Yen for adventure and violence

RAM GOPAL Varma is editing his latest film ``Jungle'' at Rakesh Roshan's `Video Kraft'. On a crowded street of Santacruz, Mumbai, the address is well-known because Hrithik Roshan, showbiz's current heart-throb, often drops by to watch the rushes of a new film. He is there right now too and the watchman has a tough time controlling the gatecrashers.

Unmindful of the stampede outside, Ram Gopal Varma better known as Ramu, is focussed on the small screen, eyebrows furrowed, drinking gallons of sugar free coffee. Not surprising that he is the only director in the film-firmament to give two films a year, his choice of subject always original and interesting.

``Your critics say you are in a race. Have you always been so impatient?'' I ask Ram Gopal Varma as he stops his work to take his first break since morning. He smiles, stretches his toes and asks for one more round of coffee. ``I'm plain restless'', he replies. ``Somehow, I cannot seem to sustain interest in any project beyond six months. That is my failing and also my strength.''

But at the pace at which you're churning out films, don't you fear a burn out?'' Ramu listens intently, contemplating on the comment. He has always been a good listener. ``Overproductivity isn't the only evil in a creative field. I can stagnate if I'm unproductive as well, so between the two, I choose the former.''

Does he think there is life beyond cinema? ``Of course there is... I'm a normal guy and have my own fancies, but my love for cinema dominates it all. Even my flops fascinate me because they reflect my mindframe. They teach me lessons. I can now see so clearly that I was rebellious during ``Daud'', introspective during ``Satya'', having fun during ``Rangeela'' and experimenting during ``Kaun''... They were different phases and I don't regret them.''

And your mindframe during ``Jungle''? ``After ``Mast,'' I was to start a film with Shah Rukh Khan, but his home production kept getting delayed. When I realised that he wouldn't be able to shoot for another five months, I made up my mind and within a week plunged into ``Jungle.'' I started a film in seven days, isn't that impractical?'' What about the story and the script? ``I've always developed my script during the shooting and so far, I have been lucky. The old guards call it foolishness, but I believe that the location has its own contribution. The slums of ``Satya,'' the outdoor locales of ``Daud'' and the forest interiors of ``Jungle'' cannot be underestimated. We shot a scene in the Malshejghat forest, with the actors hanging from a cliff. Such shots cannot happen again. There was a draught coming from below and the sand burnt our eyes. It was a dangerous moment and the actors had to be lowered, but the fear stayed with us. We wondered how those living in the jungles survived and remained sane at nights...''

How did you choose your forest locations? ``I'm not the kind to mull over decisions. I follow my heart. So after scouting round five forests, I stumbled upon this one near the Bandipur sanctuary on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We could not get permission to shoot inside the sanctuary, but we have shot in the areas surrounding it, and a major portion inside the Bhushankara forests.'' You chose the South because the character bears a resemblance to the sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. ``My film isn't based on Veerappan. It is the story of a young boy determined to save his lover, captured by a dreaded dacoit. During the process, he is dragged into the dark world, aided by a task force commander (Sunil Shetty) and together, they save his beloved.'' In short, a happy ending. ``Yes, since that's what both the critics and audience want.''

Ramu laughs heartily for the first time. His cell phone rings persistently and he excuses himself to answer it. Minutes later when he returns, he appears distracted, but gets back to the mood soon after.

What happened to the rumours about you making a film with Amitabh Bachchan? You seem to be resisting the star system? Ramu shifts uncomfortably, ``When you make a film with Bachchan, the canvas automatically expands. The dates are not so easy and the time taken is longer. On the other hand, when you work with lesser known actors, they're at your beck and call. It's something I've got used to now. That's the beauty of working with newcomers. They have time, inclination and intensity. It is a high for any director, specially a hyperactive director like me always in a hurry to complete his project. The media says that I discover newcomers, but I feel that the newcomers discover me...!''

Somehow, your films seem to be restricted to cinema and crime. It is as if you're determined to dwell on glamour or adventure? ``Isn't life all about seeking a mirage... If we had all the answers or were so satiated, there would be no desire. Desires create dreams. I don't accept the contention that I glorify crime. Even ``Shiva'', my most violent film to date does not glorify violence. It analyses it. There was no villain in ``Satya''. The film attempts to understand the gangster, emphathises with the system that turns him into a victim. Similarly, there are no obvious parallels between Veerappan and my dacoit, Durga Narayan. The dacoit is a victim of his circumstances. He has been away from civilisation for so long, that when confronted by it, he seems a misfit.''

What attracted you to the subject of ``Jungle''? ``I had not planned the film. It was a quickie to fill in my free dates. My writer friend from Delhi, Jaideep Shahani, dropped by and narrated the story. The subject was challenging and I said ``yes''. That is how all my films are born. I was fascinated with the idea of turning the forest into a character.'' You said that during ``Kaun'' as well, of turning a house into a character. ``During ``Kaun'', we lived in the same house we shot in, and after a point, the house was coming on to us. We were familiar with its every nook and corner... During the final schedule, we were so fed up that we swore never to return to the house again. But we did, on screen, watching the first trial,'' he smiles.

``Actually, human beings can cope with anything. It is just that we've made ourselves precious depending on gadgets, our means of transport, TV and telephone, but life moves on even without them... For ``Jungle'', we survived 45 days on location, completely cut off from civilisation. The unit was put up in modest cottages in the interiors. There was no electricity and the only entertainment we had was each other's company. We travelled in jeeps and my assistants suffered painful insect bites and had their bodies sprouted in angry rashes, but what's remarkable is that their spirit remained unbroken. You will not believe but often, the grass was so tall that one couldn't see what was four feet ahead of you. There was always the threat of wild animals and once a leopard crossed our path too...''

With so many hurdles, was it necessary to shoot inside a real jungle? You could have substituted it with computer graphics? ``I could have, but you cannot create primitive conditions on the computer. You cannot fake human emotions, create fear that was writ large on the faces of the starcast as they arrived for the day's shoot or make them flee, as they did when they heard an unfamiliar sound. It sounds cruel but once I loaded a camera on top of a bike just to capture the expressions of my artistes. I've used the footage in passing shots during the film and the result is matchless!''It's 5 p.m. and Ramu's assistant comes to call him to get back to the editing screen. He wipes his glasses and puts them on as he says, ``It's time to earn my bread.''

BHAWANA SOMAAYA

Editor, `g' Magazine

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