Ram Gopal Varma reflects on his career highs and lows, admitting that RGV Ki Aag was a ‘gimmicky version’ of Sholay.
Ram Gopal Varma admits RGV Ki Aag was a gimmicky attempt at reimagining Sholay. He reveals how Amitabh Bachchan trusted him completely while SS Rajamouli questioned his creative choices.
Ram Gopal Varma recently made waves with a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), where he offered an honest and self-critical reflection on his career. In the post, he admitted to being blinded by the immense success of his iconic films Satya and Rangeela. Riding on the high of these cinematic achievements, RGV took on the daunting challenge of reimagining the legendary Hindi film Sholay (1975) with his 2007 project, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. Both Sholay and RGV Ki Aag featured Amitabh Bachchan in prominent roles. In a recent interview, Varma opened up about how Big B trusted him with the project and revealed that his vision for Aag was little more than a gimmicky attempt.
Speaking to Galatta Plus, RGV candidly shared, “When I was making RGV Ki Aag, if someone had asked me, ‘Will it be as good as Satya?’ I was just trying to do a gimmicky version of Sholay. If someone had seriously asked me that question, I’m not sure I would have been able to answer.”
When asked if Amitabh Bachchan questioned him about the project, RGV explained that the megastar placed complete trust in his abilities as a filmmaker. “That was his trust in me. He didn’t ask why. Them not questioning me was okay because I had a certain credibility as a director after making so many films. They must have assumed I knew what I was doing. I don’t think it was their place to ask, and at that time, they didn’t know how Aag would shape up. Amitabh would have thought I was making an interpretation of Sholay,” he said.
Reflecting on his past failures, RGV also recalled an incident involving Naach (2004), another box office disaster, and how even SS Rajamouli questioned his creative decisions. He acknowledged his tendency to lose focus and prioritize shock value over sincerity. “Whatever you make, it has to come from within you with sincerity, and I did not do that. I wasn’t even aware that I wasn’t doing it. I’m a very careless person, and I have a tendency not to take myself seriously. I also tend to become gimmicky or say and do things for shock value,” Varma admitted.
RGV went on to share a conversation with Rajamouli, where the RRR director confronted him about his choices. “In this context, SS Rajamouli asked me, ‘A person as intelligent and well-read as you, why would you do this?’ I told him, ‘I am not a filmmaker, but I also make films. I live my life on my own terms, and in that context, something like this will come.’”
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag was a 2007 Bollywood action drama film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, intended as a modern reimagining of the iconic 1975 classic Sholay. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, Sushmita Sen, and Nisha Kothari, the film aimed to reinterpret the original story through a contemporary lens.
The story revolved around Inspector Narsimha (played by Mohanlal), a dutiful officer seeking vengeance against the ruthless underworld kingpin Babban Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) after the latter brutally murdered his family. Unable to defeat Babban Singh alone, Narsimha enlists the help of two small-time crooks, Heerendra (Ajay Devgn) and Raj (Prashant Raj Sachdev), who possess the courage and skills to take on the feared criminal.
As the trio bands together, they find themselves navigating complex relationships and moral dilemmas, including Heerendra’s blossoming romance with Durga (Nisha Kothari) and Narsimha’s emotional connection to a widow, Ghungroo (Sushmita Sen). Their quest to bring down Babban Singh culminates in a series of confrontations that explore themes of justice, loyalty, and sacrifice.
