I have been out of the circuit for a bit now and the only reason for that was lack of inspiration – I did not wish to blog for the heck of it and I found myself short on interesting ideas or thoughts worth thinking aloud!
Not very long ago in a beautiful city of the western part of India, a group of college going students were having a tea-time conversation about movies, entertainment… basically anything to keep their minds off the next assignment/project. I vividly remember those sunny afternoons – how everytime the name RGV (Ram Gopal Varma, for the uninitiated) came up, there would be a collective murmur – “Oh! he is good”… “His movies you just can’t miss”… “They have so much meaning… and they are so different from the rest”
The verdict was clear!
In an era when most movies banked on big budgets, foreign locales, big stars, crappy story-lines… RGV had the guts to make movies that an average movie-goer wanted to watch… No over-the-top drama… No star power to take away the limelight from the subject… Just pure entertainment… His name started being associated with movies that were sure to entertain you… Anyone who grew up in late 90s, watching Rangeela, Satya, Kaun and then progressing to the early 2000s that marked the cinematic brilliance of Company and Sarkar, would vouch for the phenomena and the rage that RGV had become! A power to be reckoned by!
And then… it hit…
He decided to remake Sholay. This was a bad idea to more reasons that one:
- Sholay being an epic, is deeply imbibed in every Indian’s heart.
- Scene-by-scene, dialogue-by-dialogue, the epic was a legend, with each character being a legend in itself. Creating it and being able to re-create the magic was a humongous task
- Any kind of “twists” and “turns” added to the original story-line may not go down that well with the lovers of “Sholay”
- Huge dearth of the actors of the calibre of initial star-cast!
From the time I heard, RGV had made some drastic changes to the original script, making it more modern, I knew this was a recipe for trouble! If he pulls it off, it will be a raging success, else a colossal mess. And thats what happened! To date, RGV ki aag is voted as the biggest disaster of the millenium. I refuse to believe that a man of his calibre, could not see the disaster he was concocting. Then the next question is why did he still go ahead with it? Was he too arrogant to even notice the blunders? Or was he left with no choice? Or was he so self-obssessed that it clouded his thinking? What were the actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn thinking?
Well, the movie came and went… and on its way out, it took something a lot more important than just one movie – The credibility of the name RGV in the minds of an average Indian. That was the beginning of the end of an era of wise decisions! He tried his previous formulas again, tried hard to re-surrect his career… but nothing worked! The very premise that had identified RGV as being “different” from an average Indian film-maker was gone! wooosh!
Fastforward to 2010 – Nearly 15 years after Rangeela was released, RGV is now a sad butt of all jokes. From being an example of all things that a film-maker should do, he metamorphosed into an example of all things that a film-maker should not do!
All I have to say, in the end… RGV, let us remember you by all the good movies you created and not the blots on Indian cinema.
I agree that one of the reasons for his movies being uninteresting (in last 4-5 years) is that he is repeating his style of direction & recycling the topics/ themes – and these two were the major factors that led him to become popular. Even a seemingly different movie like Rann seemed predictable and unexciting, in my opinion.
Maybe, he’ll suddenly make a different kind of movie and will be back (or maybe follow the dev anand school of thought and make movies he wants to, and don’t think about what the audience is looking for!).
Hey Nik, thats a very interesting analogy – Dev Anand and RGV. Their career graphs are actually very similar, though DA’s was probably steeper than RGV’s. But essentially, once they got lots of fame and adulation, I guess htye lost their ways. They are both still living in that illusional world and are self-proclaimed geniuses or sorts!
But I still admire Dev Anand for making what he believes in (though i hardly believe in it!) and of course, his endless enthusiasm and energy and continuous urge to do something
!
A bit off the topic, but I guess this is what keeps Dev Saab still going!
Hello! WHo do I see here? Is it you? Are u back?
I a m thrilled!
OK we are talking RGV? I can talk and talk abt him. For now let me just say that he has brilliant works even before Rangeela in Telugu. Shiva and Kshana Kshanam were path breakers of his times.
One of the most well read and fantastic film makers of our times. Did you watch RC? Check my blog.
Will get back here.
Hahaha yes, finally found something I wanted to write about
Its good to be back 
Thanks for the warm welcome 
Not seen his Telugu movie and not seen RC too… Have heard its not the typical RGV product…
mani ratnam priyadarshan or rgv, they have their best work in their home ground
pity the national audiene havent got to see them.
this is rgv’s debut
Agreed!
Having watched his films frm 1989, I am planning to write a detailed post on him sometime. Criticising him for just 1 Aag is like going on and on abt Modi for 2002 (when he is innocent) and discounting his huge contribution to progressive Gujarat.
Aaah!! Spoken like a true blue RGV loyalist!! I like that
And trust me, I was once an RGV fan and Aag is just the start of his average to poor films after that… I just hope he strikes back and soon! 
u might like to read ths frm the horse’s mouth
http://rgvzoomin.com/aaaging-sholay/
his reactions to reactions are a riot!
http://rgvzoomin.com/Ram%20Gopal%20Varma/aag/
http://rgvzoomin.com/siva-on-shiva/
http://rgvzoomin.com/assistant-to-an-assistant/
Some interesting posts from his blog. mailed u some. Have fun!
RGV on beautiful people. Interesting stuff. related to ur post
Good watch!
Watched already?!!!!
I had seen this one before. I have watched quite a few episodes of “Beautiful people”
Sorry for clogging ur space. Watch this first.
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/25/20101215201012151953592498e419852/Ram-Gopal-Varma-ki-Aag–.html
Shatru flawlessly portrays the thespian NTR
This is teh real NTR
Obul reddy brought out alive by Abhimanyu Singh. These are real people. Only RGV can bring out such realistic performances.
And he needs to stop making those horrible horror movies which scare the audience so much that no one goes to watch them in the first place
Hahahhaah and he tries to come up with stuff like “Ill give you $$$ to anyone who can watch it in the theatre alone”
btw taht wasnt a gimic
No one got tge money, simply bcoz even if u arent scared, the movie did create a few changes the heart palpitations that showed in the ECg machine 
Did u read that frm themedia?
Yeah I did… well, the movie was definitely not scary! Even I could watch it, and I am mortified of horror movies…
Yeh. In fact RGV himself made fun of Darna Mana Hai with the opening scene in Darna Zaroori Hai. Though Phoonk wasnt scary, Bhoot did scare the shit out of people. Very innovative in film craft and the sound played a big role.
He definitely is one of the best we have. If you notice, the usual ad student never gets it from parents and teachers, coz they know he is bad. But if the good one falters, the world comes together to scorn him
Isnt it?
Seasons greetings and have a great year ahead, Neha, lest you decide to disappear till RGV’s next movie
And OH, Darna Mana Hai and Darna Zaroohi were only produced by him. Not directed!
His horror is actually good. Give it the benefit of time it was made in. Raathi (Raat)-1992 and Deyyam (1995) and then Bhoot 2002 were certainly path breaking and scary when they were out.
I did not even watch those. I just saw phoonk and bhoot. Bhoot was good, but Phoonk was terrible
*bad student
One sequence from his latest just proves that he is a master at what he does.
One of the DUMBEST director !
Dee..