They Call Me a Ladies’ Man

What scares you?
I have a very imaginative mind. While shooting for Bhoot, I reached home late at night. It suddenly struck me that I live alone. While lying down sideways, I had a feeling that someone was sitting behind me. I was amused, but couldn’t bring myself to turn around. But I don’t have phobias.

You make stars out of actors. How do you spot talent?
People just walk into their roles. I’m not a control freak or an egoistic guy who wants to play God. I’ve never launched anyone, upto now. But I’m going to launch a guy in a mass masala film.

Is it Randeep Hooda?
No, though he is in one of my productions. It’s Mohit Kumar. He’s from Delhi and he walked into my office one day. I’ll showcase him in a conventional, stylised film.

About Vivek Oberoi’s spat with Salman Khan — is this the person you first met?
People change and only they know if it will work better for them. I don’t know what this is, but I needed Vivek to perform a function and he did it. It’s not my personal lookout beyond that.

With this Hollywood collaboration, do you see Ramgopal Varma Corporation becoming a big studio?
The Corporation happened because I love cinema and despise the formula film. But I can only make one film a year and maybe a good one in three years. But there are so many stories.

So I’m grabbing everyone who catches my fancy and making a small army. The Karan Johars, Aditya Chopras and Sooraj Barjatyas are like America and we’re the Al Qaeda. The small terrorist cells in the mountains.

You’ve been accused of ghost-directing.
People think Ramu’s making 10-20 films. But I’m not constantly creatively involved. I did interfere in Road, but only screwed it further. A film shouldn’t be made by two people.

What’s your aversion to awards?
I don’t understand the concept. Film-making is a complex vision and the whole team counts. How can you expect an outside body to perceive that?

Would you work with Aamir Khan again?
I don’t think either of us want to work together. I get up in the morning and make a film in the afternoon. He’s genuine, but I can’t respond to his speed. I would die of boredom — I’m okay with five flops and one great film. It’s not a misunderstanding, just too technical. But I don’t think there’s anyone in Bollywood more sincere.

Are there films that you’d like to change?
I thought DDLJ broke the cliche because the two didn’t run away. But that wasn’t sustained in the climax; it bothered me. As for my films, characters in Satya, Jungle and Rangeela were superficial. I always mess up one character per film.

You’ve sparked off an Urmila-Antara battle.
You’re only saying this because they are women. I repeat Nana Patekar and Ajay Devgan in my films. My belief in Urmila has been constant since Rangeela; she’s unbelievable in Bhoot. Antara’s performance was far superior in Road, but her character wasn’t consistent.

There are no songs in Bhoot!
I promise to scare the hell out of people. Why should I give a bonus track shot in New Zealand? Music limits our stories. But I want to make a very modern musical one day.

There’s similarity between Alfred Hitchcock and you…
But I’m more influenced by Speilberg — his understanding of the craft is unmatched.

But would you go before the camera?
No thanks. My biggest fear is that the camera will catch me at a wrong angle. The media calls me a ladies’ man. But the ladies would run away if they actually saw the true guy!