I have lost the innocence of love: Ram Gopal Varma

Highlights

• Ram Gopal Varma, whose latest film The Attacks of 26/11 is based on 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, says he cannot make a typical Bollywood romance or comedy as he finds the darker side of human nature more intriguing.
• The filmmaker's visual narration is noted for being dark and intense even if he is dealing with a love story like Nishabd. The Satya helmer says it is not in him to make typical flowery love story.
• "I think may be the innocence of love is lost and realism of sex has gotten into me. I like understanding the complexities of human mind, their rebellious nature. I would be much more interested in making something about hanging of Kasab than a story about new age boy in love. I can never make a comedy or a love story," RGV told PTI in an interview.
• His impressive list of work includes cult movies like Satya, Rangeela, Company and Sarkar, but off late Ram Gopal Varma's Rakta Charitra and Department have failed to recreate the magic of his earlier films.
• Varma, however, is unfazed by the criticism, saying he makes what he believes in and will continue to do so.
• "I don't believe in copying stuff or following any formula which seems to be working for many. Also, I think audience cannot be generalised, all have different tastes and sensibilities, you cannot take them as a group of sheep... I make movies because it's my passion and I can only do justice if I believe in what I am doing.
• "Before Satya I made Daud, which was a flop... So when people say today that I make only flop movies then Satya also should have been a flop but it became a cult. At that time also many were against me making a movie about underworld with sweaty beardy actors but I believed in the script and went ahead."
• Ram Gopal Varma's The Attacks Of 26/11, based on the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, released today. The director believes no feature film can do justice in depicting this event because of its sheer complexity.
• But he has tried his best to show the reality and has not altered any fact.
• "It was a devestating event in post Independent India. The sheer audacity of these terrorists entering and shaking the life of 1.5 crore population is simply fascinating and scary at the same time. No feature film can ever do justice to this event because of the sheer complexity.
• "I have tried to capture the human drama that took place and there has been no altering of facts. Yes, there is dramatising, because the reaction of every eye witness was different. I have taken cinematic liberty in that sense but everything is source based -- principally the chargesheet filed and the eye witness accounts."
• Varma also says he is prepared to face criticism and backlash post the movie release.
• "Any kind of film based on real life incidents will always be subject to crticism and evoke mixed reactions. I am sure there will be some people who disagree with things shown in the film."
• The movie stars Nana Patekar in the role of Rakesh Maria, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) and Sanjeev Jaiswal who plays the role of terrorist Ajmal Kasab.