Director Ram Gopal Varma is set to begin filming Sarkar 2. Sarkar 2 is the planned sequel to Sarkar, which was inspired by Francis Ford Coppallo’s film Godfather. However, Ram Gopal Varma has made it clear that Sarkar 2 will not be based on Godfather 2. It will in fact be a completely different and original story. Sarkar 2 will have Sarkar (Amitabh Bachchan) as the central figure with his son Shankar (Abhishek Bachchan) as his right hand man. Aishwariya Rai will be paired opposite Abhishek Bachchan playing a very strong character.
Ram Gopal Varma is originally from Andhra Pradesh and is popular for his slick, and hauntingly realistic films. He has set new standards for the gangster and horror genre of Indian cinema. He made it on his own without any film background or traditional film schooling. RGV started out as a movie buff owning a video store, but then began to direct films despite a lack of family support. His current production house churns out a number of successful low budget films each year.
Varma began his career with the film Shiva, made in Telegu. Despite his lack of film experience, he was able to convince Nagarjuna to star in the film. Nagarjuna loved the script and RGV’s enthusiasm so much that he produced the film himself. It became a huge succeed and proved to be nice launching pad for his career. However, Ram Gopal Varma had to deal with two simultaneous flops Drohi, starring Urmila Matondkar, and Raat, inspired by the Exorcist, before he finally struck gold again with Rangeela.
RGV’s most notable film to date and one that has set standards in its genre is Satya. Satya is the story of an impoverished man who is so dehumanized by society that the only way he can regain some of his humanity is by becoming a cold-blooded killer. It is said that the first thirty minutes of Satya are one of the best thirty minutes of Hindi cinema. The film is anything like what Bollywood has ever created. It is an entirely different type of gangster film, in that there is no stylish portrayal of gangster life, nor is it a typical cat and mouse game between the police and thugs or between rival gangsters.
Satya not only sets new standards for Bollywood cinema, but is also a reflection of Ram Gopal Varma’s positioning as a director. Varma does not make films for the audience, as he has stated in interviews, but instead makes films for himself. For example, Varma has stopped directing films in Telegu simply because only a small batch of audiences appreciates his work. He finds more lineage and connection with audiences in Mumbai and abroad. This places him at a good position also as a producer, as most production houses want to finance films that focus on pleasing an audience.
The movie also created its own genre, known as “Mumbai-noir” and was thoroughly researched. RGV shot the movie as a documentary. Other films have been attempted in Bollywood within the same genre but nothing comes close to Satya.
Not only is Ram Gopal Varma a master technician, but he is a master writer. What sets apart Bollywood films from Hollywood films is that Hollywood films have much more scientific scripts. Most Bollywood films seem to follow some sort of formula. For example, there are always dance sequences, a set type of love story, and the film must be at least three hours long. RGV movies don’t follow any set formula. He experiments and follows what is right for each film that he produces,
