Movie Review: RAM GOPAL VERMA KI AAG

Ram Gopal Varma Ka Silly Joke
8/31/2007 2:49:38 PM
Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag is the unofficial remake of the mother of all Hindi films - Sholay. With a contemporary twist.

Film: Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgun, Mohan Lal, Sushmita Sen, Nisha Kothari & Prashant Raj

Director: Ram Gopal Varma

Rating: (YUCK!)

As everyone now knows, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag is the unofficial remake of the mother of all Hindi films - Sholay. With a contemporary twist. So instead of Ramgarh, the setting is Mumbai and heroes (Ajay Devgun) and Raj (Prashant Raj) are the men who will help Inspector Narisimha take on ganglord Baban (Amitabh Bachchan). The film is meant to be a tribute, it ends up being a grotesque parody!

Yes, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag is a silly joke. The only problem is that you don't feel too much like laughing. Because you are too busy fighting off extreme boredom. After watching this two and a half hour film, you may even end up feeling seriously annoyed - but that would be a waste of emotional energy. And this film is not deserving of that!

Why doesn't it work? Where do we start? First you can't just pick up the storyline and characters of Sholay, transport them to the city and not bother to flesh out plot or character motivations. And hope that your cacophony of a background score makes up for the lack of anything else! That's lazy filmmaking and the result is an incoherent, hysterically silly film. Ramu's set of characters go through the motions in a strange stupor, and so does the rest of his pointless film. Interrupted sometimes by an over the hill Urmila, jiggling an over the hill belly! Forget Ramu's much publicised love for Ramesh Sippy's Sholay - He obviously hated the film, and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag is his revenge!

Even if you dispense with the comparisons, as a stand alone film, this is Ramu's worst. Worse than Shiva (The Mohit Ahlawat one)

Nothing works for the film. The modern day setting makes it a disjointed exercise, and Bapan in the city is just another run of the mill underworld psychopath - there's absolutely no menace to his persona. In fact, he is a gimmicky creature gnashing his teeth in a comical impersonation of evil. And though it is the Amitabh Bachchan playing Bapan, even he can't save it from being embarrassingly bad. Just what was Ramu thinking? There's no redemption in the rest of the cast - Sushmita Sen's black widow act with super slow dialogue delivery intended to display great depths of sorrow is unintentionally hilarious. Ajay Devgun mutilates the drunken scene from Sholay, and it will take us some time to forgive him. Prashant Raj is unimpressive. Nisha Kothari - each time you see this actor, if you can call her that in a film, you keep hoping it's the last time - but sadly no such luck!

Ramu needs to go back to being the filmmaker he was! You can forgive lesser filmmakers their faults, but when the director of Satya and Company comes up with a sloppy, annoying film, it is tragic. Call in the firefighters - Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag needs urgent dousing.

The E Now weekend rating for this film is one star! Stay away!
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