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'I owe my living to Dawood Ibrahim'

January 27, 2021 13:48 IST

'I have always been attracted to the dark side of human beings.'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Ram Gopal Varma/Instagram

Ram Gopal Varma, who directed gangster movies like Satya, Company, Satya 2, D, is ready with his next film: D Company.

"My D Company sources are straight insiders. I am capturing the story through insiders' perspectives," RGV tells Subhash K Jha.

Another film D Company on Dawood Ibrahim from you. Why have you made a career of glorifying gangsters? Why not a film on Mahatma Gandhi or Mother Teresa?

Because I owe my living to Dawood Ibrahim.

You are right, I made a career out of making gangster films.

Seriously speaking I have always been attracted to the dark side of human beings.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Ram Gopal Varma/Instagram

How authentic is your film going to be?

My D Company sources are straight insiders. I am capturing the story through insiders' perspectives.

My 2002 film Company was based on the fallout between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.

That's very much a part of this serie,s but the detailing here will be very different because most of my underworld knowledge on Dawood's dealings came to me very recently.

Where and how did you find the actor who plays Dawood in your series?

His name is Akshat Kaanth. I chose him after auditioning nearly 35 people

 

Photograph: Kind courtesy Ram Gopal Varma/Instagram

What do you feel about the rise of the OTT platform in 2020? Do you think it has finished off the movie theatres?

I think any new technology will always create a dent in existing businesses, but just how much one has to wait and see.

Stars are still asking for Rs 35 and Rs 135 crores. Since you don't work with stars, what do you feel should be done about their fees?

Stars are always paid as per market realities

Tell us about your plans for 2021.

I am up to lots of things and will be spreading like coronavirus 2.0 into both theatres and OTTs and no vaccine can stop me.

SUBHASH K JHA