Ram Gopal Varma Blog #155. My Reactions to Reactions

1. Don’t make “Rakta Charitra” on the lines of “Satya” or “Company”. Also don’t show too much blood, bomb blasts and sumo chases. Design all characters like in “Departed”.
Ans: Ok, Sir, yes Sir, sure Sir, all right Sir. Thank you, Sir…… Anything else Sir?

2. Your answers are most arrogant and egoistic.
Ans: They will seem like that to second handers, inbetweenists and morons. Think for yourself and figure out which of the above 3 breeds you fit into.

3. What species are you?
Ans: Ramunietzschean satyendraynranditis.

4. I feel that the only true ism is selfism.
Ans: The only true self is about not having an ism.

5. What will be the title of your autobiography?
Ans: RGV Zoom Out.

6. Do you believe in life after death?
Ans: I only believe in the moment I am living in and the moment I want to create next and the moment which will stop me from creating that.

7. Why do you like everything that western people create be it philosophy or films?
Ans: Because they are superior and at best we are late followers and cheap imitators of them.

8. Was creating a woman God’s mistake?
Ans: No No No. The only good thing God has ever done apart from creating me is creating women. Ahhhhhhh!

9. I finally learnt to twist philosophies to my own use with the help of your gyan.
Ans: Just take care that the philosophies don’t twist you.

10. People laugh at you saying “you are different”. You laugh at them saying “All of you are same”.
Ans: In the context of a man being condemned by people for daring to be alone Nietzsche said “For them lonesomeness is the plight of the sick one… For me it is the flight from the sick ones”.

11. Suppose you meet an Ayn Rand kind of girl and a sexy bimbo who would you take out?
Ans: I will go out with Rand and stay in with the bimbo.

12. While in engineering college when you were interacting with Satyendra, Ayn Rand, Nietzsche etc how come you were also involved in gang fights?
Ans: It’s only those interactions which helped me in understanding the psychology behind the gang fights and eventually paved the road for “SHIVA”, “Satya” and “Company”.

13. Is it possible to meet you?
Ans: Manoj, why don’t you and Jaani come in his auto to RFC where I am shooting now?

14. Which college did you do your intermediate in?
Ans: New Science College, Ameerpet.

15. Why do you respond to silly questions and not serious ones?
Ans: That’s because mostly there is a lot of underlying seriousness in silly questions and invariably all serious questions are silly at the core of their being.

16. Gandhi never followed Gandhism. Ramu never follows Ramuism.
Ans: I never follow anybody. I just study their behinds.

17. Yours is a nice blog. I enjoyed reading it.
Ans: Not that I would care if you didn’t.

18. What is the difference between you before and after “SHIVA”?
Ans: Shiva.

19. Man who does not spend time with his family is not really a man – Don Corleone.
Ans: Man who does not spend time with his family is really a God – Don RGV.

20. Who will you give your money to after your death?
Ans: Definitely not to you… So what do you care?

21. Greatness is not directly proportional to being famous.
Ans: Yes and fame is also not directly proportional to greatness.

22. I think you and Nietzsche are dumb for saying that in all the species only
human beings laugh. How can anyone know that?
Ans: Well Sir, we know that as me and Nietzsche went around the whole world and told jokes to each and every animal, insect and bird and none of them laughed. (I have a suspicion that you won’t laugh at this too)

23. In totally opposite of what you say, people want to be taught.
Ans: The fact that you don’t want to be taught by me proves totally opposite of what you say.

24. If any of your pals becomes the C.M. of the state what advise will you give him?
Ans: To give permission to open strip-tease joints and playboy mansions.

25. MBA’s are needed by Corporate companies. So your example of film institutes is not applicable to film industry.
Ans: The reason why it’s called film industry is because there are lakhs of people depending on its turn out right from actors to technicians to equipment suppliers to equipment manufacturers to set workers to light boys to theatre exhibitors to distributors to etc etc etc. and also thousands of theatres across the country need to be filled with films every day which in turn makes the film industry rotate. So in that sense the film industry is like any other professional industry, and hence the course needs to professional.

26. Is it really possible to make a short film with a laptop and digital camera?
Ans: For the purpose of proving your talent you can make a film with even your cell phone.

27. I feel like making love to a sexy girl whenever I read a new article on your blog.
Ans: If that means that my articles are sexy, I can’t ask for a better compliment.

28. The most powerful system or person is the flexible one.
Ans: Yes and that’s the reason why you can do more things with rubber than iron. Rigid thoughts break and flexible thoughts conform.

29. Institutes only can guarantee knowledge.
Ans: What type of knowledge, is my question?

30. Do you ever feel helpless?
Ans: Nope.

31. Are you saying enrolling in any film institute is a waste?
Ans: Yes. I loved it when someone on this blog quoted Tarrantino “I didn’t go to a film institute.  I went to films”.

The only way anyone can know about films is by watching films as then it becomes a direct interaction with your sensibility versus the filmmakers sensibility without a 3rd party filling your head with a completely different and useless interpretation.

For example I found “Citizen Kane” to be a very boring film compared to “JAWS”. But if I am forced to respect and study and feel guilty about not caring for “Citizen Kane” I will loose out on a lot of time and energy which I could have otherwise spent studying “JAWS”. This is true for even a guy who likes “No Entry” compared to “Company”.

To be a director the only thing you need is a story and a passion to tell it and an ability to communicate what you want to your team. For instance even after 20 years I still don’t know anything about the camera lenses or any of the so-called technical aspects but what I do know is how to communicate to all concerned what I want.

32. Does creativity come by birth or does it get nurtured?
Ans: Anybody who does not let God or society or his parents or his teachers fill his head with crap is bound to be creative.

P.S: Before you jump on me saying that even creative people respect and abide by the above four let me say that I believe that they will be even more creative if they don’t.

33. Why don’t you start a film school?
Ans: I am neither into charity nor business.

34. Which school did you go to?
Ans: St.Mary’s Boys School in Secunderabad which was right behind Keyes Girls School.

35. Why are stars paid more than hard working directors?
Ans: Money in the film industry is never paid for hard work. It is paid to people who can get the ticket buying audience into the theatre.

36. Ayn Rand is just a titillating author who appeals to 18-yer olds.
Ans: Ok oldie!…. Don’t forget to call me to your funeral.