TOP INDIA DIRECTOR

RAMGOPAL VARMA

Ram Gopal Varma stands out in the crowd, is talented with an obsession for movies and a fetish for horror and the underworld.

Basics on Ram Gopal Varma
Ram Gopal Varma was born on 7th April 1962 in Hyderabad, India to Krishnam Raju Penmetsa, a sound recordist at the Annapurna studios and Suryamma.

Varma studied at the V.R Siddhartha Engineering College in the Civil Engineering stream but with a fascination for movies that made education secondary.

Before moving to Nigeria for work, he decided to stay put in Hyderabad and started a video rental library.

Varma was married and has a daughter. However he is currently divorced.

Ram Gopal Varma’s Movies
1989 to 1993 Varma’s career began as an assistant director on the sets of Telugu movies like Raogarillu and Collectorgari Abbai. He took over the director’s seat with Shiva (1989) exploring student politics. It starred Nagarjuna and Amla and became a huge success.

He roped in Sridevi for Kshana Kshanam (1990). After Antham (1992), Raathri (1992), Gaayam (1993) and Govinda Govinda (1993) which didn’t meet the same success as his first two movies that won him the Nandi Award for Best Director, he moved to Bollywood to set up his own production house Varma Corporation Ltd, now called Factory.

1995 to 2000 Varma’s Rangeela (1995) was a blockbuster and propelled him towards success in Bollywood. The movie revived the career of Urmila Matondkar who played the lead in many movies that he directed. Daud (1997) with Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar was a lovers-on-the run story similar to Kshana Kshanam but failed to run at the box office.

Satya (1998) was focused on the mafia. The movie received critical appreciation. The character of Bhiku Mhatre was immortalized. It won him the Filmfare Best Film Critics Award. The Telugu movie (1999) Prem Katha won him his third
Nandi Award for Best Director. After tackling the mafia, he moved towards thrillers and more experimental cinema with Kaun (1999). The movie starred Manoj Bajpai and Urmila Matondkar and was about a woman alone in the house with a stranger trying to enter the house. He did away with the typical song and dance sequences in the movie.

Following this, he directed Antara Mali, Aftab Shivadasani and Urmila Matondkar in Mast (1999) which was partially based on his own life as a movie buff obsessed with an actress. Jungle (1999) was inspired by a real life sandalwood smuggler who holds people hostage. It had Urmila Matondkar and Fardeen Khan in the lead.

2001 to 2008 Company (2002) was a brilliant take on the mafia, was said to be based on the real life spat between Dawood Ibrahim and Vivek Oberoi. The movie won several awards. He shifted focus towards the horror genre that is neglected in Bollywood and made Darna Mana Hai (2003) and Bhoot (2003). Naach (2004) with Antara Mali and Abhishek Bacchan was dismal.

The Godfather inspired Sarkar (2005) was up next with Amitabh Bacchan, Abhishek Bacchan and Kay Kay Menon. The movie was a block buster and received praise for the story and the stellar performances by the actors.

Shiva (2006) did not create a buzz and neither did Darna Zaroori Hai (2006). In Nishabd (2007) he handled a tricky subject of age-gap relationship sensitively. The movie starred Revathi Menon, Amitabh Bacchan and Jiah Khan.

Sholay’s remake, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007) did not hold any appeal to the audience and flopped. Darling (2007) about extramarital affairs was below average. The sequel to Sarkar, Sarkar Raj (2008) that included the third Bacchan, Aishwarya Rai, was commercially successful.

Contract (2008) was a dud and his horror flick Phoonk (2008) didn’t scare the box office enough to become a chart topper.

His next movies are Rann and Agyaat.
MOVIES

Loot (2009) - producer

Rann (2009) - director

Agyaat (2009) - director,producer

Naan Aval Adhu (2009) - producer

Phoonk (2008) - director

Contract (2008) - director

Sarkar Raj (2008) - director,writer

Go (2007) - producer

Darling (2007) - producer,director

Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag (2007) - director,producer,writer

Nishabd (2007) - director

Shiva (2006) - director,producer

Darwaza Bandh Rakho (2006) - producer,producer

Shock (2006) - producer

Darna Zaroori Hai (2006) - producer,writer

Mr. Ya Ms. (2006) - producer

Sarkar (2005) - producer,director

D - Underworld (2005) - producer

My Wife's Murder (2005) - producer

Ab Tak Chappan (2004) - producer

Ek Hasina Thi (2004) - producer

Gayab (2004) - producer

Naach (2004) - producer,director

Shock (2004) - writer

Vaastu Shastra (2004) - producer

Bhoot (2003) - producer,director

Darna Mana Hai (2003) - producer

Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003) - producer

Company (2002) - director

Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega (2001) - producer

Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001) - producer

Jungle (2000) - director

Kaun (1999) - director

Mast (1999) - producer,director

Prema Katha (1999) - director

Shool (1999) - producer,writer

Dil Se.. (1998) - producer

Satya (1998) - director,producer

W/O V.Varaprasad (1998) - producer

Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997) - director

Daud (1997) - director,writer,producer

Deyyam (1996) - writer,producer,director

Great Robbery (1996) - director

Gulabi (1996) - producer

Money Money (1995) - producer

Rangeela (1995) - producer,writer,director

Gaayam (1993) - writer,producer,director

Govindha Govindha (1993) - writer,director

Money (1993) - producer

Thiruda Thiruda (1993) - writer

Antam (1992) - producer,director,writer

Drohi (1992) - director

Raat (1992) - director,writer,producer

Kshana Kshanam (1991) - writer,director

Shiva (1990) - director,writer