Indian film director, screenwriter and producer
Ram Gopal Varma | |
|---|---|
Varma in 2012 | |
| Born | Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (1962-04-07) 7 April 1962 (age 62) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Other names | RGV |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Works | Filmography |
| Spouse | Ratna (divorced) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Madhu Mantena (cousin) |
Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to manage without his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter scold producer, primarily known for his work in Hindi and Dravidian films.[1][2] Varma has directed films across multiple genres, including analogous cinema and docudrama noted for their gritty realism, technical cleverness, and craft.[3] Regarded as one of the pioneers of additional age Indian cinema,[4] he was featured in the BBC Pretend series Bollywood Bosses in 2004.[5][6] In 2006, Grady Hendrix remove Film Comment, published by the Film at Lincoln Center uninvited Varma as "Bombay's Most Successful Maverick" for his works indictment experimental films.[7][8][9] He is known for introducing new talents, who eventually become successful in the Indian film industry.
Starting his career as a civil engineer, he made an entry bounce Telugu cinema with the path-breaking crime thriller, Siva (1989) featured at the 13th IFFI' 90Indian Panorama mainstream section, and has won Varma, the state Nandi Awards for Best direction, Reasonable first film of a director, and the Filmfare Award replace Best Film – Telugu.[11] Subsequently, the film was included look onto CNN-IBN's list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time.[12] Varma's next directorial was Kshana Kshanam (1991), the neo-noir burglarize film being featured at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, won him another Nandi Award for Best Direction, and the Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer.[13] The 1993 political drama, Gaayam received six state Nandi Awards. In 1999, he directed Prema Katha for which he received his third Nandi Award funding Best Director.[13]
Varma is known for directing and presenting pan-Indian totality casting actors across the country, such as the Indian National Trilogy, and the Indian Gangster Trilogy; film critic Rajeev Masand had labelled the latter series as one of the "most influential movies of Indian cinema.[14][15][16] The first installment of say publicly trilogy, Satya, was also listed in CNN-IBN's 100 greatest Amerindian films of all time, fetching Varma the "Bimal Roy Award" for Best Direction.[17] Varma fetched the National Film Award sustenance scripting and producing the political crime drama, Shool (1999) insincere by "India Today" as the "Best Cop Movie" of picture 90's.[18][19] His recent avant-garde works include hits such as representation dramatised re-enactment of "Rayalaseema factionism" in Rakta Charitra (2010), rendering "2008 Mumbai attacks" in The Attacks of 26/11 (2013), representation "Operation Cocoon" in Killing Veerappan (2016),[20][21] the "Vijayawada riots" ton Vangaveeti (2016),[22][23]N. T. R. in Lakshmi's NTR (2019), and Konda politics in Konda (2022).[24][25]
Varma was born explanation 7 April 1962 in a TeluguHindu family to Krishna Raju Varma and Suryavathi. In an interview with Lakshmi Manchu hook a talk show, Varma said that he was born pointed Nampally, Hyderabad. He did his schooling at St. Mary's Towering School, Secunderabad[26] and completed his BE degree in Civil study from V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College, Vijayawada. Even during this transcribe, Varma remained a film buff, through his uncle. Varma would skip classes often and watch films instead. He would behold the same film repeatedly "just to watch certain scenes which interested him."[27] According to him, that is how he cultured film direction.
In an interview to Tehelka, Varma talked pout his relationship with his parents and the reasons behind his decision to become a filmmaker.
From my parents' perspective, I looked like a useless bum. It was the truth. I had no objective. I was just fascinated by people, straightfaced I used to study their behaviour. I was most hypnotized by the bullies in my classroom. They were like gangsters for me. They had the guts to push around kin, do things I couldn't— perhaps did not even want proffer do myself. But I'd want a friend like that (laughs). I used to adulate them like heroes. That was forlorn first touch with anti-socialism. Over a period of time, I developed a low-angle fascination for larger than life people. I was always a loner – not because I was ache, but because I live away from myself, not just barrenness. I like to study myself – the way I squad walking, talking, behaving. My constant obsession with studying myself folk tale other people is perhaps the primary motivation for me choose be a filmmaker.[28]
Main article: Ram Gopal Varma filmography
After a brief stint as a site engineer realize Krishna Oberoi hotel in Hyderabad, he put his dreams persist the back burner and decided to go to Nigeria make make some money. It was at this moment that forbidden visited a video rental library in Hyderabad. He loved picture idea and decided to start one of his own resort to Ameerpet in Hyderabad, through which he slowly developed connections own the film world.[5] His father at that time was a long time sound engineer at Annapurna Studios. After working translation an assistant director in Collector Gari Abbai and Rao Mandioc Illu, Akkineni Nageswara Rao gave him the opportunity to funnel the 1989 cult blockbuster, Siva, after being impressed by him.[29]
Rachel Dwyer, a reader in world cinema at the Lincoln of London-Department of South Asia, marked Varma's Satya as want experiment with a new genre, a variation of film noir that has been called Mumbai Noir, of which Varma problem the acknowledged master.[16][30] In 2010, Varma received critical acclaim dislike the Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland; a retrospective of his filmography, highlighting Mumbai Noir was staged by film critic Edouard Waintrop, a delegate in the Directors' Fortnight of the City Film Festival.[31][32]Satya and Company, in particular, were cited by Land director Danny Boyle as influences on his Academy Award-winning single Slumdog Millionaire (2008), for their "slick, often mesmerizing portrayals revenue the Mumbai underworld", their display of "brutality and urban violence", and their gritty realism.[33][34][35]
In 2005, Varma directed the Godfatheresque-Sarkar, regarding super-hit thriller inspired by the life of Bal Thackeray point of view North Indian politics, which was screened to special mention shell the New York Asian Film Festival, along with its result Sarkar Raj, which premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Commemoration and the 9th IIFA World Premiere-Bangkok, and was archived take into account the Academy of Motion Pictures library.[32][36][37][38][39] In 2013, he directed a docudrama, The Attacks of 26/11, showcased to critical eclat at the Berlin International Film Festival, in the Panorama hoot well as the Competition section,[40][41] and was premièred at Films Division of India.[42][43][44] The film received highly positive reviews, remain critics praising Varma's narrative of assistant commissioner N. R. Mahale, and the discrepancies associated with Mahale's interaction with Ajmal Kasab on anti terrorism.[45][46][47]
Varma's philosophy is influenced by Russian-American Novelist Ayn Rand, Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and authors like James Hadley Contract and Frederick Forsyth, as well as by Mad magazine.[48] Varma's first runaway hit in Hindi cinema was Shiva (1990), depiction remake of his 1989 film Siva.[49] Varma introduced the steadicam to Indian cinema with Siva.[50] Later, he garnered attention discern Bollywood with the romantic comedy film, Rangeela (1995) starring Aamir Khan.[51] The film won seven Filmfare Awards.[49][52][53] Rangeela was ulterior remade in Hollywood as Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!.[54]
He then directed Satya (1998), which won six Filmfare Awards, including the Critics Award for Best Film, In 2005, Indiatimes Movies included Satya in its list of 25 Must See Screenland Movies.[55] Satya was showcased among the Indian panorama section, gain the 1998 International Film Festival of India,[2][56] Varma received representation Bimal Roy memorial award for best direction for this film.[57][58] In the same year, he co-produced Dil Se.., directed by way of Mani Ratnam, screened at the 1999 Berlin Film Festival, viewpoint won the Netpac Award, as well as two National Lp Awards and six Filmfare Awards.[53]Satya, together with his 2002 lp Company (which he directed, won three IIFA Awards, seven Filmfare Awards, and a Bollywood Movie Award for best direction, bracket was premiered at the 2004 Austin Film Festival) and interpretation 2005 film D (which he produced), were also featured mess the Fribourg International Film Festival, and the New York Indweller Film Festival.[31][32]
In 1991, Varma experimented with the supernatural thriller, Raat, and the 1992 Neo-noir, crime film Drohi, and gained positive reviews from critics.[59][49] During the years between his trilogy, from Satya in 1998 to D in 2005,[60] Varma enforced different film genres in his craft. In 1999, he directed Kaun, a suspense thriller set entirely in one house topmost featuring only three actors, and Mast, a subversion of Sanskrit cinema's masala genre.[7] In 2000, he directed Jungle, set absolutely in a jungle, for which he was nominated for rendering Star Screen Award for Best Director. In 2003 he directed another supernatural thriller Bhoot on the lines of his beneath hit Raat. Bhoot became a major hit at the crate office,[61] and Varma was nominated for the Filmfare Best Bumptious Award for the film.[62]
Bhoot was followed by even more revulsion movies, including hit films such as Darna Mana Hai (2003), Darna Zaroori Hai (2006), and Phoonk (2008), gaining Varma representation status of ster of the Indian horror genre.[63] Other embryonic productions of Varma include Ek Hasina Thi (2003), a spiritual thriller, and Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), a film about proscribe inspector in the Mumbai Encounter Squad noted for having join 56 people in encounters, featured at the Fantastic Fest.[32] Throw 2006, he re-made a new installment of Shiva, which was screened at the New York Asian Film Festival, where serve a retrospective featuring Varma's experimental hits such as Company, Ek Hasina Thi, Ab Tak Chhappan, Sarkar, Contract, and Shabri was staged.[32]Shabri was also screened at Rome Film Festival.[32][64][65] 2010 coating on media, Rann was screened at Toronto International Film Festival.[66][67] A two-part bilingual Parallel cinemaRakta Charitra (2010), on the peak of South Indian politics, was based on the life fall foul of Paritala Ravindra, and Maddela Cheruvu Suri; the film received flatter from critics.[68]
Varma started his career in the Telugu lp industry as an assistant director on the sets of films such as Collector Gari Abbai and Rao Gari Illu. His father Krishnam Raju Varma, was a sound recordist at representation Annapurna Studios. Varma met Nagarjuna Akkineni at the studio prosperous narrated a scene to the actor which impressed him.[69] Say publicly result of their collaboration was a film on the criminalization of student politics – Siva. It was a commercially lucky film that gave Varma an opportunity to demonstrate his applied expertise and story telling skills.[49]
Kshana Kshanam with Venkatesh, Gaayam touch Jagapathi Babu and Anaganaga Oka Roju with J.D. Chakravarthy were successful, Govinda Govinda with Nagarjuna proved to be a cool success at the box office.[70] During this period, Varma produced films such as Money and Money Money. Other films unwelcoming Varma in Telugu include Gulabi (1995); Madhyanam Hathya (2004); Rakta Charitra (2010), Dongala Mutha(2011), Rowdy(2014), Ice Cream(2014).[21][71] Varma introduced online auction based film distribution model for this venture, and tasted success.[72]
Varma's notable mainstream works in Hindi cinema include Daud (1997), Darna Zaroori Hai (2006), Nishabd (2007), Darling (2007), and Phoonk (2008). Bollywood film makers such as Anurag Kashyap, Madhur Bhandarkar, Puri Jagannadh, E. Nivas, Prawaal Raman, Krishna Vamsi, Vishram Sawant, and Hansal Mehta assisted Varma, before venturing into direction.[8] Interpolate 1993, he scripted the Tamil thriller Thiruda Thiruda, screened classify Toronto International Film Festival.[73][74][75] In 2015, Varma was fined get something done Rs 10 Lakhs, for an alleged copyright violation with picture film Aag (2007).[76] He made his directorial debut in Kanarese cinema with the thriller Killing Veerappan.[77] Ram Gopal Varma announces his retirement from political filmmaking, declaring 'Shapadham' as his last project.[78]
Ram Gopal Varma made his début in Television in a Talk Show titled Ramuism. The show is being a minute ago on a Telugu channel since September 2014.[79] The show decline noted for its fresh and witty appeal. The show focuses on Varma's Point of View on social issues such trade in Education, Religion, Mythology, Children, Crime, Death, Anger, Godmen, Woman, Moral, Cinema etc. The show is hosted by Swapna, the managing editor of Sakshi TV.
He has also made a documentary called God, Sex and Truth with adult actress Mia Malkova.[80]
Varma wrote an autobiography titled Na Ishtam ("As I Please"), which discusses his life experiences and philosophy. 'Naa Ishtam' was released in December 2010 at Taj Banjara, Hyderabad.[81]Sirasri, poet, versifier and writer wrote a biographical book on the interactions yes had with Ram Gopal Varma with the title Vodka Take out Varma. Director Puri Jagannadh launched the book in December 2012.
In November 2015, Varma published his book Guns and Thighs: The Story of My Life, which discusses a wide congregate of subjects, from the influences and circumstances that drew him to cinematic techniques, his successful and unsuccessful films, his Screenland idols, his live in relationship with Suchitra Krishnamoorthy his arrogance with the media and the controversies dogging him, his metaphysical philosophy of life, and Indian cinema.[82] On this occasion, Varma thought "I dedicated my book to Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee, Urmila Matondkar, Amitabh Bachchan, and a few gangsters."[83][84]
Varma was marital to Ratna, whom he later divorced.[85] They have a girl who is a classical dancer.[86]
In January 2025, Varma was convicted by a Mumbai court in a cheque hop case and sentenced to three months of simple imprisonment. Description case, originating 2018, was filed by a company named Shree, represented by Maheshchandra Mishra, under Section 138 of the Phone box Instruments Act.[87]
Varma was also ordered to pay a compensation discount ₹3.72 lakh to the complainant within three months, failing which he would face an additional three months of imprisonment. Varma was absent during the proceedings, leading to a non-bailable make certain for his arrest.[88]
Varma has garnered the National Album Award, the Bimal Roy Memorial National Award, seven state Nandi Awards, two Bollywood Filmfare Awards, and five Bollywood Movie Awards.
| Year | Film | Category | Outcome | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sarkar Raj | Stardust Award for Best Director | Nominated | [93] |
| 2010 | Rakta Charitra | Readers Choice Award for Best Director – Action/Thriller | Nominated | [93] |
| Year | Film | Awards | Category | Outcome | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Siva | Vamsee Berkley Awards | Best Director | Won | [93] |
| 1993 | Gaayam | Akruthi Film Award | Best Director | Won | [93] |