‘My bad films are intentional’: Ram Gopal Varma admits ‘arrogance’ led to downfall, names one movie he most regrets

“As ordinary people, we only hear about the underworld in the news — that someone has been killed or died in an encounter. In Satya, I tried to show their personal lives — their relationships, friendships, and what they are like at home. I wanted to explore ordinary people in extraordinary situations. That’s what made it larger,” he explained.

He admitted, however, that he lost that instinct soon after. Referring to Kaun, he said, “I am not saying it was wrong to make Kaun. But after Satya, I should have made something bigger. Kaun was a mix of arrogance and carelessness. Arrogance because I took things for granted; carelessness because I didn’t think about the consequences. I didn’t consciously realise it then.”

Varma went on to make a striking admission: “All my hit films are accidents, and all my bad films are intentional. If I knew exactly what makes a Satya, Company, Rangeela or Bhoot, why would I ever make a film that wouldn’t work? I can only make films — whether they turn out good or bad is not in my hands. But when I realised that my genuine intention existed only in my bad films, that hit me — especially when I rewatched Satya.”

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When asked to name the worst film of his career, Varma didn’t hesitate. “The worst film I ever made would definitely be Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, closely followed by Department. Both consumed the maximum time and money in my career,” he said candidly.

He also addressed the public perception that he had somehow “lost it.”

“I have always been open on Twitter and made controversial statements. But now that I have been largely absent from the Hindi film industry, people only see me through my tweets. They have formed an image of me based on that, which isn’t entirely true. I have been busy making Telugu and political films.”

Responding to assumptions about his late-night posts, he added, “Every time I tweet at night, people assume I am drunk. The drunk videos you see of me are uploaded by me — not by someone else. I always put out my honest opinion. But I understand why people feel the way they do. They think — here’s a filmmaker of a certain standard, why is he behaving like this?”

In a moment of brutal self-awareness, Varma concluded, “I am irresponsible and extremely selfish. I don’t make films for people’s love. Filmmaking gives me a high; it keeps me excited. It’s a state of mind. I never saw any film as a purpose. I made Satya because I was curious about the underworld. The film was simply the result of that curiosity. I never think that I am responsible for something.”