1. Do you want to be a maverick filmmaker or a business man?
Ans: Neither. I just want to be what I want to be.
2. A. What does Mani Ratnam think of your cinema?
B. What do you think of his cinema?
Ans: A. Nothing B. Nothing
3. Give me an advice how to become a successful director
Ans: The only advice I will give you is not to ask advice.
4. Are you selfish? Is selfishness a sin? Are you an atheist?
Ans: Yes I am. Nothing is a sin as long as you are not consciously hurting others. Yes I am an atheist.
5. Was Nisha Kothari just a professional decision or something else?
Ans: You can go ahead and imagine what ever entertains you.
6. You forgot your main goal and got interested in the object rather than the subject
Ans: English please!
7. You should go back to being a student and start from Satya again.
Ans: Come here and lead the way, teacher!
8. Stand firmly on your decision for dedicating Sarkar to Copolla
Ans: I can’t because I have got wobbly feet. Jokes apart I agree with the observation made. I made a mistake that I didn’t dedicate it to Puzo because only I know what I have learnt from the novel.
9. My take on why you find it difficult to make good films….
Ans: Don’t think so much. Life is not that serious.
10. I recommended to someone Ram Gopal Varma ka Blog
Ans: Superb. I love the title.
11. I am looking forward to know the stories behind the films you made.
Ans: And I am looking forward to tell them.
12. You are like Howard Roark
Ans : Yes and No. I am not as sincere and as committed as him but then I have much more fun than him. So no complaints!
13. Where do you find your strength?
Ans: In my will to be what I am.
14. Creativity is all about hiding your sources – Einstein. Comment?
Ans: Greatness is about revealing them.
15. Even people who have not seen Aag have bad opinion of it.
Ans: When somebody told me that so many people didn’t like Aag. I said I don’t agree because so many people have not seen Aag. If they did then it will register as box office collections which would have made it a hit. Come on now. Answer that smarties!
16. I have seen moments of pure cinematic brilliance in Aag
Ans: With great pride I think the same.
17. Does a director make a film or his body of films makes a director.
Ans: I agree with the latter because in a body of work his personality will come through.
18. Which film has turned out to be closest to your conception?
Ans: None because by the time I finish it I am a different person from the time I conceived it.
19. Should a director adopt scripts of market potential?
Ans: it’s just a fallacy that anyone can know a market requirement
20. What is the production worthiness of a particular script?
Ans: My opinion if I were to produce and your opinion if you were to produce.
21. I believe that you can make a better comedy film than anyone
Ans: What did you think Aag was?
22. I could recollect omen II listening to the tracks of Sarkar Raj.
Ans: Yes I copied it from there. I saw Omen II seven times in Vijaywada, Leela Mahal just to listen to the title track.
23. Is the scene of Sarkar borrowing money from Chandar from Godfather?
Ans: It’s a Maharashtrian tradition.
24. Its painful to read your blog with the black background
Ans: Am changing it.
25. Do you plan shot divisions?
Ans: No I do it instinctively on locations.
26. Your films have the same kind of photography.
Ans: That’s my style.
27. You should use green tone blah blah blah…………………………….you should use blah blah blah……………… do not blah blah blah…………………………………. why don’t you blah blah blah……………………………………. I want you to blah blah blah……………………………..
Ans: I do what I want to do and I see what I want to see and I hear what I want to hear. If it’s a problem for you don’t watch my films.
28. Why don’t you let the sarcasm be and talk more about film making?
Ans: Will try.
29. Please keep kicking these critics
Ans: my intention is just to give my view point.
30. I hope you will discuss your mistakes
Ans: that’s the main thing I want to do in here for the simple reason that you can learn from your mistakes and grow, provided that you truly realized the mistakes in your head.
31. Mine and my friend’s friendship started due to our common love for Kshana kshanam.
Ans: I feel very uncomfortable whenever anybody praises me for Kshana kshanam as I copied it mainly from the premises of three films called “Foul Play” “Romancing The Stone” and the third I can’t remember. In hindsight I feel I did a pretty bad job at it. The only freshness if there was any is my personal and professional obsession for Sridevi. I was zapped with her in Mr. India and I desired to present her better than that. There were a couple of things I will share with you on the making of that film. There is a scene of Venkatesh and Sridevi running in the forest chased by the cops, led by Ramireddy in which in one particular shot a monkey is busy nibbling on a tree hears a sound and sharply turns. The camera zooms back fom its close up and sharply pans to the left to catch Venkatesh and Sridevi running. Many people wondered how I took that shot. Heres how I did that.
We were shooting in Mudumalai forest and there were these monkies on the trees looking at the busy shooting crew when I got an idea. I placed Venkatesh and Sridevi at a certain place and gave them instructions what to do. I asked the cameraman to zoom in to the close up of a monkey and I told the crew to be completely silent and still. After a while since nothing was happening the monkey lost interest in us and resumed nibbling. Then on my cue the whole crew shouted at the same time in unision. The monkey got startled and sharply turned on that action the cameraman zoomed back and panned just in time to catch them both running and the shot was canned.
Another interesting episode was when Venkatesh and Sridevi were crossing a bridge Sridevi asks him “Why is there a bridge in the forest?” and he replied “how should I know?”
This is actually a conversation which happened between me and my assistant director. When I saw the bridge in that forest I found it visually very interesting and I conceived that scene keeping the bridge in mind. My assistant asked me but why should there be a suddenly a bridge in the forest? I replied how should I know but it is there, to which he said you and me know but how will the audience know it. So I said then let’s put it in the scene so what we spoke is what Venkatesh and Sridevi spoke.
I reasoned out with him that if we think the audience will question about something we should let one of the characters in the film also question about it which would then make it right. But the real reason is that I wanted that bridge scene anyhow.
Also one of my favorite examples of how you can create drama through editing is in the above mentioned chase in the forest.
I start from a mid close up of Venkatesh and Sridevi running towards the camera they look back to see if anyone is following them and as Sridevi turns back she looks at something on the ground screams and both fall from the frame we start wondering what has happened then I cut to see Ramireddy and cops looking around. We further wonder where they disappeared. Now we suddenly see both of them against a mud wall crouched. Now we know they are safe but still wonder what that falling from the frame was about. Then Sridevi sees something stifles a shout. Venkatesh reacts to that and reaches out towards the camera and I cut to a top angle to see Ramireddy in the foreground standing at the edge of a pit and a hand reaching out in the ditch to retrieve Sridevi’s floating handbag. The audiences then realize that they fell in a ditch in the first shot.
This is a classic case of manipulating the audiences mind with dramatic editing technique. If in the beginning itself when they drop out of the frame, if I showed them falling into the ditch the whole sequence will look very informative. But by revealing it bit by bit I was making the audiences imagination race.
32. Between Sarkar and Sakrar Raj I liked Sarkar Raj better
Ans: Me too
33. In Sarkar Raj I feel like I have seen Anti–Fidel documentary of an American propaganda. I am really confused.
Ans: There is no need to be confused. I love America and what it propagates. I am a huge follower of Ayn Rand’s philosophy. It’s another matter that I don’t practice it.
34. That was a different RGV. That was a different time.
Ans: Yes I change everyday and sometimes in a single day. That’s because I get bored very easily and mostly with myself.
35. You are making films for public not critics.
Ans: I don’t differentiate. Anyone whether he is a employed by a paper or a TV channel or a guy I meet on the road who has something to say about the film is a critic. If I feel like it and I think he merits an answer I will reply.
36. Majority of the audience have poor taste.
Ans: What you are actually saying is that only you have great taste. First of all I think it is wrong to think that the audience as a single entity. They are all particular individuals coming from various different backgrounds, sensibilities, state of minds and with their own emotional baggage etc… the factors which could influence their reaction over a certain film would be highly variable, innumerable and not completely fathomable. That’s all the more reason that I do a film for myself and hope there will be enough people out there who will relate to it. Sometime they do. Many times they don’t.
37. I kept my two month old son at home and went to see your movie
Ans: I too like movies better than I like kids.
38. Is it true that the cameraman was running and breathing to make the scene more intense in the Shiva chase?
Ans: Hello! How can anybody run without breathing? We posted the breathing sound of Sudhakar on the shot which might have given you that feeling. Also the camera didn’t go through the leaf. I made the lens just hit it to give a cutting point.
39. I would like to know what happened between you and your critics?
Ans: Criticism
40. What happened to Shabari?
Ans: It is ready and would be released by September
41. Why do you bother to reply to critics?
Ans: -I want to reply to anybody who bothers me.
42. We are getting a lot of entertainment form your thought process.
Ans: Thanks!
43. Please don’t forget my friend Celeste.
Ans: How can I forget anybody who liked Aag?
44. You should have showed what happened instead of Sarkar just narrating to Aishwariya.
Ans: I believe that it would have made it very informative instead I believe that to see the surprise and shock on Ashwariya’s face was more emotionally engaging for me.
45. The glimpse of humanity when Shankar knows that his wife is pregnant is too brief to know what he must be like
Ans: He is like what he is like.
46. I don’t know how to play cricket but I can have an opinion on how Dravid or Ganguly should lead the team.
Ans: Yes you are right but Dravid and Ganguly also can have an opinion of your opinion as at least they know how to play cricket better than you do.
47. Carry on man! Keep reminding us we are alive! Screw what we think.
Ans: Thanks a ton man. This is the greatest piece of advice I have ever received and I mean it from my heart.
48. One must think what was the state of mind when the director was making the film
Ans: I will elaborate on this vastly later on. It’s a very special and important observation.
49. Background score was a lift form Omen II. It’s evil.
Ans: Yes it is a lift like most of my ideas. There they used the Gregorian chants in a certain context which makes it sound evil. So this feeling of evilness comes from association and not because by themselves they are evil.
50. Shooter scene is a lift from Malayam film August One. I felt few more lifting I can’t place.
Ans: I haven’t seen or heard of that film. If I did and I liked it I would have lifted it. By the way each and every film of mine are lifts, not necessarily only from Hollywood, foreign, regional films but also from novels and stories I read, or incidents I heard form someone. Articles read in newspapers, magazine etc, scenes and situations I have been in or observed etc… etc. We are all born with a blank mind and whatever comes in comes from somewhere.
51. Shankar looks like an emotional fool when he opens his heart to a girl from America whom he met yesterday?
Ans: May be he has a weakness for worldly beauties.
52.The scene where the villains ask each other in Sarkar Raj “kya Karen?” is brilliant.
Ans: I lifted that scene form the movie Jungle Book where the vultures discuss what to do sitting on a branch.
53. I hope you can create Uma Thurman in Bollywood
Ans: I don’t like Uma Thurman
54. Celeste is your biggest fan and she is a beautiful Italian damsel.
Ans: I am on my way to the airport.
55. Can you create space for uploading my stories to you?
Ans: I have enough stories in me. You keep yours for yourself.
56. The critics will target you big time.
Ans: Let me confess a dark secret of mine. I am a masochist, I love being ridiculed, criticized and bitched about. AAAAAHHH!
Ans: Neither. I just want to be what I want to be.
2. A. What does Mani Ratnam think of your cinema?
B. What do you think of his cinema?
Ans: A. Nothing B. Nothing
3. Give me an advice how to become a successful director
Ans: The only advice I will give you is not to ask advice.
4. Are you selfish? Is selfishness a sin? Are you an atheist?
Ans: Yes I am. Nothing is a sin as long as you are not consciously hurting others. Yes I am an atheist.
5. Was Nisha Kothari just a professional decision or something else?
Ans: You can go ahead and imagine what ever entertains you.
6. You forgot your main goal and got interested in the object rather than the subject
Ans: English please!
7. You should go back to being a student and start from Satya again.
Ans: Come here and lead the way, teacher!
8. Stand firmly on your decision for dedicating Sarkar to Copolla
Ans: I can’t because I have got wobbly feet. Jokes apart I agree with the observation made. I made a mistake that I didn’t dedicate it to Puzo because only I know what I have learnt from the novel.
9. My take on why you find it difficult to make good films….
Ans: Don’t think so much. Life is not that serious.
10. I recommended to someone Ram Gopal Varma ka Blog
Ans: Superb. I love the title.
11. I am looking forward to know the stories behind the films you made.
Ans: And I am looking forward to tell them.
12. You are like Howard Roark
Ans : Yes and No. I am not as sincere and as committed as him but then I have much more fun than him. So no complaints!
13. Where do you find your strength?
Ans: In my will to be what I am.
14. Creativity is all about hiding your sources – Einstein. Comment?
Ans: Greatness is about revealing them.
15. Even people who have not seen Aag have bad opinion of it.
Ans: When somebody told me that so many people didn’t like Aag. I said I don’t agree because so many people have not seen Aag. If they did then it will register as box office collections which would have made it a hit. Come on now. Answer that smarties!
16. I have seen moments of pure cinematic brilliance in Aag
Ans: With great pride I think the same.
17. Does a director make a film or his body of films makes a director.
Ans: I agree with the latter because in a body of work his personality will come through.
18. Which film has turned out to be closest to your conception?
Ans: None because by the time I finish it I am a different person from the time I conceived it.
19. Should a director adopt scripts of market potential?
Ans: it’s just a fallacy that anyone can know a market requirement
20. What is the production worthiness of a particular script?
Ans: My opinion if I were to produce and your opinion if you were to produce.
21. I believe that you can make a better comedy film than anyone
Ans: What did you think Aag was?
22. I could recollect omen II listening to the tracks of Sarkar Raj.
Ans: Yes I copied it from there. I saw Omen II seven times in Vijaywada, Leela Mahal just to listen to the title track.
23. Is the scene of Sarkar borrowing money from Chandar from Godfather?
Ans: It’s a Maharashtrian tradition.
24. Its painful to read your blog with the black background
Ans: Am changing it.
25. Do you plan shot divisions?
Ans: No I do it instinctively on locations.
26. Your films have the same kind of photography.
Ans: That’s my style.
27. You should use green tone blah blah blah…………………………….you should use blah blah blah……………… do not blah blah blah…………………………………. why don’t you blah blah blah……………………………………. I want you to blah blah blah……………………………..
Ans: I do what I want to do and I see what I want to see and I hear what I want to hear. If it’s a problem for you don’t watch my films.
28. Why don’t you let the sarcasm be and talk more about film making?
Ans: Will try.
29. Please keep kicking these critics
Ans: my intention is just to give my view point.
30. I hope you will discuss your mistakes
Ans: that’s the main thing I want to do in here for the simple reason that you can learn from your mistakes and grow, provided that you truly realized the mistakes in your head.
31. Mine and my friend’s friendship started due to our common love for Kshana kshanam.
Ans: I feel very uncomfortable whenever anybody praises me for Kshana kshanam as I copied it mainly from the premises of three films called “Foul Play” “Romancing The Stone” and the third I can’t remember. In hindsight I feel I did a pretty bad job at it. The only freshness if there was any is my personal and professional obsession for Sridevi. I was zapped with her in Mr. India and I desired to present her better than that. There were a couple of things I will share with you on the making of that film. There is a scene of Venkatesh and Sridevi running in the forest chased by the cops, led by Ramireddy in which in one particular shot a monkey is busy nibbling on a tree hears a sound and sharply turns. The camera zooms back fom its close up and sharply pans to the left to catch Venkatesh and Sridevi running. Many people wondered how I took that shot. Heres how I did that.
We were shooting in Mudumalai forest and there were these monkies on the trees looking at the busy shooting crew when I got an idea. I placed Venkatesh and Sridevi at a certain place and gave them instructions what to do. I asked the cameraman to zoom in to the close up of a monkey and I told the crew to be completely silent and still. After a while since nothing was happening the monkey lost interest in us and resumed nibbling. Then on my cue the whole crew shouted at the same time in unision. The monkey got startled and sharply turned on that action the cameraman zoomed back and panned just in time to catch them both running and the shot was canned.
Another interesting episode was when Venkatesh and Sridevi were crossing a bridge Sridevi asks him “Why is there a bridge in the forest?” and he replied “how should I know?”
This is actually a conversation which happened between me and my assistant director. When I saw the bridge in that forest I found it visually very interesting and I conceived that scene keeping the bridge in mind. My assistant asked me but why should there be a suddenly a bridge in the forest? I replied how should I know but it is there, to which he said you and me know but how will the audience know it. So I said then let’s put it in the scene so what we spoke is what Venkatesh and Sridevi spoke.
I reasoned out with him that if we think the audience will question about something we should let one of the characters in the film also question about it which would then make it right. But the real reason is that I wanted that bridge scene anyhow.
Also one of my favorite examples of how you can create drama through editing is in the above mentioned chase in the forest.
I start from a mid close up of Venkatesh and Sridevi running towards the camera they look back to see if anyone is following them and as Sridevi turns back she looks at something on the ground screams and both fall from the frame we start wondering what has happened then I cut to see Ramireddy and cops looking around. We further wonder where they disappeared. Now we suddenly see both of them against a mud wall crouched. Now we know they are safe but still wonder what that falling from the frame was about. Then Sridevi sees something stifles a shout. Venkatesh reacts to that and reaches out towards the camera and I cut to a top angle to see Ramireddy in the foreground standing at the edge of a pit and a hand reaching out in the ditch to retrieve Sridevi’s floating handbag. The audiences then realize that they fell in a ditch in the first shot.
This is a classic case of manipulating the audiences mind with dramatic editing technique. If in the beginning itself when they drop out of the frame, if I showed them falling into the ditch the whole sequence will look very informative. But by revealing it bit by bit I was making the audiences imagination race.
32. Between Sarkar and Sakrar Raj I liked Sarkar Raj better
Ans: Me too
33. In Sarkar Raj I feel like I have seen Anti–Fidel documentary of an American propaganda. I am really confused.
Ans: There is no need to be confused. I love America and what it propagates. I am a huge follower of Ayn Rand’s philosophy. It’s another matter that I don’t practice it.
34. That was a different RGV. That was a different time.
Ans: Yes I change everyday and sometimes in a single day. That’s because I get bored very easily and mostly with myself.
35. You are making films for public not critics.
Ans: I don’t differentiate. Anyone whether he is a employed by a paper or a TV channel or a guy I meet on the road who has something to say about the film is a critic. If I feel like it and I think he merits an answer I will reply.
36. Majority of the audience have poor taste.
Ans: What you are actually saying is that only you have great taste. First of all I think it is wrong to think that the audience as a single entity. They are all particular individuals coming from various different backgrounds, sensibilities, state of minds and with their own emotional baggage etc… the factors which could influence their reaction over a certain film would be highly variable, innumerable and not completely fathomable. That’s all the more reason that I do a film for myself and hope there will be enough people out there who will relate to it. Sometime they do. Many times they don’t.
37. I kept my two month old son at home and went to see your movie
Ans: I too like movies better than I like kids.
38. Is it true that the cameraman was running and breathing to make the scene more intense in the Shiva chase?
Ans: Hello! How can anybody run without breathing? We posted the breathing sound of Sudhakar on the shot which might have given you that feeling. Also the camera didn’t go through the leaf. I made the lens just hit it to give a cutting point.
39. I would like to know what happened between you and your critics?
Ans: Criticism
40. What happened to Shabari?
Ans: It is ready and would be released by September
41. Why do you bother to reply to critics?
Ans: -I want to reply to anybody who bothers me.
42. We are getting a lot of entertainment form your thought process.
Ans: Thanks!
43. Please don’t forget my friend Celeste.
Ans: How can I forget anybody who liked Aag?
44. You should have showed what happened instead of Sarkar just narrating to Aishwariya.
Ans: I believe that it would have made it very informative instead I believe that to see the surprise and shock on Ashwariya’s face was more emotionally engaging for me.
45. The glimpse of humanity when Shankar knows that his wife is pregnant is too brief to know what he must be like
Ans: He is like what he is like.
46. I don’t know how to play cricket but I can have an opinion on how Dravid or Ganguly should lead the team.
Ans: Yes you are right but Dravid and Ganguly also can have an opinion of your opinion as at least they know how to play cricket better than you do.
47. Carry on man! Keep reminding us we are alive! Screw what we think.
Ans: Thanks a ton man. This is the greatest piece of advice I have ever received and I mean it from my heart.
48. One must think what was the state of mind when the director was making the film
Ans: I will elaborate on this vastly later on. It’s a very special and important observation.
49. Background score was a lift form Omen II. It’s evil.
Ans: Yes it is a lift like most of my ideas. There they used the Gregorian chants in a certain context which makes it sound evil. So this feeling of evilness comes from association and not because by themselves they are evil.
50. Shooter scene is a lift from Malayam film August One. I felt few more lifting I can’t place.
Ans: I haven’t seen or heard of that film. If I did and I liked it I would have lifted it. By the way each and every film of mine are lifts, not necessarily only from Hollywood, foreign, regional films but also from novels and stories I read, or incidents I heard form someone. Articles read in newspapers, magazine etc, scenes and situations I have been in or observed etc… etc. We are all born with a blank mind and whatever comes in comes from somewhere.
51. Shankar looks like an emotional fool when he opens his heart to a girl from America whom he met yesterday?
Ans: May be he has a weakness for worldly beauties.
52.The scene where the villains ask each other in Sarkar Raj “kya Karen?” is brilliant.
Ans: I lifted that scene form the movie Jungle Book where the vultures discuss what to do sitting on a branch.
53. I hope you can create Uma Thurman in Bollywood
Ans: I don’t like Uma Thurman
54. Celeste is your biggest fan and she is a beautiful Italian damsel.
Ans: I am on my way to the airport.
55. Can you create space for uploading my stories to you?
Ans: I have enough stories in me. You keep yours for yourself.
56. The critics will target you big time.
Ans: Let me confess a dark secret of mine. I am a masochist, I love being ridiculed, criticized and bitched about. AAAAAHHH!