d

He'd tackled the underbelly of crime in 'Company'. And presently, Ram Gopal Varma is all kicked up highlighting the right side of the law: the police.

Researching for 'Company,' Ramu's fascination for the working of the police force, also grew on the sidelines. And if all goes well, RGV's full fledged flick, titled 'Department', will tackle aspects ranging from terror links to mafia dealings to encounter killings and more.

Says a close source, "His grip on the subject was great and 'Company' ranks among Ramu's best works. With 'Department' too, he will come up with a thought provoking film."

vpost : 14

Read More...

South superstar Suriya who greenlights Hindi cinebiz with Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rakta Charitra' has now donned the mantle of a producer for a trilingual together with his mentor RGV.

The flick, though, will be helmed by ace South director Puri Jagannath.

Says a close source, "Suriya is very excited about making his Hindi debut. After achieving a top position in the South, Suriya is all keen on establishing himself in Hindi cinema too. The film will have an urban Mumbai theme and the film is expected to go on the floors by October."

Incidentally, Suriya enacts Suri in 'Rakta Charitra', the man who killed political leader Paritala Ravi, and is currently lodged in Anantpur jail.

vpost : 08

Read More...

Vivek Oberoi has proved to be a costly proposition for Ram Gopal Varma in more ways than he'd ever imagined. Even as he's finishing putting the final touches to 'Rakta Charita', RGV's realised that his Vivvy Boy flick has stonewalled his prospects in a rather lucrative quarter. The Bachchans.

His earlier efforts 'Sarkar' and 'Sarkar Raj' with the Bachchans, notwithstanding, it has now come to light for Ramu, that he's almost persona non grata on Bachchan ground!

Clearly, anyone's whose on pally terms with VO, professionally or personally, stands to lose faith in the celeb eyes of Ash, Abhy Boy and Bachchan Senior. And it'll be a loooooonnnng time before he gets to greenlight another Bachchan film.

Guess, its 'Rann' out time for Ramu…

vpost : 08

Read More...

Film: 'Phoonk 2'; Cast: Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Neeru, Amit Sadh, Ahasaas Channa; Director: Milind Gadagkar; Producer: Ram Gopal Varma; Rating: **

'Phoonk 2' is definitely not the scariest film we've seen. Ram Gopal Varma's terror theme has clearly run its course.

Perched somewhere between crowing (ahem ahem) about the supernatural and crying over the nerve-wracking disruption of domestic harmony by a ghost which just won't go away, 'Phoonk 2' is like that promised roller-coaster ride which gets aborted in the first lap because of a short circuit.

It's not really Varma or his director Milind Gadagkar's fault. It's the nature of the material. Varma's love for horror has never extended beyond there's-something-under-the-bed kind of unwarranted foreboding that we all feel in a new environment. In a majority of his horror films, a family moves into a new haunted home and experiences the eerie.

Ironically, Varma's best effort in the horror genre was 'Kaun' where the victim of terror (Urmila Matondkar) was stalked by unseen forces in her own home. The terror, it turned out was not under the bed, but in the mentally disturbed girl's head.

There wasn't much terror, let alone horror, in 'Phoonk'. Under the bed, or in the head. In 'Phoonk 2' the characters' screeching plea to have us believe they are under immediate peril is sadly not communicated to the viewers. We remain tragically detached from the trauma of Kannada star Sudeep's family.

Haven't we seen it all? By now the trademark Varma camera movements, here manoeuvred with emphatic energy by cinematographer Charles Meher, and the intricate cluttered but effective sound design by Jayesh Dhakkan and Jayant Vajpayee do nothing to suck us into the plot.

The technique remains unfastened to the characters. Their desperate attempts to get away from the supernatural remain desperately detached from the audience.

At the end of the two hours into the zone of error-terror we are left wondering why Varma threw open a contest inviting any viewer to undergo an ECG to check his heart beats.

It is this film that needs a respiratory system. Varma's last horror outing 'Agyaat' with its spooky ominous wide-open jungles was far more gripping. In 'Phoonk 2', you wonder what the fuss is about. These people have nothing to fear except fear itself.

And yes, Varma was right. The crow does come up with the best performance. And that's nothing to crow about.

vpost : 17

Read More...

The 'Prince' is hoping to hit the Big Time, this year. After being directed by South genius Mani Ratnam in 'Yuva', Vivek Oberoi is grinning moonbeams at being lassoed in for Ratnam's next project. Besides,'Rakta Charitra', helmed by Ram Gopal Varma is being touted as the proverbial ace up Oberoi's sleeve. And presently, VO is likely to be in fine form with his Ratnam venture.

Incidentally, both ventures have been "inspired" by real life individuals. Oberoi Boy will soon scoot off to London to meet up with the Indian Punjabi Lord settled in Britain, and spend a good ten days with him to get a first hand feel of the person behind the persona.

Initially, Ratnam was to have helmed the project, though owing to his failing health during the filming of 'Raavan,' the director has opted out and Siva, Ratnam's assistant of over 12 years will craft the flick, with Shaad Ali ('Saathiya') on board as executive director.

Besides, his musical play 'Kingdom Of Dreams' is likely to gladden the hearts of his abiding fans too. Guess, Vivek's on a starry roll….

vpost : 03

Read More...

Vivek Oberoi is a man on a mission - apart from doing quality work in films, he wants to help the needy and says that 'inner happiness is achieved by doing good for others'.

'I feel it's my duty to help the needy. I have been taught by my family that inner happiness is achieved by doing good for others and I totally believe in this. Everyone should take out time from their busy schedule to spread happiness in the world,' Vivek told IANS in an email interview.

The 33-year-old is associated with a couple of charitable organisations.

Apart from being a part of his mother's NGO The Yashodhara Oberoi Foundation (YOF), he is also the brand ambassador of Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA).

'Today people have a very short span of memory. When I talk about a certain NGO, it generates awareness and leads to more helping hands which they require,' he said.

'It is not possible for any NGO to support its cause without any helping hand. I try to be the middle man by creating a right association with NGOs and corporate houses,' added the actor, who recently joined hands with Panasonic's Eco Idea Campaign and gifted a refrigerator to NGO Snehasadan, which works for street children's welfare.

'A couple of months back I overheard a conversation of a staff about Snehasadan and what they do for the street kids. It caught my attention and I did my own research. I was really impressed with their work. When I met Father Placido Fonseca, he mentioned that in summer it gets tough for the children. I gave it a thought and got in touch with Panasonic to gift a refrigerator,' he said.

Going back to his movies, the actor is looking forward to the release of 'Prince - It's Showtime', his first solo film in five years.

Asked what took him so long to do a film as a solo actor, he said: 'I was reading a lot of scripts but nothing really interested me and I just didn't want to work in random projects. I believe in quality work and not quantity.'

Directed by debutant Kooki Gulati, the film is about a quick-witted thief who wakes up one morning to realise that he has a gunshot on his arm and has absolutely no clue about how he gets it because he has lost his memory.

Vivek will also be seen doing some daring stunts in the film.

'I was a bit nervous doing some daredevil stunts in my film which I had never done before. 'Prince - It's Showtime' is my first action film and will showcase me in a new avatar. It's a story that could be every man's fantasy and every man's nightmare,' he said.

'All the action scenes have been shot in Hollywood style which audiences will see for the first time,' Vivek added.

Releasing April 9, the film also stars Aruna Shields, Nandana Sen, Niroo Singh and Sanjay Kapoor.

Vivek shares an intimate kissing scene with Aruna in the film and says he had to do several retakes to get it right.

'It was our first ever intimate kissing scene and both of us were jittery, which led to too many retakes as it was not looking natural,' he said.

Vivek is currently working on Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rakta Charitra' and has two other films in the pipeline.

Asked about recent reports of him planning to settle down, he said: 'Correction, I am not looking at settling any time in the near future and what's my age...I am still a child.'

vpost : 01

Read More...

Vidya Balan's on a dizzy roll in Hindi cinebiz. And soon, another South star, who's close to Balan, will show up in a Ram Gopal Varma flick.

Priyamani, the national award winning (Tamil film: 'Paruthiveeran') actress and Balan's cousin has been handpicked by Varma for his forthcoming flick 'Rakta Charitra' starring Vivek Oberoi.

Reportedly, Varma finally zeroed in on casting Priyamani after watching her topline histrionics in 'Paruthiveeran'.

Guess, it's all in the (Balan) family…

vpost :26

Read More...

It could scare the life force out of you! Canny viewers, though, who claim to be unfazed by horror fare, can gear up for a show of brave heart.

Ram Gopal Varma, the producer of 'Phoonk 2' has served up a 'Scare Contest' challenge: if a viewer can sit through the 'Phoonk' sequel and be declared as being unafraid, he can romp home with the prize money.

The moolah for 'Phoonk' was Rs five lakhs and the challenger ran out in the first 30 minutes itself! "Yet, there were many who insisted that the contest was rigged," groans Varma in a tabloid chat.

The challenging contestant will be fitted with an ECG machine, while he is viewing 'Phoonk 2', which will monitor his pulse rate and heartbeat and the same will be shown live on a screen outside the theatre to both the media and all concerned.

"The contestant cannot sit with his eyes closed," laughs Varma. "He will be monitored and shot through a night vision camera which will ensure that he does not bend the rules. His facial expressions and ECG graph will be on show for the media too. And if there are any unforeseen circumstances, an ambulance will be on standby."

If you're between 18 and 60 years of age, and have no history of cardiac disease, dare the scare challenge. The contest will be launched on the official website: www.phoonk2.in and is open to individuals across India.

vpost :06

Read More...

Rann is a forthcoming Bollywood film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, focuses on Indian media.

Cast

* Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Harshwardhan Malik
* Sudeep as Jai Malik
* Ritesh Deshmukh as Purab Shastri*Paresh Rawal as Mohan Pandey
* Mohnish Behl as Amrish Kakkar
* Rajat Kapoor as Naveen Shankalya
* Rajpal Yadav as Anand Prakash Trivedi
* Gul Panag as Nandita Sharma
* Suchitra Krishnamurthy as Nalini Kashyap
* Neetu Chandra as Yasmin Hussain

Rann Movie Rating : 3/ 5

Rann Movie Review :

Ramgopal Varma is itching to tell a new story in his movies. You may garland him for his efforts or loathe him if you feel letdown, but you need to hand it to him for picking up stories that defy stereotype.

This time, in RANN, the maverick film-maker does an expose on the games the heavyweights in the media play to further their interests. RGV goes into the newsrooms and also behind it and throws light on the politician-industrialist-media nexus. Also, it’s an insider’s account of how news channels that are greedy for ratings sensationalize stories to grab eyeballs.

On surface, you don’t want to know what goes behind the scenes and how, at times, news are ‘created’ by vested interests. But RANN scratches the surface and opens a can of worms. RANN also mirrors the fact that just like there are good and bad people in every field, there’re some rotten ones in the media too who succumb to temptations and create news to climb the ladder of success.

vpost : 01

Read More...

Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan Saturday said that he prefers to act in films that not only excite him but also suit him.

'Ram Gopal Varma (director of 'Rann') creates characters that excite me and 'Rann' is a film that I have really enjoyed working in,' said Amitabh, while participating in a promotional press meet for his much-awaited film 'Rann' at the Taj Residency Hotel here.

Seated along with Varma and Kannada film actor Sudeep, who plays his son in the movie, Amitabh said that he is happy that he is getting roles that suit him.

Complimenting Sudeep on his role, Amitabh said that the Kannada actor has done a very good job in the film.

'Sudeep is very talented and an intense actor. He has a bright future,' he added.

Talking about his role in the film, Amitabh said that he plays a media baron, Vijay Harshavardhan, in the film.

'Rann is Varma's story idea. I am only an actor playing a character in the film. Vijay Harshavardhan is an honest person who is committed to certain values. His voice is truthful. I have tried to work in the confines of the script written by Varma,' he said.

'I think the media represents the conscience of the Nation. And Varma has a right to look and analyse the work of the media in his platform,' Amitabh said in reply to a question.

'Media is doing its job as much as we are doing our job. We get married and media covers it,' Amitabh said, adding that celebrities in the public domain should not feel unhappy because they are covered by the media.

Varma conceded that the film is closely inspired by the life of people working in media.

'I have not done a film focusing on any particular channel. I have made a film based on my own perception of the media. The characters may look realistic to some people, but some others may feel it to be a fantasy or fictional. I will leave it to the people to understand it the way they like it,' he added.

Commenting on his role, Sudeep said: 'I have played a character in the film which forms an important component of the story. I don't think I have played a negative role. It is a powerful character. I really loved the character.'

vpost : 06

Read More...

Film maker Ram Gopal Varma doesn't hesitate from calling a spade a spade. Aware about the fact that back biting and indulging in humour when it comes to the work of a contemporary is a known trend in Bollywood, with or without people admitting to it, he declares that the industry is such that people love to bitch and talk negatively about affairs.

He has a reason here, "I will share an anecdote. Recently I came across a coffee table conversation where 6-7 people were ripping apart a newly released film for over 30 minutes. However, as it turned out, none of them had even seen that film! The matter of the fact is that we are like this only and can't help it."

One does feel though that he could help himself at the least when it comes to humour revolving around his own work from the past - AAG. It indeed seems like a joke that he is himself part of all the fun that has been happening for more than 2 years. Really, why does he continue to undermine his own work month after month? Doesn't he feel like telling everyone 'Stop, it's enough. We all had a good laugh about it but now it's time to move on. So let's abort any discussion whatsoever around AAG.'

"The biggest irony of the affairs is that I am not even sure if everybody disliked AAG", laughs Ramu, "It's basic mathematics because if someone is saying he disliked AAG, it means he has seen it. And if millions out there say that they disliked AAG, it would mean that they all saw the film. Now if millions would have actually seen AAG, it would have been a blockbuster due to sheer box collections regardless of whether it was liked or disliked. But then wasn't AAG a failure at the box office? So this defies the entire logic about film being disliked by one and all."

vpost : 10

Read More...

Freelance journalist and writer Sonal Mehta has taken Ram Gopal Varma and the producers of 'Rann' to court for alleged breach of copyright. The director is unperturbed and in turn alleges that she is just trying to get publicity.

'I'm not the least bothered, because I know there's no truth to her claim. The writer of 'Rann' is Rohit Banawliker. There can be a hundred takes on the media. I've made so many films on the underworld. Are they similar? 'Rann' has nothing to do with this lady's idea,' Varma told IANS.

Mehta has filed a case in Bombay High Court claiming breach of confidential information and infringement of her copyright in the literary work, including screenplay and script.

'I first want to ask Ms Sonal Mehta one thing: why has she waited till just a little more than one week before the release of 'Rann' to make her claim? And secondly, has she seen even one frame of 'Rann' to decide the screenplay is similar to her idea?'

Releasing Jan 29, the film has Amitabh Bachchan as a media mogul fighting for survival. It is expected to show how the media sometimes has no choice but to corrupt itself if it is to be a money-making enterprise.

Varma doesn't deny getting a story idea from Mehta.

'She was a part of my production house, The Factory, four-five years ago when I was making 'James'. She came to me with an idea for a film on the media which I didn't like much. Still I said she should try to get a leading man to agree to do the film if she wanted to direct it. I didn't like the names she came up with. And there ended the project,' he said.

The director says Mehta's claims came as a complete surprise to him.

'But only to the extent that I had completely forgotten her existence. However making such claims in the court days before release has become fashionable. This is her way of getting publicity. And I'm most happy if I can be of help,' he said.

'Rann' producers Madhu Mantena and Sheetal Talwar intend to challenge Mehta's claim in court.

vpost :04

Read More...

Ram Gopal Verma is getting busy with sequel of his hit film COMPANY. The gripping tale of the film that dealt with the underworld won Ramu some well deserved praise. Now, the filmmaker is getting set to script the sequel of the same story.

The sequel will present the tale of the encounter specialists who later find themselves trapped in the same system which they helped to improve. Taking a cue from the latest news reports of big shot encounter specialists being questioned for their role, RGV plans to rope in Daya Nayak, the encounter cop to help him write the script.

The cast of the film is yet to be decided. Ramu, who is the uncrowned king of the gangster genre surely has hit upon a big idea once again. Let's hope the film's tale is as gripping as its prequel

vpost : 15

Read More...

Ram Gopal Varma's much awaited film 'Rann' will be released Internationally through Studio 18 in the US, UK and UAE. This will be producer Madhu Mantena's second film which Studio 18 will be distributing after 'Ghajini'. 'Ghajini' proved to be a big hit and Studio 18 will be hoping to repeat this once again with 'Rann'. Co produced by Sheetal Talwar, the film stars legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan with Paresh Rawal, Riteish Deshmukh, Rajat Kapoor, Mohnish Behl and others.

In 'Rann' Bachchan plays an upright media baron whose channel is sinking with the rapid emergence of rival channel that creates sensationalized news. The film was in the media for the Jana Gana Mana Rann controversy where the director, Ram Gopal Varma had used words from the Indian National Anthem for a song in the film. 'Rann' is now slated for a 29 January release worldwide.

vpost : 08

Read More...

Studio 18 will release Ram Gopal Varma's keenly awaited drama-thriller RANN in the US, UK and UAE. The studio had previously distributed the producer Madhu Mantena's GHAJINI in India.

The film, which stars the legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan with Paresh Rawal, Riteish Deshmukh, Rajat Kapoor, Mohnish Bahl and many others, is slated for a 29th January release.

In RANN, Bachchan plays an upright media baron whose channel is sinking with the rapid emergence of a rival channel that creates sensationalized news.

vpost : 09

Read More...

RANN is up for release and it is quite visible that Amitabh Bachchan is dominating every moment that counts in the promos of RANN. However, director Ram Gopal Varma is clear that this was always meant to be the case. As per him, the veteran actor was always meant to spearhead the show because of being the senior most member of the cast as well as the towering personality that he boasts of.

As expected from every Ram Gopal Varma film, whether big or small, this one too boasts of some enticing promos that have caught the nation's attention. This was especially the need of the hour considering the fact that January is laden with close to half a dozen exciting films like VEER, CHANCE PE DANCE, DULHA MIL GAYA, PYAAR IMPOSSIBLE and ISHQIYA.

Despite the fact that one does catch a glimpse or two of other important characters played by cast which is principal/supporting or established/younger, ultimately it is Amitabh Bachchan who is clearly spearheading the entire 'show'.

"Isn't that obvious", questions back Ram Gopal Varma, "With the kind of personality and the stardom that he enjoys, it is but natural that Amitabh Bachchan would be spearheading the entire film."

If one goes by the film's synopsis, there are so many other characters like Sudeep, Riteish Deshmukh, Mohnish Behl, Paresh Rawal, Rajat Kapoor etc. who have been described to be quite important. What sort of space and time has Ramu managed to create for these characters?

"Every other character is important; otherwise it wouldn't have found a place in the film. There won't be any character that would feel short changed or left out in the film", assures Ramu.

Produced by Sheetal Vinod Talwar and Madhu Mantena, RANN is all set for 29th January release.

vpost : 05

Read More...