Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma opened up on the failure of his 2007 film Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag during a conversation with Komal Nahta on The Game Changers podcast, where he jokingly assigned blame to Amitabh Bachchan, Sascha Sippy, and even a poster designer for the film’s disastrous outcome.
“In filmmaking, the first primary mistake you do is taking the decision of what you want to do. After that, nothing is in your control. Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag met with the same fate. The real culprit is Sascha Sippy, the poster guy, and the people who were sitting next to me. In a way, also Bachchan sahab. But I am taking the blame for it,” the filmmaker said.
When asked if he would ever consider remaking Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, the director revealed an alternate plot he had initially conceived. Varma originally wanted to direct a revenge drama about a mill owner hiring a gangster to avenge his son’s death.
He admitted that if he had pursued this storyline with the same realism as Satya, the film might have performed better.
Varma revealed that the idea for a Sholay sequel was first pitched to him by Sascha Sippy, grandson of Sholay producer GP Sippy. According to Varma, Sascha claimed they already had a storyline where, after the Mehbooba song, Gabbar Singh fathers a child with Helen’s character. Years later, Junior Gabbar would return for revenge, kidnapping Veeru and Basanti, leading their son to seek vengeance.
The ambitious plan even included bringing Jackie Chan on board, but Varma ultimately refused to be part of the project.
Released in 2007, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag was an adaptation of Sholay featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal, Ajay Devgn, and Sushmita Sen. The film remains one of Bollywood’s most notorious misfires, panned by critics and audiences alike.