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If Jungle, which was released 25 years ago on July 14, were to be released today it would have probably met the same fate as Adipurush, though Jungle was a better far more intelligent film.

It was also a rigorous revisionist version of the Ramayan where ‘Sita’ played by Urmila Matondkar is abducted by ‘Raavan’ , played by Sushant Singh …not Rajput, the other talented Sushant Singh.

Singh played Durga Narayan Choudhary , a Veerappan styled dacoit in the jungle who abducts a bunch of tourists, uses them to negotiate with the government, releases them but decides to hold back one hostage , Anu (Matondkar) whom he has taken a fancy to.

The rest of the tense film shot in striking hues of light green and red, is all about ‘Rama’ Fardeen Khan rescuing his Sita. Significantly, Sushant’s character never touches his special hostage physically; also none of the characters were named after their counterparts in Ramayan.

J D Chakravarthy looks back and speaks to Subhash K Jha about 27 years of Satya, the Ram Gopal Verma directed crime drama that also starred the Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, alongside Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Shrivastava and Paresh Rawal.

What do you have to say about the lingering impact of Satya?

Actually, the impact of Satya, well, I think I need to change the timelines. I would initially like to start with what happened after the show on 15th January for the re-release of Satya. I’ve been associated with Ramuji from Shiva. I’ve been his assistant. He’s produced about 36 films with me. I directed 12 films for him. I edited ….blah blah blah blah blah bla… we can go on. The point is, I’ve never seen him, and I know this is a very strong statement, I’ve never seen him even crying when his father passed away.

Looking back at the gritty political thriller Sarkar, in this fascinating installment of Subhash K Jha’s This Day That Year series, where we also hear from the star Amitabh Bachchan about making the Rsm Gopal Varma film which released in 2005.

In Sarkar, nothing is as apparent as it seems. Take a look at the plot: a saviour-of-the-masses hero, his two heir-apparent – the bad son and good son, the tussle of power between the two sons in a world that Varma has over the years patented and portrayed inside-out.

Dark, gleaming, ominous corridors hiding anguished pain, characters who look like they could do with a bath… and a massage to release some of the nervous tension that comes from a blurred perception of crime and morality – these characterize the givens in a Varma film.

Sarkar too takes us through a world governed by the rules of survival of the fittest.

Subhash K Jha looks back at the one where Mohanlal fell out with Ram Gopal Varma over Company.

The fallout had all the makings of a classic Greek tragedy. But with elements of high comedy thrown in. Ram Gopal Varma and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal were as thick as thieves during the making of Varma’s Company. The actor couldn’t stop praising the director. Varma reciprocated in kind, going as far as to say, “Lal is the best actor and human being I’ve ever worked with.”

Then suddenly things soured between them. Mohanlal filed a case against Varma’s production house for breach of payment. Why was a mild-mannered actor-gentleman like Mohanlal forced to take such drastic action?

Mohanlal explained to me, “When Ramu and the producers of Company came and quoted a fee to me, I said I cannot do the film for the quoted fee, but I...

As a producer, Madhu Mantena has an impeccable track record of creative and commercial success. Subhash K Jha lists his five picks for the best of the best Madhu Mantena.

1.Ghajini (2008):

The first 100-crore success of Indian cinema. Ghajini, directed by A R Murugadoss, is not for the squeamish. The violence is prolonged, sadistic, and often done with the elaborate abundance and eye-catching elan of a staged opera (Ravi Chandran’s camerawork glistens and bristles with optimum optical glory). And yet women in the audience seemed to love the film. Ghajini is at heart a love story of a cocooned tycoon who discovers love in a working-class environment. Aamir Khan’s expressions of bewilderment, curiosity, pleasure, and acceptance in Asin’s company remind you of a baby that’s just discovered mother-love.

2. Rakht Charitra (2010):

Marking the Hindi debut of Tamil superstar Suriya, this is another violent but stunning study of human avarice.

In another This Drivel That Year feature, Subhash K Jha looks back at Ram Gopal Varma’s horror Phoonk 2 which released 15 years ago.

Phoonk 2 is definitely Not the scariest film we’ve seen. Varma’s terror theme has clearly run its course. What we see here are the remnants of another Friday. And definitely not Friday The 13th.

Perched somewhere between crowing (ahem ahem) about the supernatural and crying over the nerve-wracking disruption of domestic harmony by a ghost which just won’t go away Phoonk 2 is like that promised rollercoaster ride which gets aborted in the first lap because of a short circuit.

It’s not really Varma or his director Milind Gadkar’s fault. It’s the nature of the material. Ram Gopal Varma’s love for horror has never extended beyond the there-something-under-the-bed kind of unwarranted foreboding that we all feel in a new environment. In a majority of his horror films,...

Ram Gopal Varma who last directed the prolific Manoj Bajpayee in Satya 25 years ago, is excited about collaborating with Manoj again.

Sharing details, Ramu tells me, “It’s called Police Station Mein Bhoot. It is a horror comedy. I have written it myself, and we will start in June. Manoj plays a cop who accidentally kills a criminal who comes back to haunt him as a ghost. The idea is, where does the cop hide when he is pursued by a criminal? Let’s see if the audience finds it funny. This is a new genre for Manoj and me. We start shooting in June. Besides Manoj, I can only confirm Abhishek Banerjee at the moment. I think he completely owned the first half of Stree. I have signed a newcomer for the ghost’s role. I don’t want to reveal his name at the moment.”

Ramu’s fights...

To celebrate Ram Gopal Varma’s birthday, Subhash K Jha shares memories of the noted director’s reel and real life.

I have known Ram Gopal Varma for a longer time than I know almost anyone else in the film industry except Shabana Azmi and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whom I have been friends with for much longer. These two apart, Ramu is a friend who has come many times.

We became friends soon after Satya was released. Back then he was seen as the best thing to have happened to Hindi cinema since R D Burman. The whole industry was in awe of the raw. Ramu couldn’t care less. To him Satya was just another film which acquired a super-cult status. “I worked harder on Daud. And look at what happened to that!”

In his self-definition of creativity, Ramu is a true democrat. To him, there is no difference between Shiva,...

J D Chakravarthy, the star of Satya, talks with Subhash K Jha about his directorial debut Durga which turned 23 on March 23.

What prompted you to direct Durga way back in 2002 ?

Durga, well, you know, sometimes some films don’t work, not because they’re bad, but because of your earlier films’ impact. But the whole idea of making this film is only because of Satya. When you ask me about Durga, that is the first thing that comes into my mind. You know, that’s what has exactly happened with Durga. As this was immediately after Satya.

Did you enjoy turning director so early in your career?

Well, the good thing was, it was a tremendous high. And the bad was also that it has tremendous high. At that point in time, for me, you know, the South version worked. So, I decided to make it in Hindi. The moment...

Over a half a century after its release, Mother India (released in 1957) remains one of the most important international films of all time. The groundbreaking film made it to the Academy Awards and eventually bagged a nomination in the Best International Film category, only to lose the prize to Federico Fellini by just one vote, who took the Golden Statue for Nights of Cabiria. Despite facing defeat at the Oscars, this social epic became one of the greatest international films of all time. But what makes it endure?

The director, Mehboob Khan, made a film deeply embedded in a specific cultural context. The setting of the movie was rooted in rural India, showing the brutal reality faced by the poor of the nation. However, there were a lot of elements in the film that resonated with the audience worldwide. The plight of the working class, the unflinching portrayal of struggle,...

This Day That Year: Subhash K Jha revisits Nishabd 18 years later and shares a throwback interview with Mr Amitabh Bachchan about the film.

Ram Gopal Varma’s Nishabd, with its pulsating but humane play of light and shade within the sprawling, gorgeous greenery of a tea estate, is the closest you’re going to come to the passion of a Renaissance painting in Hindi cinema.

Varma’s mastery over visuals, which tells a tale of reclamation and retribution, has never been in doubt. The qualities that have always made his cinema look unique have been applied to a theme that has so far remained forbidden to Varma’s range of vision.

In narrating a 60-year-old ‘happily’ married man’s sudden passion for his daughter’s 18-year-old friend, Ramu goes for the jugular. The luminous language of Nishabd makes you grope for new words to describe the experience of watching a...

Rekhachithram’s Unique Inspiration ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Rekhachithram was the only financially successful Malayalam film released in January 2025. The film stood out for its unique premise, blending historical fiction with an alternate take on real events, seamlessly intertwining fact and imagination.

One of the film’s biggest talking points was its use of artificial intelligence to recreate Mammootty from the 1980s. While the attempt was impressive, something was slightly off—the digital recreation wasn’t convincing enough and couldn’t fully capture the essence of the legendary actor.

The story of Rekhachithram revolves around the exhumation of a decades-old skeleton, which turns out to be that of a girl who appeared in a song sequence from the 1985 film Kathodu Kathoram. The discovery sparks an investigation decades later, unraveling a mystery deeply connected to the classic film.

Trending Controversial Director Pa Ranjith To Launch Janhvi Kapoor In Tamil Web Series?

Aishwarya Rajesh...

18 years ago, Aurag Kashyap’s drama Black Friday released. Subhash K Jha revisits the film that starred Pavan Malhotra, Kk Menon, and Aditya Srivastav.

Recreating the events leading up to the ‘Bombay’ blasts (there was no Mumbai back then) on 12 March 1993, Anurag Kashyap’s clenched drama on the second-worst terror attack in Mumbai is a source of constant shock. On each viewing, you will come across new facets of the dark, diabolic characters plotting a conspiracy that still boggles the mind.

The extraordinary cast adds considerably to the palate of pulsating action. Watch out especially for Pavan Malhotra as Tiger Memon, K K Menon as inspector Rakesh Maria, and Aditya Srivastava Badshah Khan. Oh, didn’t I tell you? This film, for once, names and shames real-life terrorists.

Anurag Kashyap’s desperately dark exploration of the plan to blow up Mumbai had several exceptional performances, none more so than Pavan,...

Logic and artistic sensibility both take the backseat in Hotstar’s latest Telugu series, Kobali. The show is all blood and testosterone and literally nothing else. The acting—barring Ravi Prakash, who plays Srinu—is underwhelming, the writing is poor and at times doesn’t make much sense, and even the action is quite dated. It’s not that the main story is bad; in fact, that’s the only thing Kobali has going in its favor. That also means a better, more engaging show could have been made from this base, with better execution.

Spoilers Ahead

What is the show about?

Old Sambaiah has lived his life bootlegging alcohol. His sons haven’t followed the same path, but other than Srinu—the middle one—they haven’t made much of themselves either. The younger, Ramu, mostly spends his days loitering in the village, hanging out with his friends, and playing cricket.

Post the emotional cathartic silver jubilee screening of Satya, Ram Gopal Varma is all set to launch his new film.

Shedding light on the project, Ramu says, “The film is called Syndicate. It’s about a terrifying organisation which threatens the very existence of India. Street gangs, which flourished till the 70s, were finished when they got absorbed into hardline political parties, and later, when the smugglers rose up due to heavy demand for electronic goods, gold, etc, they too were destroyed by the economic reforms, and then the deadly corporate gangs like D Company etc arrived, to be once again victoriously crushed. Similarly, the early black September terrorists paled in comparison to the deadly Al-Qaeda, which in turn looked like nothing in front of the horrific Isis group.”

Ramu admits there has been no notable criminal organisation since the last 10 to 15 years in India. “But right now the intense...

Raveena Tandon Once Opened Up About How Ram Gopal Varma Was Not Sure About Her Casting In Shool (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Raveena Tandon might be a top actress of the 90s but had to convince Ram Gopal Varma for her role in Shool, directed by E Nivas. Raveena established herself in the comic space with her films opposite Govinda. However, that hindered her as she did not fit Rgv’s criteria for Shool’s Manjari. However, the actress proved her acting prowess and convinced Varma she was not the wrong choice. Scroll below for the deets.

Shool was released in 1999, and Eeshwar Nivas directed the film. The film features Manoj Bajpayee and Sayaji Shinde in crucial roles. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. It was also featured at the International Film Festival of India and the Toronto International Film Festival. The action crime drama...

Aamir Khan’s Feelings of ‘Betrayal’ by Ram Gopal Varma (Photo Credit – Koimoi)

Aamir Khan and Ram Gopal Varma have had a cold relationship for 29 years. Yes, it’s true. While their collaboration in 1995 with Rangeela was a mammoth success, Ramu’s bad-mouthing rubbed Aamir the wrong way, and since then, Aamir has maintained his distance from Ram Gopal Varma.

The Sarkar director takes the blame for it. He accepted that Aamir Khan felt betrayed when the media noted his comments on Khan’s performance in Rangeela out of context. In an interview, the filmmaker spoke about a particular scene of Aamir Khan in Rangeela, which he believed was improved by a co-star’s reaction to Aamir’s line delivery.

He said that the interviewer didn’t understand his comment and ran a story with the headline’ The waiter was better than Aamir’ and quoted him. When the news reached Aamir,...

Usha Uthup’s husband, Jani Chacko Uthup, passed away at the age of 78 in Kolkata on Monday due to a cardiac arrest. He suffered the heart attack while watching TV at home and was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

Jani Chacko Uthup, who worked in the tea plantation sector, met Usha Uthup at Trincas in the early ’70s. The couple has two children, Sunny and Anjali. Jani Chacko Uthup’s last rites will be performed in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Anjali Uthup paid tribute to her father on social media, describing him as a stylish and handsome gentleman who was deeply loved by his family. She highlighted his legacy as a true gentleman and a dedicated tea taster.

Usha Uthup, recently honored with the Padma Bhushan, expressed her gratitude for the support from her family and the recognition from the government. The singer, known for her distinctive...

Aparichithudu Re-Release At The Box Office: A Ray Of Hope For Telugu Cinemas; But Will It Shatter HanuMan, Tillu Square’s Record? (Photo Credit – IMDb)

Telugu audiences are itching to get back to the theatres after a disappointing summer with no major releases. This Friday, however, offers a potential crowd-pleaser with the re-release of Shankar’s classic psychological thriller, Aparichithudu (Telugu version of Anniyan).

The original 2005 Anniyan was a box office juggernaut, raking in over 50 crore. Its Telugu version, Aparichithudu, boasts a massive fanbase, thanks to Vikram‘s award-worthy performance and Shankar’s masterful direction. The film’s cult status and enduring appeal suggest it could be the drawcard that brings audiences back to the big screen.

Aparichithudu’s Plot:

Aparichithudu centres around Ramu, a lawyer frustrated by the rampant corruption and social apathy. When the legal system fails, Ramu develops a violent alter ego, Aparichithudu, who seeks to punish...

In a surprising turn of events, Ramu, a seemingly ordinary bull, has become an internet sensation after a video showcasing its exceptional autonomous skills caught the attention of billionaire Anand Mahindra. The footage, shared by Mahindra on Twitter, features Ramu effortlessly carrying out tasks such as positioning himself to carry a cart, navigating a gaushala (cow shelter), and precisely dropping goods without any human guidance.

The extraordinary display of self-sufficiency has captivated viewers, with Mahindra commenting, “If Ramu could speak, I bet he would give better advice on how to be ‘Life-Positive’ than every other self-proclaimed motivational speaker in the world.”

Within a couple of hours, the video garnered an impressive 187.8K views. The narrator suggests that those interested in witnessing Ramu’s amazing skills can visit Asaram Bapu’s ashram in Ludhiana.

Anand Mahindra’s Twitter thread became a lively discussion, with users expressing awe at Ramu’s abilities.

Actress Raveena Tandon, who is receiving a lot of good response to her recently released show ‘Karmma Calling’, has shared that filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma was not in favour of casting her in ‘Shool’ on which he served as the producer. The actress revealed that the director of the film, E Nivas was convinced of casting her for the film and he put his foot down and went ahead with the promo shoot. During the promo Rgv failed to recognise Raveena.

Walking down the memory lane, the actress said: “‘Shool’ was a challenge that I wanted to pick up because it was the role of a Bihari housewife. E Nivas, the director of the film, was very keen on signing me but Ram Gopal Varma, being the producer and a very dear friend, had issues with signing me for the film. He used to say, ‘Ravs, main apni aankhen band karta hoon,...

According to the industry buzz, Nana Patekar, who is making a comeback after eight years with Ram Gopal Varma's Ab Tak Chhappan sequel, is also teaming with the filmmaker for his next. Apparently, Rgv has roped in Nana to play Rakesh Maria in his next based on the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.

Rakesh Maria is the Chief of Anti Terrorist Squad and was in charge of leading the investigations to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Kay Kay Menon's role in Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday was also modeled on Rakesh Maria.

According to the reports, Rgv had also approached, Sanjay Dutt and Kamal Haasan for the same role. A source close to Ramu spills the beans, "Yes, Ramu had also approached Sanjay and Kamal but Nana was always Ramu's first choice. He had approached Nana for the role while he was still shooting Ab Tak Chhappan. Nana didn't give...

When India was cheering, applauding, shedding a tear and clapping in awe looking at the batting maestro hit his hundredth ton, Bollywood’s own Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) kicked off his most ambitious and prestigious venture till date; a film based on the 26/11 attacks made on Mumbai.

“Today is the 1st day of shooting of the most important film of my career `The Attacks of 26/11 `. That’s because it’s on the most important event that ever happened. If not in scale and damage and tragedy just in sheer complexity it beats even 9/11. The attacks of 26/11 will detail every aspect of the carnage beginning with the terrorists taking over Amar Solanki’s trawler `Kuber’. I want 2 thank all the officers who have given me unimaginable inputs and insights into this event which is making this film possible,” tweets Rgv.

Rommel Rodrigues, the author of the book “Kasab – The face of...