request. 

`Despite our refusal, RGV sent us a letter mentioning the itinerary for the shoot. The correspondence also said that the crew would adhere to our conditions. 
We forwarded the communication to Railway Protection Force (RPF) but a consent couldn't be secured,  said a Central Railway (CR) representative, adding, We have already told RGV that we don't want railways to be shown in a poor light and the crew has agreed on that point. 

Still, since there will be passengers present at the station, we told Varma to send his proposal directly to the railway board and its decision will be final. According to sources RGV had to deposit Rs 6 lakh with the railways for the shoot. 

However, sources say RGV wants to recreate the mayhem at CST station using firing sequences and bloodstains. We have asked the team to film these scenes at the studios. Railway board has not responded on this issue. It will permit a shoot when fully convinced that the image of railways will not be tarnished in any way,  added the official. 

The letter from Varma reads, We have submitted the script for the film tentatively titled RGV Alumbra Production No 2, for obtaining permission to shoot at CST station from October 10 to October 14.

Along with dates, the correspondence has also furnished locations for the shoots - at the taxi stand near the entrance, railway police chowki, waiting area, food counters, toilets, near DG gate, area close to SBI ATM, local station hall section, platforms no 1 to 10, etc.

It's worth noting that RGV also wanted to cinematise some incidents at the Taj hotel, but didn't manage to secure the necessary consent. These scenes were then filmed on artificial sets. 

When MiD DAY contacted CR general manager Subodh Jain, he said, We won't permit him to recreate 26/11 at railways' premises as this is a very sensitive issue. A proposal has been sent to the railway board and its decision will be final.
On the other hand, Deepak Bhanushali, location and ground manager for the film, said, We have got the permission, but because of absence of certain crewmembers, we had to postpone the dates for shooting.

Parag Sanghvi, producer of the film, said, It's not that we have been denied authorisation to shoot at CST. The process of getting the approvals is still on.` Varma did not respond to our calls and SMSes. 

Past matters

During the shoot of 'The Burning Train' in Delhi, the team had secured permission to film inside train coaches. But the crew allegedly burned down the train and railways had to suffer losses of Rs 25 lakh. The authorities had procured a deposit of only Rs 5, 000 from the team and nothing in the agreement authorised them to recover the rest of the money. 

read more...

Student Of The Year will break 3 Idiots record: RGV

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma continues his love-hate relationship with Karan Johar with his tongue-in-cheek comment on the latter's forthcoming film "Student Of The Year" (SOTY).

Varma, who has often made snide comments on Johar's cinema, took to Twitter to share his feedback on the trailers of SOTY, which marks the acting debut of Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Malhotra.

"'Student Of The Year' truly, really and honestly looks like it's the best film of Karan Johar and the bestest film of Indian cinema ever. I love the sheer, never-before-seen imagery and the extraordinary originality and even more extraordinary directorial brilliance.

"I don't know about 'Student Of The Year', but I would want to be a student for life of Karan Johar's cinema, " added the maker of movies like "Bhoot" and "Sarkar".

He went on to compare Johar's work with that of Hindi film industry stalwarts.

"I rate Karan Johar far far more higher than Mehboob Khan, V. Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Bimal Roy. Kudos to Karan Johar for making Varun Dhawan make me forget Shah Rukh Khan

"'Kuch Kuch ho gaya mujhe 'Student Of The Year' trailer dekhte dekhte'. I strongly feel 'Student Of The Year' will break the records of '3 Idiots', " he further wrote.

While SOTY releases Oct 19, Varma's "Bhoot Returns", the sequel to the 2003 movie "Bhoot", is set to hit screens Oct 12.

read more...

I visit the graveyard in the night

Director Ram Gopal Varma claims he is undaunted by failure. After the disastrous Department and Rakht Charitra, Varma hopes to redeem his image with Bhoot Returns

What made you cast Manisha Koirala, who hasn't been doing films for a long time now? 
I worked with her in Company and I know she is a brilliant actor. She hasn't been doing films for personal reasons but that doesn't take away her talent. And that should also not affect the success of Bhoot Returns - she has done a great job in the film. 

What are the pros and cons of making a sequel like Bhoot Returns?
Bhoot Returns is not a sequel to Bhoot. The pros are that the audiences know what kind of a film they are going to watch, as they have seen the original. The cons will be the pressure of repeating the success of the first film. In Hollywood, Jaws had many parts. The parts were in no way related to each other yet people went and watched them.

Why did you choose the 3D format for Bhoot Returns?
The 3D effect scares people, because everything on screen jumps right at you. One has to make certain changes in the screenplay to suit the 3D format. You have to imagine each and every scene to utilise 3D to the optimum. A story can fail but genuine innovative technique can never fail.

Many people chose to see Raaz 3 in a normal format. They were averse to 3D.
I don't think many people belong to that category. In any case, if they do, they don't exist for me.
Today, A-grade stars are attracted to this genre whereas, earlier, only B and C-grade actors agreed to be a part of horror films.
A-grade actors were always part of horror films. Films like Mahal (1949) and Madhumati (1958) starred A-league actors such as Madhubala and Vyajanthimala respectively. It is not a new phenomenon.

But these films were mystery thrillers and can't be categorised as horror films.
What is a horror film? It's a film that has elements, which thrill and scare you. Mahal and Madhumati had these two elements.

While making films on other genres, you take inspiration from people you observe. What is your reference point while making a horror film?
I visit the graveyard (laughs). And I like to scare people.
You have made breezy musicals such as Rangeela, Daud and Mast and balanced the yin and yang as a creative filmmaker. Now you focus only on the dark side of life. Why?
I am a filmmaker and I don't think about such things. My work is to tell a story. I wanted to make those films so I made them. Now I want to make these kind of films, so I am making them. I admit I have a liking for darker films. But I have always put the same passion in all my films be it a Rangeela or a Daud. I read and I pick up whatever suits my convenience.

Can we expect lighter films from you in the near future?
Yes.

In the recent past, your films haven't been successful at the box office. What, according to you, has gone wrong?
Had I known what went wrong, I wouldn't have repeated the mistakes in my next film. My job as a filmmaker is to make films. I don't think about these things. No one can truly understand or guarantee what the audiences will watch.
Maybe it's because you have been making back-to-back movies. Have you ever contemplated taking a sabbatical to get a fresher insight into subjects and tap the pulse of the audience?
I read a lot, and I don't have a rigid thinking process. My mind is constantly thinking of fresh ideas.

Didn't the failure of Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag deter your spirits? Will it haunt you for the rest of your life?
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag is the angel of my life. The only way I look at the criticism heaped on the film is that people love to lash out at others.

read more...

Candyman scares RGV

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma loves to scare the audiences with his horror films, but among the few things that horrify him is 1992 American film "Candyman".

The horror flick by Bernard Rose manages to spook Varma.

"I remember the first time I had seen the film in one part, I had switched it off in the first half hour. Then I went to the mirror and said Candyman four times. But couldn't get myself to say it the fifth time because I got scared that what if Candyman really comes," Varma said in a statement.

His latest horror film "Bhoot Returns", a sequel to his 2003 movie "Bhoot", is set to release Oct 12. He says he believes more in ghosts than in god.

"I believe in ghosts a little more than I believe in god because at least I have felt the fear of a ghost, but I have felt nothing when it comes to god," he added.

Varma has hardly ever used a caricaturish ghost in any of his films. He has always infused fear with an unsaid and unseen presence.

"Fear is in our mind. I like to put people in a theatre, switch off all the lights and lock all the door and scare them. I really love scaring people," he added.

read more...

RGV turned a cute girl into scary one

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma had a task on hand when he sought to turn a cute little girl look scary on the poster of his forthcoming film "Bhoot Returns".

The poster shows the little girl with optical illusion applied to it. Asked why he opted for such a poster, Varma said, "I have created this kind of poster for two reasons. One is, of course, it draws your attention to the 3D aspect. Second is the fact that there is a very cute looking girl and you are supposed to be scared of her. That's why I went for this poster."

"Bhoot Returns" is a sequel to Varma's 2003-film "Bhoot" and features Manisha Koirala and southern actor J.D. Chakravarthy in the lead.

Varma believes that fear is a constant thing and, hence, most horror films carry the same elements.

"My belief is that horror film should never have anything very different because fear is so basic, you are always scared of the same things, you are not scared of new things," Varma said in an interview.

"You are always scared to look behind the door or under the bed. No matter how many times you see it, if the camera is coming behind the character you are still scared because there is a subconscious in all of us that we feel someone is behind our backs at some time," he added.

Varma says "Bhoot Returns" has some spine-chilling moments.

"I feel visually there is something very new. We have used very, very normal everyday sounds inside a house. There are some very scary moments in the film," he said.

"Bhoot Returns" is slated for Oct 12 release.

read more...

I don't think cinema in Rs.100-cr terms: RGV

Director-producer Ram Gopal Varma, known for making small budget films, says had he made movies with the thought of minting Rs.100 crore at the box office, he wouldn't have been able to make films like "Kaun?" and "Satya".

"I think cost is more the producers' and distributors' concern. If I think of Rs.100 crore, I would have never made 'Kaun?' or 'Satya'. It's a completely different ball game, and it works very well for the people who are into it. I don't think cinema in that terms," Varma told in an interview.

The filmmaker, who is gearing up for the release of his horror film "Bhoot Returns", says there's a huge demand for the genre.
"I don't think it's about me making (horror films). I also feel people want to see horror films. In DVD stores there are huge racks of horror films, (so) that means there are too many people who enjoy horror films."

"People predominantly want to see horror films because they want to be scared," he added.

"Bhoot Returns" will release with Rani Mukerji's "Aiyyaa" Oct 12, but Varma is not concerned.

"Releasing a film is not my concern, I am just a maker. The release date decision is taken by the distributors and other people related to the film," he added.

"Bhoot Returns" features Manisha Koirala, J.C. Chakravarthy and Alayana Sharma.

read more...

RGV's Satya 2 not on floors until 2013

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says he won't start shooting the sequel to 1998 film "Satya" till the next four months at least as he is tied up with other projects.

"It's too early to talk (about 'Satya 2'). After 'Bhoot Returns', I have a lot of work pending with '26/11'. So 'Satya 2' is not going on floors for the next four months at least. So it's too early to talk about any details of 'Satya 2'," Varma told.

"Satya" was a crime-based film, featuring J.D. Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpayee, Urmila Matondkar and Shefali Shah. The sequel will have 'completely newcomers'," said the filmmaker.

Rumour mills were abuzz that John Abraham would produce the sequel, but as per latest reports, he has pulled out of the project.

Asked to confirm the same, Varma said: "I do not want to talk about any detail of the film because it's too far away."

Meanwhile, he is busy working on his next film, based on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

"I have finished half of it (the movie), so it should be coming out may be by the end of the year. There is no star as such in the film, but Nana Patekar is doing a very important role. The film predominantly is about the events of that night," he added.

read more...

First look: RGV ready to scare in 3D with Bhoot Returns

With the film Bhoot filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma introduced a new age horror genre to Indian cinema. The film was a huge hit.

After the success, Bhoot 2 as a title was registered by producer Nitin Manmohan's company because at that time Nitin Manmohan and RGV were together. Owing to their parting, producer Nitin Manmohan a year back announced Bhoot 2 with Vikram Bhatt as the director.

But when Vikram got to know that it was not done with RGV's consent he backed out. As the title Bhoot 2 was registered with Nitin Manmohan the new producers of the sequel Alumbra Entertainment and Eros International repeatedly requested Nitin Manmohan to part with the title citing the original creator was RGV.

The producers repeated requested Nitin Manmohan to give the copyright of the title. But he in a petty minded nature due to his previous tussle with RGV, delayed the process, says a source close to the producers. RGV decided to end this chase for the title and changed the title of his film from Bhoot 2 to Bhoot Returns.

The film stars actress Manisha Koirala and JD Chakravarthy and Eros International will release the film worldwide on 12th October. Bhoot Returns is RGV's first 3D film. The film will also release in Tamil and Telugu.

read more...

Denied permission, RGV to recreate Taj Hotel for Rs 2.5 crores for 26/11 film

After being denied permission to shoot at the Taj Hotel for his 26/11 film, RGV spends Rs 2.5 cr to recreate the setting at a suburban hotel

It's double trouble for Ram Gopal Varma. After being granted very limited access to the CST railway station to shoot his ambitious project based on the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, word is that his request to film at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Colaba has been turned down.
Our source say the reason behind it was the fact that the authorities were not willing to revisit the unfortunate incident, even through a film. The hotel became the venue for a lot of bloodbath during the terrorists' siege on the city. 

Our source says, Ramu was a bit disappointed over not being given complete permission to shoot at CST or at the Colaba hotel. After shooting some sequences at CST, he will shoot the rest of the gory and firing scenes on another set. Incidentally, Ramu has taken the authorities' decision in his stride and has instead recreated the entire lobby of the Colaba hotel at another suburban hotel in Juhu, which is currently being rented for shootings. The entire set has been created by art director Uday Singh and apparently Ramu has spent around R 2.5 crore towards its making.

Ramu says, It could be traumatic for many to see the recreation of that horrible tragedy. For me, in the context of the attacks, a five star hotel is the symbol of human achievement in terms of splendour. To see blood flowing on its polished floors and its pristine walls and artifacts there to be riddled with bullets are living testimony of the ultimate barbarism Man is capable of doing.

read more...

Nathalia dumps Ramu for someone else! Dropped

Ram Gopal Varma has apparently dropped Nathalia Kaur from his next film after buzz that she could soon be getting married to someone else

Word is that Ram Gopal Varma's relationship with his muse Nathalia Kaur has ended. And now we hear that the filmmaker has gone ahead and dropped her from his upcoming film after coming to know that she could soon be tying the knot with someone else. 

Ramu was apparently so mesmerised with the model-turned-actress after he cast her in Department, that he even stated that Nathalia was the prettiest girl he had every laid his eyes on. However, now after their romance has ended, Ramu has apparently taken her off his next film starring Rana Daggubati.

Our source says, It was an open secret that Ramu and Nathalia were dating and to push her career ahead, he was making this film. But now they have parted ways and she will be getting married soon.

The source adds that it could also be a possibility that after hearing Nathalia would feature in Jism 3, Ramu decided to do away with her from his film. 

Probably to get over the grief of his relationship getting over, we hear that Ramu is keeping busy with his other films including Bhoot 2, Satya 2 and his upcoming film based on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. While Nathalia remained unavailable for comment, Ramu refused to reply to our SMS.
Ramu banaye jodi

What Ramu tweeted in the past about Nathalia: The good thing about being shorter than Nathalia Kaur is that u can enjoy her beauty from bottom.

read more...

Salman and RGV top Sunny Leone's wish list

Indo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone teamed up with Arunoday Singh and Randeep Hooda in her Bollywood debut "Jism 2", and now she has expressed a desire to work with Hindi movie star Salman Khan.

"Whoever wants to work with me, I want to work with them. But Salman Khan is on the top of my list," the 31-year-old said here Sunday during a visit to a theatre for a public interaction.

Recently released "Jism 2" was promoted aggressively before its release and Dino Morea, co-producer of the erotic thriller, says it's important to promote a film after it hits the screens. 

"We got a great opening, the first day was very good. I would like to say that promotions should continue even after the film's release because you should see how the audience is reacting. Most often after a film's release, the actors and crew disappear. We don't want to do that," the 36-year-old said. 
"We want to show people that we are still promoting the film and we will be visiting more theatres. People are coming to watch Sunny," he added. 

Dino also thanked the public for their positive response to the film. 

"Thank you all for coming and buying tickets. We have brought you Sunny and everywhere else it is totally a 'paisa vasool' show," said Dino.

Sunny said: "Thank you for coming and buying tickets. Thank you so much for inviting me in your homes and hearts. I love you all and hope you do too."

I want to work with Ram Gopal Verma!

Sunny Leone was spotted at a suburban multiplex interacting with her fans and signing autographs over the weekend 
On a whim she signed an autograph for Ram Gopal Varma saying that she wants to be part of his next flick. Ramu certainly has a reason to smile as the adult film star is keen to be in his film. 

Considering that of late RGV has had too many people running him down for his movies, a hot movie with Sunny might make him too hot again!

read more...

Who is this? Pooja fails to recognize Ram Gopal Varma

When Pooja fails to recognize RGV he replies by saying that he directed 'Department' and 'Aag'

Ram Gopal Varma sent a text message to Pooja Bhatt to compliment her on the promos of her upcoming film

Pooja did not recognise the number as she did not have Ramu in her phonebook.

When she sent him a SMS saying, Who is this? he replied the director of Aag and Department. For the maverick filmmaker these two infamous films are his claim to fame.

read more...

Leopold cafe owner in RGV film

Ram Gopal Varma ropes in owner of the cafe in Colaba to play a role in his film based on the Mumbai terror attacks

Ram Gopal Varma will finally start shooting for his film 26/11 from Monday and he is leaving no stone unturned to make the film look as authentic as he can. The film based on the tragic incident of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai now will have the owner of Leopold Café Farzad Jehani playing one of the key roles in the film.

It can be recalled that the attacks started from his café itself and he was one of the prime witnesses to the horrifying incident that killed and injured many.

Ram Gopal Varma says, “Everybody knows what happened at Leopold but when you hear it in the context of an eye witness, your whole perspective changes. In the context of the terror act at the cafe, who can be a better witness than Farzad who owns the place and who was there that night.”

Farzad says, “Yes, I agreed to play the part as I strongly believe in the way Ram Gopal Varma is visualising the whole thing. I have lived through those terrifying moments and who can justify that than me.

Everyone knows what happened here and he wanted to show that through my eyes. Since it is my place and my customer and staff who got killed or injured, he felt that I should get to play the role.”

read more...

Danny Boyle can shoot on the CST why can't I?

“Danny Boyle can shoot on the CST why can’t I?” Ramu says refuting rumours that he has been denied permission to shoot on actual location where the ghastly 2008 bomb attacks happened in Mumbai. “Who says I won’t be shooting on the actual locations?” says Ramu defiantly. 


Department forgotten, Ram Gopal Varma is all set to shoot his real-time real-places 26/11 drama from early next month.

Contrary to reports permission to shoot at the key points in South Mumbai where the terror attacks happened have already been obtained by the enterprising director, and that includes the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). 

Some reports had suggested that Ramu has been denied permission to shoot at the busy centrally- located railway station where, on that fateful November night in 2008, a bunch of extremists had gunned down innocent commuters randomly. 

Says Ramu, “We are certainly shooting on real locations, including the CST. I don’t know where stories of me being denied permission to shoot at the station came from. The truth is, I am shooting at the CST. ”

Ramu will be recreating the entire carnage on actual location. 


Says the director, “Of course there will be restrictions since we’re talking about a very busy public place. We can’t just go and shoot and inconvenience the people. We’ll be given a time to shoot, just like we’ve to a time schedule for shooting at the airport. ” 


Point out that the CST is a sensitive area where a gruesome terror attack occurred and Ramu retorts, “Danny Boyle shot an entire song and dance on the same station for Slumdog Millionaire. I just need to follow the rule. ” 

Says Ramu, “It’s too early to talk about all my locations. All I will say, and you are free to read between the lines, is that we won’t fudge any of the locations or recreate any of the attack points in a studio. ”

read more...