Ram Gopal Varma on Agyaat

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Let’s clarify about the new installment of ‘Sarkar’, before we let Ramgopal Varma talk of ‘Agyaat’, his new outing. “I don’t think another installment will have the same effect after the peak ‘Sarkar Raj’ reached, especially now that Abhishek is gone [the actor was shot dead in ‘Sarkar Raj’],” RGV states, thus clearly signaling the end of the ‘Sarkar’ series.

Right now, RGV is looking at ‘Agyaat’, which, he clarifies, is not a horror film, but a thriller. “Fear doesn’t necessarily come from the supernatural. Fear can also come from something one cannot see. That invisible force is the driving force of ‘Agyaat’,” he elucidates. Fear or horror, as we know by now, has been RGV’s forte and is the basis of almost every second film he makes. So what is so different about ‘Agyaat’? “I can confidently say that this film is way ahead of anything I’ve done earlier. Creating a fearsome character just by its sound is a difficult task. Also, the jungle we’ve shot in is nothing like any jungle people might’ve seen before,” RGV reveals.

Unlike most RGV films, ‘Agyaat’ doesn’t boast of big stars, rather most of them are rank newcomers/lesser-known names. “New faces don’t carry the burden of expectations, so I get freedom to place my characters. In ‘Agyaat’, you could say that the jungle or the creature is the lead,” RGV adds.

Next on the cards is ‘Rann’, with Amitabh Bachchan, releasing shortly after ‘Agyaat’ and the two part ‘Rakta Charitra’, which goes on floors soon. ‘Rann’ contains the controversial ‘altered version’ of the national anthem that has been submitted to the court for a nod.

As for ‘Rakta Charitra’, why has RGV opted for a character that most in North India haven’t heard of and what if the first part doesn’t do well [the film will be made in two parts]? “That’s a risk I have to take. Also, his life [Paritala Ravi] could not be described in just two hours, so I needed to make the second part,” justifies RGV.