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Ram Gopal Varma to remake `The Godfather`

By Subhash K Jha
Thursday, 22 April , 2004, 15:23


Ram Gopal Varma has just about wrapped up his first-ever film with Abhishek Bachchan in the lead called Naach, and he’s all set to direct father Bachchan in a film called Sarkaar. (See: Pictures of Varma`s new films)

The Abhishek-Antara Mali starrer Naach is rumoured to be a remake of the Chinese film In The Mood For Love.

Varma is amused. "Never heard of this Chinese film in my life. Naach is very much an original film. I’ve never made an unoriginal film in my life. But now I’m about to. My next directorial venture Sarkaar is my faithful version of Francis Coppola’s The Godfather. Amitabh Bachchan plays the role immortalized by Marlon Brando." (Discuss: Will Big B be as good as Marlon Brando?)

What happened to Varma’s plans to direct the big-budget espionage thriller Ek?

"With India and Pakistan extending a hand of friendship to each other, Ek with its theme of international terrorism seems politically incorrect. I decided Ek isn’t so relevant at this moment. Sarkaar will start in August or September. It’ll be my take on The Godfather. I always wanted to do my own version of the story. In spirit I want to remain as close to the original as possible. According to me The Godfather has nothing to do with the mafia or the underworld. It’s about a patriarch and his family honour. My film will deal with high politics. The underworld will be only a tool in their hands. Apart from Mr Bachchan I haven’t decided the rest of the cast as yet."

Like the postponed Ek, Sarkaar will be produced by high-flying financier Bharat Shah. Incidentally two years ago Mahesh Manjrekar planned to re-make The Godfather in Hindi as Kutumb with Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan for producer Feroz Nadiadwala. The project got shelved.

Feroz Khan had made the first Hindi version of The Godfather in the early 1970s. Entitled Dharmatma it starred the late Premnath in Marlon Brando’s role. Ever since then various versions of The Godfather have been attempted. Ram Gopal Varma and Amitabh Bachchan would definitely create a unique version of the story.

It is PITTY, disgusting that a TALENTED director/producer like RGV became another REMAKE/ every mont,MACHINE, NEXT to BHATTS!

wow suprised that a cinephile like RGV does not know or even heard of
"In The Mood For Love".

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

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HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Hmmm.. Is there an other godfather that we don't know about. With this attitude he will butcher this classic. Somebody ought to yank the directors chair from under him!

Oh please No! I hope he's not gonna attempt to re-make the film and claim it's a coincidence that it's very similar to ITMFL, he's becoming as bad as th Bhatts.

He claims he's never heard of it before, but it's very popular in the international film circles and we know that Mr Varma is familiar with Hong Kong cinema. You can see the HK influence in 'Company'.



AB is gonna make a fool out of himself trying to do the Brando role!Altough he's probably the best actor in India he is gonna embarass the industry and all Indians if he does the role! Plus how is Varma gonna be faithfull if it's not gonna be about the mafia?

Previous Godfather attempts have been cringe-worthy to say the least - anyone remember Aamir Khan as the Michael Corleone character in Ahtank Hi Ahtank? It's better if you don't! Can't the Indian film industry just try to be a little original?



What a coward! I take it India and Pak audiences are not mature enough to handle it? They'll start killing each other will they? Why is it politically incorrect, if international terrorism happenes? So it's politically incorrect now, but it wasn't before?

He He that would be really bad. But do we know the story of Naach? May be it is different. We will surely find out when it comes out



Whew. That was harsh. I guess he meant that a epsionage thriller wouldnt hold much interest in a friendlier atmosphere as compared to a adversarial atmosphere

I am not completely opposed to remaking films. I think it depends entirely on the filmmaker's intentions for his/her remake, and how well they follow up on them as well as how ingeniously they make the remake there own artisitic vision as oppose to repoducing an already cemented vision.

Remaking a classic is neither an easy task nor an irrelevant one. If it is a great story, why shouldn't it be retold to a different audience? With such an attitude, there would have been no Hindi, Javanese and Tamil renditions of the Ramayana or Mahabharat. Of course the Bhatts have time and again proven that they are incompetent.

The only risk is not living up to the original standard - which I am confident Ram Gopal Varma is up to.

Anyway. what's the deal with the chinese movie? Is it another kung-fu flick? Pai Mei anyone???



I'm sure you'll do a better job.

If your talking about In The Mood For Love. It's anything but a Pai Mei chic film. It's director's Wong Kar-Wai finest film to date and one the most visually alluring film ever made.

I hope he remakes Disco Godfather instead, one of my favorite blaxploitation movies ever.

-Bh

Who is the man that would risk his neck
For his brother man?
SHARAD!
Can you dig it?

Remakes can work, but I wonder about the wisdom of doing a remake of such an iconic film as The Godfather. Comparisons to the original will be inevitable. If it is a Godfather-like film about a mob family, I see no harm, as it is not necessarily a remake per se, but RGV said, "faithful version of Francis Coppola’s The Godfather." Who's betting that Mario Puzo's estate doesn't get a royalty for this faithful adaptation?

Aryan, I should perform the Five Fingers of Death on you for not knowing what In the Mood For Love is

Never take quotes from someone in the film industry at face value

RGV remaking Godfather???

heheheheheheheheheheheheheehe sorry i'll be serious now.... ah sod it hehehehehehehehehehe

Looks like RGV is going back to his old style of making films...taxing from other movies...he should make films with original content like Shiva, Rangeela, Satya...etc...these movies are far better then any of his recent fare...

I agree with u!RGV REMAKE MACHINE COMPANY!