If Allah, Jesus Christ and Vaishno Devi come together to plead against my doing Sholay I'm still be making it� � Ram Gopal Varma

By Subhash K. Jha, September 29, 2006 - 02:24 IST

Shiva has been a disappointment.
I wanted to make formula film. I was true to my intent. The kind of budget it was made in, my distributors are happy. As for the critics, I compensated for the pain I caused them in watching the film in the pleasure that they got in ripping me apart. So everyone is happy. Having said that I think it was wrong of me to regress into a formula film after having gone so far ahead in Satya, Company and Sarkar. I admit it was a mistake to make Shiva. See, a film is made in a particular state of mind. Shiva was made as an immediate reaction to the failure of James. The whole basis of making Shiva was wrong.

I compensated for the pain I caused the critics in watching Shiva in the pleasure that they got in ripping me apart.

Do you think you might one day admit re-making Sholay was a mistake?
See, the best thing to happen to my Sholay was the flopping of Shiva. It put me on high alert. If Shiva had worked I'd have become complacent. I don't think making an anti-establishment cop flick in Shiva was wrong. The execution and characterizations were too status-quo. In Sholay I'm very clear what I want to do and don't want to do. It has been brewing in my mind for three years. I admit I was being cocky in making Shiva. I thought mera baayen haath ka khel hai, whereas I know how difficult it is to make my own version of Sholay.

A lot of very important people believe Sholay shouldn't be re-made�
Do they? Sorry, I can't oblige them. People don't know what I'm making, so they're just reacting nostalgically. Everyone from Jayaji and Dharamji to my other well-wishers have advised me to stay away from Sholay. Dharamji has apparently said he'd jump off that water tank if I messed up Sholay. Why should he jump off? He should push me off that tank if I mess up with Sholay. I've made humungous preparations! Nothing in my Sholay would be the same as the earlier Sholay. For example there's no Basanti in my Sholay.

What do you mean?
If you remove the tonga and ghagra-choli from Basanti she's just another girl in the plot. A lot of characters in Gabbar's gang will be fleshed out. Sambha is very different. Likewise the first cop who comes to meet Thakur is far more important in my film. My film has a strong police presence because it's set in the city.

A lot of cynics say you're making up the Sholay re-make?
Some said I'm faking it because I don't have the copyrights. 95 percent people have nothing to do, so they create constant hallucinations about other people's work. I'm starting Sholay on 4 October. I'll start with scenes featuring Mr Bachchan as Gabbar Singh. You've no idea how excited Mr Bachchan is.

What kind of get-up will Mr Bachchan sport?
Of course Gabbar has to be terror. So Mr Bachchan will have elaborate get-up. This is such a larger-than-life story. Everyone has to be many sizes larger than life. You'll feel his viciousness. All these years Mr Bachchan has hidden his evil side so well. I want to bring it out on screen. How can anyone be so correct? No one can be so morally perfect.

So you're going ahead with Sholay?
People say I'm not capable of re-making Sholay. I've one consolation for them. Since the critics have already exhausted all their expletives for Shiva, they'd have nothing left to say about Sholay. I think they�ll pool their money and hire a gangster to get rid of me. If Allah, Jesus Christ and Vaishno Devi come together to plead against my doing Sholay I'm still be making it. Aage jo hoga wohdekha jayega .


http://indiafm.com/features/2006/09/29/1642/index.html

then also they will not be able to save this movie

I understand that people change their minds, but Ram Gopal Varma just seems absolutely indifferent to the fact that he constantly contradicts himself. In an earlier interview, regarding Sarkar, I recall his having said that he could never see Amitabh Bachchan playing a "totally black" (not an actual quotation) character, yet, now, he seems to be boasting of showing the actor in a "vicious" and "evil" light.

Also, Varma was more than cocky about Shiva: he was damned proud of his baby, and "knew" it would be a success, because this time, the characters would be "fully realized," and he would be at the helm of the project. Now, it's "admitted" that the film failed? (I haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment as to whether or not I actually liked it.)

Concerning Sholay, I honestly think Varma's version will not at all resonate the original; so, we can all breathe a sigh of relief (if I am to be believed — ). So, why is "Mehbooba Mehbooba" there? Why is Bachchan playing "Gabbar Singh," and not just some villain? Why is "Basanti" making so many headlines? I think Ram Gopal Varma has up his sleeve just another "Bumbai goonda movie," and that the only thing he can offer at this point, to ensure a decent opening, is boasting the name of a classic film, hoping people's nostalgia, anger, curiousity (or some amalgam of the three) will drag them to at least one showing.

Photo Feature: Look up to Gabbar’s look in RGV Ke Sholay




After years (not just months) of speculation, Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay finally went on floors this week. The man seems hell-bent to prove his detractors wrong. And with Sholay, what one looks up to the most is Gabbar Singh – Indian cinema’s most popular screen villains. Esp. when Amitabh Bachchan plays the part!

The look of Gabbar Singh in one of the biggest act of remakes in Indian cinema is already generating a lot of excitement. And the suspense behind this look will be unveiled at a grand party planned by Adlabs on Saturday, October 7, at Le Meridian, Mumbai. The silhouetted image on the invite teases one's imagination.

The look of Gabbar has been carefully crafted and lots of sessions have been done with Ramu, Mr Bachchan and the technicians. Amitabh Bachchan's look as legendry villain Gabbar Singh had become a point of frantic activity in Ram Gopal Varma's office. Sources say initially three alternatives had been arrived at. The look that finally got selected will be made public tomorrow.[img][/img][img]

http://indiafm.com/features/2006/10/06/1672/index.html[/img]

wtf! is amit wearing combat boots in that poster? did gabbar wear combat boots in the original??

NDTV India News Channel 7-Oct-2006 9.30 P.M. to telecast the new Gabbar! Just an hour away (from the time of posting this message).

The original Gabbar also wore military fatigues and military boots.

Gabbar Singh's new look



"Amjad Khan and I struck a good friendship during Sholay. In fact, I wanted to play the role of Gabbar Singh and I told this to Ramesh Sippy (producer-director of the original Sholay)," Amitabh Bachchan said in a statement at the Le Meridien hotel in suburban Mumbai at a function held to reveal Gabbar's Singh's new look.

It has been three days since the shooting of Ram Gopal Varma's Sholay remake has begun and the film is expected to be released in May 2007.

"30 years ago Gabbar Singh was the villian of Sholay, but today I think he's the real hero. This film is the greatest challenge of my life," Varma said.

"I am overwhelmed and embarrased to unveil this new look," said Bachchan.

Text: Syed Firdaus Ashraf | Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar

http://ia.rediff.com/movies/2006/oct/07 ... &file=.htm

... (Sorry, but the icon just represents my sentiments so well....)

the new gabbar looks and feels a lil like the evil amitabh in aks, doesn't he?

That's exactly what I was thinking, though he looks a little more slumped on his 'throne'. I'm not looking forward to the Sholay remake, though I like RGV's films, I predict this film will be just too much and AB is going to overact all the way through. AB as Gabbar Singh is a big mistake. Nobody can play the role of Gabbar and the best candidate may have been Amrish Puri if he was still alive, but I think other actors like Nana Patekar, Ashish Vidyarthi, etc may make better villans than AB would.

And I'm not happy with Ajay Devgan as Veeru, his acting has been weak of late and I don't think he has the same level of likeability that Dharmendra had. Mohit as Jaidev? He has the look, but can he act? I haven't seen Shiva, but he didn't do much in James.

By the way, has anyone noticed that the close up of AB's eye on the poster shown last night on TV was inspired by the poster of the hollywood flop Godzilla! They even used the Green colour scheme!

ahh ok, that explains it



agree, any number of actors wld have made a better gabbar than amit - om puri, naseer, nana…. even someone younger like zakir. though w/ the boots, fatigues & darkened skin, amit does looks pretty menacing in that first photo…

here is a vid of the press conference… vid

man, this looks goooooood.



all I can say is moteher @#*$)@*$03284)#*$@)*$#@)s at Naz8