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April 13, 2010

'I have an obsession to scare people' - RGV


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Director-producer Ram Gopal Varma confesses he always had an obsession to scare people since his childhood and would stand behind doors and say “bhooo” to someone entering a room. After horror film “Phoonk2”, releasing Friday, Varma plans a 3D scary film to make the audiences “experience” fear.

Varma also says he loves to catch the audience off guard through his narrative.

“I always had this obsession to scare people. When I was a kid, I used to stand behind the door and say ‘bhoooo’ to someone entering the room and now I am making (horror) films,” Varma told IANS in an interview.

He is keen to make a 3D horror film as that would give the audience the illusion of being part of the film and experience the horror along with the cast.

“Technically, it would work. While watching a horror film sitting in a theatre you are seeing it happen to someone else on the screen. But a 3D film is a medium which makes you feel you are there with them, on location may be. The illusion it creates is because of the third dimension. Because of that I think the technique has terrific application in a horror film, if rightly done,” Varma said.

For “Phoonk 2”, a sequel to “Phoonk”, Varma has bet upon debutant director Milind Gadagkar, who conceived the idea of the film.

“When I was busy in ‘Rakta Charitra’, Milind came up with this idea, and it excited me a lot. Milind has been with me for some time and I believe he is an able director, so I went ahead with it,” said Varma.

Asked if he has given any value inputs for the film, Varma said, “No, I didn’t give any input. Creatively it is completely his (Milind’s) brainchild.”

Talking about the technical aspects of making horror films, he says for this genre “the camera, background score and sound effects have a huge contribution in the film. For drama or comedy, it can pretty much work on performances, and writing, but horror films have many manipulative techniques where you are manipulating the audience’s emotion. The movement of the camera constantly plays around with the audience’s psychology. When I took interest in films, I wanted to show off. So I thought the best thing to do is a horror film.”

In the first quarter of 2010, Bollywood has streamed out a number of back—to—back horror films, “Click”, “Rok” and “Shaapit”. The makers of these films claim to have “abandoned superficial scares and worked for far more insidious and intellectual level” fear.

How would “Phoonk 2” stand apart from the other films?

“The more you connect with the audience... if a person seeing the film can feel that it can happen to him or he finds some similarity with something he has heard of, the connectivity factor works best in horror films,” said Varma.

He explains that for a horror film to work, “a story is needed to create that moment of fear. I think predominantly it is the emotion that is created in a given time”.

“You can make 1,000 films on a haunted house. If you are able to create that moment... remember in ‘Bhoot’ there were not more than six scary scenes. People are not bothered what’s happening in between. They were waiting for the next scare. I think horror films work on that count,” he added.

Varma has completed 70 percent shooting of “Rakta Charitra” which is a biopic on a character in south India.

3 comments:

Pardesi said...

Another RGV INTREVIEW in Hindu

As Ram Gopal Varma gets candid, harshikaa udasi takes notes on his Phoonk 2, detractors, cyber spat with K-Jo and upcoming film with Suriya
“I deal with it as it comes. People who talk about others don't really understand the amount of work that goes into making a film. I feel when Sanjay Leela Bhansali makes a Saawariya, people criticise him for a month and then forget about it for the next three years till he makes another film. But in my case, the talking never stops, because my films come one after another.”

Ask him why he chose not to direct the sequel, and he snaps back, “I didn't ‘not choose' to direct this film. I have a thousand ideas to work on and limited time. Milind has been with me for a long time and I wanted him to direct this one.” Mellowing down, he adds, “I was busy directing Rakta Charitra which is a complex film. Besides, it is his idea completely.”

Starring Vivek Oberoi and Suriya in the lead roles as the slain political leader Paritala Ravindra and Maddelacheruvu Suri, the man accused of killing him, Rakta Charitra is being made as a two-part series in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu simultaneously. Ramu is eyeing an August 2010 release. The film is expected to be a turning point in the career of both actors. “I am not making the film to help the actors. I choose actors who fit my characters suitably. I was always fascinated by Suriya's eyes. He has the intensity to carry this role,” he says.

Ramu's next project, which is still in the conception stage, has already been making waves. Titled God and Sex, the film is loosely based on the Swami Nityananda case. “I'd say the script is definitely inspired by this sex scandal but not altogether based on him. We will explore the murky world of god men through the film.”

The man says he has 136 projects at hand right now which will eventually be made into films. And we trust each of them will get enough and more publicity, irrespective of the fate they meet at the turnstiles. “I think that's got to do with the themes I chose; nothing to do with me,” he claims, adding even if each one of these was criticised, it wouldn't dampen his spirits. “I love everyone,” he asserts.

Talk about the RGV-Karan Johar cyber fights, and he quickly retorts, “I am very fond of him and his films. In fact, I have seen My Name is Khan seven times!” Tell him that's a bad attempt at a joke and he insists he really has. “Honestly, it's the media that gets me wrong. When I wrote I was scared of Karan's films, I only meant I was scared of their commercial success. There are just three directors I really like in this world — James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and Karan Johar,” he says, while you end the interview in complete bewilderment.

Pardesi said...

RGV says he saw MNIK 7 times! Is he making a comedy film next or is he serious?

Rajiv said...

Pardesi

I often read his blog and I think he is being sarcastic about the Karan Johar thing.

And yes Rammu has managed to scare me quite a lot of times with films like Aag lol.

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