The Real HORROR
Going by most of the reviews AGYAAT seems to be the worst film ever made since the invention of camera.
Some Peppermint Tejpal wrote a review in Mumbai Mirror, that is if it can be called a review, posing as if he is the world expert on cinema. If the only qualification of a reviewer is to just have an opinion then I would really like to know the process of a paper choosing and employing a reviewer out of millions of opinion makers. If it’s not about his opinion and it’s about expertise then what is peppermint’s expertise. It would be nothing but him being in love with himself the way he can rip apart a film much more than even his actual hatred for the film. So a Mayank Shekar leaves for a higher salary or some other reason and they fill his space with peppermint who nobody knows and after the reviews of 2 or 3 films he becomes as popular primarily because of the brand of the newspaper and the more nastier he becomes the more popular he becomes because instinctively this breed of reviewers understand this from the popularity of their predecessor Khalid Mohammed.
Twenty years ago Khalid wrote a review of my first film “SHIVA” calling it a piece of junk which is considered to be a cult film by most today. And believe it or not the same Khalid referred to it as a cult classic in a certain context of a review he wrote for some other film 10 years later. So does his mind work 10 years slower? After being kicked out and down the ladder from TOI to Mid-day to DNA, to HT to Asian Age, I hear that he writes for some obscure website which I doubt even 5 people will read. Also I hear some horrifying news that he is making another film and that news I think is more horrifying than any horrifying film I ever made. To fund him after those 3 or 4 fantastic masterpieces he made, his investors have to be one hundred time more dumber than any of my investors.
Also I have no problem in getting one star from sweetie cutie Anupama who thinks “Eklavya” is a classic and the lesser said about the Buffalo Bumzai the better. (I have gone this personal taking a leaf from them). I can’t get over the glee in Bumzai’s eyes when she is ripping a film. But I feel also that the psychology of these critics pales in comparison in negativisim to the psychological aspect behind the point of criticism by itself.
The purpose of a review could be to warn a viewer of how a film is and probably to prepare a mindset. But does anybody believe that this alone would be the intention of any of the reviewers. Eventually a film is a commercial product in a consumer market sheerly because so much money and so many people’s efforts, careers and businesses are linked with it. A car manufacturer comes out with a new model, it’s fair enough that some relevant expert can give his views on the car’s good and bad points to an ignorant customer. But he cannot go on a trip of a personal attack on the manufacturer and to having his presumptions on the intent of manufacturing the car.
So why is this discrimination against the cinema industry alone? Every other product put out there in the market gets a chance to be judged by the consumer directly whether he likes it or not, whereas only in the film industry’s case its products are constantly judged, ridiculed, made fun of, misinterpreted in the eyes of the people by using the platforms of mass mediums like newspapers and television channels.
It is not realized by many that hundreds of people and their families livelihoods are dependent upon a films run. To indiscriminately run down a film in a glee to hit at the maker will result in lot more hurt to many other people associated with the film in various others ways namely the actors, technicians, distributors, exhibitors etc who primarily have no way of controlling how a film will shape up but yet will bear the brunt of its failure in many cases much more than the maker.
Having said all this, more than the critics who enjoy trashing films it’s us film folk who relish a bad review as long as it’s someone else’s film and not our film. I think it is human nature to enjoy negativity. We like to hear bad things, we love to hear failure of others so that by default we feel successful. As long as it is in the realm of fantasy and wishful thinking that’s fair enough as like I said it is human trait which we can’t escape from but when it is implemented in a practical aspect it can damage the whole system.
The whole film industry literally celebrated the trashing of KAMBHAKT ISHQ as each of them would be jealous of Akshay’s raise and the brand of the film. The fact that they feel so small in front of that picture in the pre-release hype gives a high to them when it is being ripped. I hated KAMBHAKT ISHQ myself but I don’t think I or anybody have a right to come in between that film and the guy who wants to see it. If I go to a store to buy a shirt after seeing an advertisement by the manufacturer, the shop keeper has a right to display his goods in whichever attractive manner he chooses and I and every single customer have a right to choose whatever we want to buy depending directly on our individual tastes and sensibilities etc. But I would not want a guy to be at the door psyching me and influencing me on what to buy and what not to buy.
So as long as this discrimination is only on film products, unless we film folks take time off from enjoying other’s films being trashed and realize that the species of critics are becoming a disease to the film industry and its objectives after expending months and years work, we still would be continuing to be at the mercy of a few uninformed idiots who have nothing to loose and with zero accountability.
Also I respect a media enterprise for the intention of its creation and as a system in whole. But I would like to ask them to question themselves if the likes of peppermint are really worthy of representing their system.
Why AGYAAT?
I believe that a film is an emotional experience. It can make you laugh or cry or make you scared or thrill you. AGYAAT was designed as a concept on whether I as a director can through the use of just sound efx, background music and camera movements create a being just in the imagination of the audience and not show it at all. Apart from this I wanted to play with the changing mindsets of people who are in a stressful situation. Fair enough a few liked the concept, few didn’t, few thought I should have shown and others thought I did the right thing. This reaction is expected for anything which has not been done before and tried for the first time. Yes, everyone has a right to feel what they felt. Not only me no filmmaker anywhere will ever do a film which he thinks will not be accepted by the audience, but what they will accept one cannot know unless tried and only that’s how advancement in narrative styles and film techniques will progress.
Financials of AGYAAT
AGYAAT is made on such a small budget and because of that it’s a Hit on financial terms even before it released on account of pre-sales because of its potential in various markets due to the universality of the genre.
As for the individual members in the audience are concerned some liked it very much for its various different aspects and some others didn’t for the same and I appreciate and respect both their views equally.
As for the pepper-mints and sweeties and buffalos you can look forward for my next Horror.
Tagged as Agyaat, Cinema, Critics, Review + Categorized as Entertainment, Film
284 Comments
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Rocking..
Dude, looks like you are at the end of your career as a director. Talking so defensively and unable to digest reviews are signs of your end.. You say “It is not realized by many that hundreds of people and their families livelihoods are dependent upon a films run. ” How come you didnt think the same while making a crap like Aag or Shiva(2)? You enjoyed making fun of your own movies on your blog and cracking humor at yourself. And you were pissed off at teh readers who didnt approve your humor. Why cant you digest the Agyaat reviews the same way you expect your readers to digest your masterpiece writings?
You say film industry is discriminated. For your info, film industry people are over-adored. Biggest example is the way your crap blog getting so much readership. You dont seem to mind the positive extremity. I lost all the respect on you.
Seems wasting blog for your own interest
The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
Let them wait for your next horror and give them a bing bang with ‘RANN’.
Ramu bhai,
Movies like ALIEN or JAWS or AGYAATH have elements of “fear”. While watching these kind of movies I am sure audiences would have felt the “fear” somewhere deep in their hearts but after coming out of theatre they mention it as “thrill”.
What is the difference between fear and thrill??
At last Agyaat reviewed yourself… Great’
Why do you infuriating Review folks in such a manner
Ramu bhai,
You have forgot to mention about few more reviewers: Raja Sen and Suparn Varma of Rediffmail.com
1. Suparn Varma as a reviewer used to tear apart movies in his movies but when he made a fantastically stupid movie like Ek Haseena Ek Khiladi (Fardeen Khan and Koena Mitra) he faced the same reviews
2. Raja Sen thinks himself more than Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick and thinks he could make better movies than others but till now he did not don the cap of director.
Let’s look at the other end of the spectrum. Which reviewer do you respect and feel does a good job reviewing movies? A reviewer’s job is to evaluate dispassionately how well a director has conveyed his vision, I have asked a reviewer how the heck they can know someone’s vision, they say that they determine this vision from the movie’s promos and pre-release talk. I think every director should release a statement before their movie release and set the evaluation criteria for critics, what do you say?
Your analysis of why a film personality celebrates the failure of another is spot on. Maybe during a film’s promos they feel small, and maybe actually hope that film turns out to be a dud. Same thing must have happened when you were making Aag.
Whatever you say, Minty Tejpal was rocking in his Agyaat review
Point well taken. Why is this reaction, when you have no control of what the reviewers can do ? Few people who can connect with your ideas are immune to those people whom you referred to above -:))
I am eagerly waiting for October 5th 2009 to wish you “Happy Achievemnt Day”. Its the day to celebrate your achievement.
I saw your interview with Sakshi TV Swapna. IT was awesome.. and the telephone part was hilarious. I think the word “entertainer” suits you a lot. You entertain people on cinema, newspapers, your blogs etc.
Nice interview Ramu.
you mentioned a very good point.. .when you spoke about exposing. Every other director does the same thing… Karan made Dostana- a gay movie. .. like that… Mallika, Kareena, Kaif.. everyone exposes … but those directors don’t have the talent to make an impact on people.
You do a very good job. I think Swapna will be drinking a bottle of whiskey for your answers.
Keep entertaining us. By the way.. I haven’nt sceen Adavi.
I saw your interviews in TV9 and Sakshi TV and both the interviews were on Agyaath.
generally I donot get bored listening to you but this time I was bored mainly because of listening to same questions being asked repeatedly in both the channels. How are you managing this are you not bored to give repeatedly the same answers.
By the way, did you notice you were wearing the same shirt for both interviews
I did not read critics as I was expecting them to blast ‘Agyaat’
I am waiting for Agyaat 2…coming soon or Bloody soon!
really really liked your experiment…and I really liked the ending its one of the best endings of this year.
I am told that ending has to be emotionally satisfying…
I am also told that good endings work
I am told that where hero walks out hand in hand with heroine and there is wonderful sunset, that is best ending
But
keeping Agyaat title in mind…this is the best experimental ending
and I will buy original DVD of Agyaat because that man has worked well with BG music.
well, critics are critics
all I have to tell critics is one law of nature…
“You lose what you critisize”
Agyaat is good in its own genre. It is an experiment where no other film maker has done in over crowded genre of Indian cinema and if RGV has done it…he is the first. So that is USP. It has its moments.
Definitly paisa vasool film.
the psychology of these critics pales in comparison in negativisim to the psychological aspect behind the point of criticism by itself. Beauty!!
the primary duty of a reviewer(if it can be called a duty) is to express his opinion as to whether he/she was entertained or not…but not to advise the more intelligent audience whether to go for it or not….. so critics ki $#@ ki &^%#.
Another thing I donot understand about most of the people is that even after you repeatedly saying that the creature or killer will not be shown in the movie AGYAATH, people keep on wondering and asking
1. why RGV didnot show the creature or the killer at the end of the movie
2. Ramu should have shown the killer at the end
3. this movie looks like half baked movie without the killer being caught etc etc
Awesome way to put the process. I liked every word and sentence of it. This is exactly the same, i always felt about the human psyche and the influence by others. the question is very rite what is peppermint’s expertise. Haha… Varma whether i like your movies or not asx a person you are adorable. may be I do not dare to, or interested to live the life the way you live. But for me you are adorable.
Light teeskondi Ramu.
Who said we give a damn to reviews!…we dont watch a movie based on their judgements.
But mostly by what my frnds say abt the film as we are pretty much like minded.
ALl of us were looking for a show in US…badly disappointed as we culd not find a show around!
You are a master filmamker,I donn think my advice can help you But what I personally feel is when you know the amount of time and efforts and careers invloved in a movie ..I think as a director you should be careful and smart before experimenting any movie.
When you are judged by what you show and how you look and how you behave ,and when that is affecting your experiments which is more important than anything mentioned before,I think you shld reconsider them all again!…
Movie kosam net mottham vetagadila galisthunna!!
All the Best.
and many a time the so called reviewers(critics) on the so called news channels or newspapers advise the audience not to go for a movie and waste their time…i am advising them not to waste their and our time by showing their stupid shows on tv …. they rather show some real news.
once again critics ki *$# ki &^%$
When i read this article it reminded me of something. This happened couple of years back when i along with my dad was watching a cricket match on television and saurav ganguly was playing stupid crictket and i was pissed, and i started saying why the hell is he playing cricket, he doesnt know how to play a ball in the leg, he hits the ball only when the bowler puts it in the offside and after hearing my absurdity for sometime my dad said, why are u cribbing so much. if u really want to judge the player first know where u are, and where he stands. Sourav ganguly is an A listed cricketer who knows the game and has international acclaim and what are u when it comes to cricket, just hitting the ball in gully cricket, so if u want to really be in a position to say something against him be of his standards first. anyways the same applies i guess in movie reviews also, the reviewer watches a film and without having any kinda technical know how just goes on thrashing a film. i mean who are this reviewers, just a bunch of people who enjoy seeing movie for free and just write something in some hi-tech english and gives stars at the end of the day. Anyways the whole thing is nothing but a COPY & PASTE stuff, i know some chaps themselves havent seen the film but reading other peoples review write their own on that basis. so all in all in the end of the day we all are individuals and we do have different liking, go see a movie and know yourself if the movie was upto what u expected or if it was not close to what u expected. cheers N enjoi.
Well, I am still going to see Agyaat and tell you exactly what I feel ..
regarding the reviewers, I forgot to mention about another reviewer: Jeevi
If a movie contains some exposing or some item song or some vulgar comedy, This guy Jeevi invariably says that such and such scenes would titilate the “front-benchers”.
Does that mean if any exposing scene or vulgar comedy shots-up on screen the back-benchers will close their eyes? does that mean all the back-benchers are saints?
If you look at Jeevi’s idlebrain.com, it contains more “spicy pix” than the movies itself.
I hate this word “front-benchers”. I love my fellow front-benchers
Today I’m first…
Dont worry Ramu…
Rann is going to be sure hit…
A friend of mine said something to me sometime back that was quite liberating, “nothing that entertains can be bad” – its simple and obvious, and if only we can understand the implications we end up stripping all morals and realize that is what everyone is looking for, to be entertained, of course there are other needs out of conscious focus (one is self-esteem by proxy), but that is all there is to making money too.
I think you know this too, but perhaps its difficult to keep it in focus when you deal with the negativity – only because a vast majority do get influenced by it, I am sure in a world where there are individuals who make their own decisions and opinions – even this so called negativity will only hold entertainment value.
Unfortunately people look for conclusions, perhaps because they cant afford that luxury in their own lives, the need to know keeps a person on his life track, take away this need and everything collapses.
Khalid mohammad writes in one of his blog “Pather Panchali, I perhaps saw, three decades and a little more ago. And it has stayed with me, like friend and family. Its DVDs I buy time and again..only to give away to friends on their birthdays and anniversaries. To be honest, none of them returns with his or her response..better that way perhaps. Often, feelings are not to be shared.” Read the last sentence, he does not want his friends to say a review on the DVD he liked infact that cinema is not even made by him, he is one among others who liked the movie. If he is so worried and pocessive about a movie which he liked and keep the fear of hearing bad review from his own friends to whom he gifted the DVD, so why the FCUK he thinks he has the rite to review some body’s else cinema. Khalid is better suitable for an english teacher to kinder garden school. as a human he is not up to the standards what a society likes to be.
Hello Sir..I watched Agyaat ..on friday night..itself…Its good …in terms of camera work and sound..as u mentioned earlier
ya as u said posing others negatives have become fashion..today….
If the peppermint u have mentioned i think he may even dont know abt basics of film making…
but these crap fellows want to write reviews…
I think there should be a blog like Rotten Tomatoes..there people from all over country will put their reviews and average of that will give the result…
I haven’t seen the film, but am anxiously waiting for the DVD here in the States. I think most reviewers didn’t like and expect the open ending even though on numerous interviews by Priyanka Kothari; it was revealed that the viewer wouldn’t know what the attacking force was. (I love Gautam!!)
Good morning Ramu.
Who is this Buffalo Bumzai?
Yes
KAMBHAKT ISHQ got 3* rating in same paper… I think …. It is a remake of Brahmachari – Movie Starring :Kamal Hassan,Simran Direction :Mouli ………. It is 1000% better than Kambhakt Ishq movie
I read Mumbai mirror review,
We are not enough to review RGV like
It is kind of joke
I think all these ppl who are writing reviews they take money and give, what ever *rating you want they will give you….. I think
————————————————————
I have a experience one of my friend writes reviews in news papers some times he don’t watch the movie just simply writes — like that
Weekends feast… Thank you
your correct sir.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rLwYvf80H8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJFgb7Yv5Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWpzgqhfQbY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWpzgqhfQbY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIkPihDI0OY
After watching these videos – I would like to make some comments on them.
:- RGV has so patience to explain things – Varma rocks!!!
:- The guy who is questioning RGV about “Sangaseva” and so on – hahahahaha f..k it.
:- The other one is AIYF organization expressed RGV about too much exposing and sending bikinis to RGV because of their unlike – hahahaha f..k it again.
I like RGV so much when he response to media or people!!
There are so many bad things happening in India or world and nobody cares about them – these guys are acting too much – If everyone does their work what there are for living or interests since there are no harms to somebody or illegal who the f..k cares!!
Dear Ramu,
With all due respect-how would you like to buy and read a book about a serial-killer on the loose that ends with not telling you who/what the killing force was? What is its motive? What is its modus-operandi? What if the last page of the book ended with a teaser that promised more of the same wild-goose chase in a Sequel? Wouldn’t you feel cheated?
Trying to work up fear/claustrophobia/panic about an undisclosed evil force is one thing but what say about not bothering to let the audience in on the malevolent force’s resume’? Doesn’t that tantamount to taking the audience for granted?
If you care to reflect on THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (copied from your Agyaat in 1999)-you will note that the same trick worked for BWP because it was fashioned and promoted as a faux documentary.The original budget for BWP was $20,000-$25,000. The producers were clever enough to publish an allegedly non-fiction book with the same premise( that the Blair Witch existed, that the witch had taken away people from the forests of Maryland before). The ‘actors’ who shot BWP took 2 day crash courses on how to operate a camera. Some of the villagers of the adjoining forests who were interviewed in the film didnt know that was going to be a part of a film.
Etc-Etc-Etc.
You can find the rest on wikipedia. What you cannot find there is a Lead weight to bring your massive ego back to ground. The great Manmohan Desai had once said that a Filmmaker shouldn’t cheat the audience. (It was his apology for not wavering from his lost-&-found formula).
Would you care to clarify how you have NOT done that with Agyaat?
Oh leave them alone Ramu. I think you are too mighty to take on such smallies whos names I never heard until u said those in your post.
I had a habit of checking IMDB before watching a film. I realized during years how it doesn’t necessarly make me not to watch the film. But for sure, I have some taste of what I am going to eat even before I eat it. You must be really dumb, to skip a movie just because some reviewer or blogger thinks that it is a bad film.
When Antham released in 1993 (or 1994), many people told me, it was a bad film. I watched the film anyway and till date it is one of my favourite film.
hi ram ,
just back from agyaat . a good writeup on reviews in india . its been a while since i ve read one and i don t care . my rules are simple if i like a persons previous work i check his work out . if its a first timer , then i see if he makes any sense in his interviews and decide. it is my personal opinion that most indian reviewers are nitwits . when i read reviews of international films i clearly notice that it is never about the person who made it or the actors in it , it is always about the film and they thankfully refrain from explaining the plot to the reader [ which is a silly little bug that has its eggs in all indian reviewers arses ] . i would have preferred a more cathartic atricle on them [ they deserve every bit of it ] .
coming to the film agyaat . im only mildly amused with it . i liked about 45 – 50 minutes of the film . for me the pluses were the sound , background score [ pretty hitchcockian screeching violons kinda thing ] , screenplay of the scenes where members of the crew get killed , camerawork , pearts of the plot .
what i hated was the songs , that the film had an interval which was not needed [ you could ve easily done away with it. of course guys need to sell snacks at the theatre but its not more important that selling the film] , tacky schmaltzy dialogue , caricaturish characters [over the top arrogant star , saambhar southie producer , a luggage carrying slave , quirky lost director , chainsmoking camera guy , lunatic jungle guide , etc . ,
more than everything the songs except the agyaat title track , sucked .
musically they re fine but they didn t belong in agyaat .
get sandeep chowtha or sri [money , gayam] man .
waiting for rannnnnnnnn
sandeep
@rgv
forget abt reviews, forget abt audience response..what is our opinion on the outcome of this film?
@RGV
Good article but seems personal…
@rgv
forget abt reviews,forget abt audience response..what is your opinion on the outcome of this film?
what is your favourite romantic film?
Hi Ramu..therz a scene in the movie where the servant of the Hero explains about the powers of the locket that he is wearing to the Actor when suddenly nisha comes from behind. I should tell u that the immediate reaction was shrieks from the audience and after they realised there was applause for the scene which continmued for another 1-2 mins…that one was 4 u..congratulations n thank u…2 me except the initial 15-20 mins…the movie was quite entertaining…but in case i dissapoint nishaz introductory scene seems to be from a sleazy B grade film…prob u cud have done without that…u r an A grade director and should look for some elegance while shooting such scenes irrespective of u logic that for diff ppl have diff tastes…becoz 98% of audience wud see it that way…overall a nice entertainer n one of its first kind in hindi cinema…thnx again for the entertainment..
I thought you move on .. .after you make a movie. don’t like to see you .. in a defensive mode. i didn’t see the movie yet ..haven’t gone through any reviews … except the review titles (really bad ..every where). Web is a echo chamber … every one copies and give their own little twists.
good luck to your next horror movie.
Superbly Crafted.I am curious to see whether Jeevi of Idlebrain.com would dare to post this on his site.He post very bookish reviews on idlebrain.
very correct…i appreciate this..my aunt wont watch anything my father disapproves of,…. and i watch whatever i approve of….thats how i became knowledgeable to your films…
I expected Agyaat to be thrashed by the critics and at the same time I expected a response like this from you. Since you yourself concluded that it is perhaps human nature to seek pleasure from someone’s failure, what do you think can be done to improve the standard of film reviewing and film criticism in India? What kind of expertise or technical knowledge should be a prerequisite for a film critic?
Are reviews not an occupational hazard?
shit happens.
i have read all the revews of agyaat and also did see the movie,most of the critics are attacking you and not the movie,i think they all are trying to settle some personal scores with u.
mumba mirror gave your movie 0 star ,being such a huge movie buff i have never seen in my life a movie given 0 star.it very clearly goes on to show that for some reason they are angry with u.
i just wanna say that i have seen the movie and enjoyed it a lot the photography and sound design
is very good.
I don’t see any malice in Minty Tejpal’s review. He/She even acknowledged the greatness of your (good) movies Satya, Company etc.
People watch your movies because ‘YOU’. You too advertise your movie as ‘A Ramgopal Varma’s Film’. You are the USP of your movies.
So when a viewer watches the movie and feels that it is loads of crap, obviously he/she is disappointed (not in the movie, but you).
One thing that suprises me is , you who talk about ’stuff’ like an enlightened individual and then act sissy whenever there is a bad review about your movie (and you).
First! :)
Sirjee, reviews too are entertainment, plus many people like the idea of having their prejudices against movies confirmed WITHOUT having to go to the theatre and seeing for onself. :)
Besides, most movies are pirated from day 1, are available on cable and vcd libraries in no time and everyone knows that even a HUGE film like Ghajini is on TV within a year. All this should affect box office collection yet movies are still being made and budgets are bigger and bigger. :-p Bottomline, reviews and the star rating does affect one’s decision to pay money and see movies but there are lot more important problems (piracy!) for you guys to worry about. And in the bigger scheme of things, you KNOW the next Ramu is busy pirating your movies. :)
Kaveri Bamzai (headlinestoday) was very biased (She was very generous for Kambhakht Ishq !!! ) & I was surprised with Rajeev Masand’s review (ibnlive) (because he, too, seemed to be disinterested in your works) who praised & pointed out positive things about the movie. Generally, the %age of audience who decide to watch the movie only based on the reviews are very less… THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE THE NEGATIVITY / PERSONAL BASHING ETC.ETC… IS TO IGNORE & opt for SARCASM which is very effective. (Just like you do in “REACTIONS to REACTIONS” ). If you keep on pointing out at them directly, you must note that their MAIN PURPOSE IS SERVED.
well said ramu. i too hesitated to go to movie after reading that reviews. but i have a belief on you. so i watched the movie.really i enjoyed it.once again you won my heart with this post ramu .i love you
I think you fed up with the same repetitive questions asked in Telugu Media…
I don’t know why they keep on asking same questions set?
One more thing – I am genuinely a fan of many of your ghost directed films – Ab Tak Chappan, My wife’s murder, Shool, etc, etc but I never went to the theatres to watch them. At least with “My wife’s murder”, I thought of it as the perfect cable movie, something nice but something I would never go to the theatre to watch. :)
Let me give you an analogy… “Your wife is a good cook and you enjoy eating everything she makes. When you are away from home for a while and you long to come back home for some of her well made dishes. But she suddenly has become more fascinated about the presentation of the food on the plate than on the taste. She still makes biryani but now she uses more coloring to enhance the way to it comes off on the background of the white plate… she also throws in more raisins… and rose petals for effect…She doenst marinate the mutton overnite anymore because she wants to make it quickly and try more combinations of colors and ways of garnishing…bottom line it looks splendid but completely fades in comparison to what you used to get from her kitchen. She is a chef now and not a cook.
So when you complain she says… she saw on the food network an amazing looking plate of Biryani and has observed hundreds of other cool looking diplays of food and is inspired to try all the new tricks she has learnt…she doesnt want to wait and make it like how she used to because that is so old school. She suggest that go to a komal Vilas if you want taste… come to me if you want 5 star…
So after eating her “Saffron Induced Basmati rice with Mutton garnished with Raisins and Almonds” made with Instant masala…for the 6th time in a month…
Your reaction would be which one of these?
1)” You have lost it..the Biryanidoesnt come close to what I used to crave for…get the basics right!”
2)” The Biryani is short of Salt, has too much artifical coloring and the mutton is lacking the flavor”
Hi RGV,
I can only sympathize and empathize with you..for what these airheads,shitheads,boneheads critics are doing to you..having said that….I think it is time you review your own methods of making a movie..it was a calculated risk..to not to reveal the unknown entity in Agyaat….and I am baffled by your decision to do it..it is one thing to consider viewers opinion or how the viewers are going to look at the film….and it is another to take these things for granted…the demographics have changed…and as you have rightly said…the critics…the bunch of jokers are doing the max damage to lot of movies..i sometimes feel..are they even paid by the producers to write a good review?? it is possible, isn’t it? It is possible that big production houses can pay some peanuts to these assholes…and ensure that they get 3 stars!!!!!! whatever it is Varma gaaru…there is only one solution..find out why these guys are acting against you..there must be some reason?/ employ some intelligent ..person who can shed light on this mystery…who is against you? and why? simple!!!
EV
Hi Ramu,
Don’t waste your time for so called filmi pandits. All the best for agyat.
can’t believe today m the first to read……..haven’t read the post yet….jst the first para….but still gr8 beginning!
You are true … even movie critics should have some very good qualification.
But as you said earlier … if they are that much experts on movie … let them come & direct a movie.
Let us see how there movies will be rated?
I will also follow reviews especially Rotten Tomatoes, Times Of India and Idlebrain.
But some of the movies even they rated bad, still I liked those movies …. similarly even they rated as good/excellent … I did not like the movie at all …
DevD is rated 5 stars … I am not able to watch that movie completely…
I think definitely it wont deserve 5/5.
Similarly couple of movies ‘Let the Right One In’ got good marks for various reasons … but my wife did not like that movie… “Night Train” … nobody reviewed that movie … some how she liked that movie.
As you said critics also human beings with more pessimism ( like Testers in our software field )
And main problem with the critics is they always compare movie being reviewed with other movies / or films on same genre or his earlier films & their personal haters. Since these so called critics will watch more Hollywood films or so on … they always wants to compare with those and definitely indian film will short fall on this aspect.
Hi Ramu,
Using the same criteria of auidence deciding which film to watch and not watch, many people also form an opinion on whose review’s and which review’s are credible and could suit ones senses, hence ignore the rest.
I read all reviews available on internet, but trust no one and never use it as the reason to watch or not watch a film. This was not from day 1, its a learning over a period of time. Also, being in the entertainment industry, its a necessity to ignore them.
We have some real buffoons who write the climax of a suspense film in their review and decide that the auidence will like the film better if they knew the suspense upfront (Raja Sen on Race). Who gives them the right to write like that and also decide how the auidence should watch a film? Its misuse of the tools at hand. Unfortunately there is no system in place to sue such people. Khalid Mohammed’s and all have eaten two leaves more (rendu aakulu ekkuve tinnaru), so are greater jokers.
Since film is an experiential thing, like any other experience, opinions differ even within the same family. I also agree with you that behind a film there are lot of lives dependant on its success and lot of sweat goes into making the film, hence all films need to be given a fair shot at success.
There is no Agyaat in the part of the world I live in, hence looking forward to Rann.
Regards,
Kesavan
Hey Ramu,
It is sad but true, that there will always be people who enjoy the fall of a great man more than the raise of an ordinary man. And when the great man doesn’t fall, they try to knock him off. When they can’t do that, their last resort is mud-slinging. As you rightly said, it’s the easy option for small minds to satisfy their ego. You go right ahead man, you deserve to be on the high-horse, because that’s where you belong!
I just watched the movie and I loved it.
I do not why there has been so much negative talk about Agyaat.
It is quite good.
I loved it!
Keep up your good work Ramu! Waiting for Agyaat-2
Each movie is a very personal experience. I believe each frame of any movie is a personal experience. When watching something, I think each one reacts independently based on their perception and their experiences. I loved “Gamyam” so much that I was absolutely floored by it. Part of the reason was I consider the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to be an epic. And I love movies that make me think. But I digress.
The reason I bring this is, long time ago I waited for 3 months to watch Hum Aapke Hein Koun. Reviews were awesome and people who watched it very floored. About half hr into the movie I felt it was like being subjected to slow torture. I just couldn’t watch even a half of that movie. I felt it would be better if I jumped off Maheswari/Parameshwari. The same with DDLJ. I loved Antham. I probably watched it like 10 times in the theater.. but I used to walk out after the “nee navvu cheppindi naaku” song. Most of the movies that I like dont have a very good endings but personally I like the journey than the end. That’s just me.
IMO a reviewer should be unprejudiced and shouldn’t harp about the movie. It should be how they connected or were nto able to connect to the movie.
Ramu, Why is Agyat not released in US? I want to watch it in theater for the sake of movie watching experience.
Ramu:It is not realized by many that hundreds of people and their families livelihoods are dependent upon a films run.
Hello Ramu,
This is the first time ever I’m commenting on your new blog. I have remained as your admirer and will remain to be like that not just for the kind of movies you make but also for your attitude. But today I think I’m seeing a different Ramu, a personality I would never even dream.
What is this blog about? Are you reasoning with the reviewers for the rave reviews you got, or justifying or pleading or trying to “promote” your film? You have always said that you make films for yourself and do not care about what the audience would care about it and I agree with the explanation you gave for your statement.
But then you should have also known that when people would not like your movie they would definitely not watch it as it is their decision to watch it or not. And when they are influenced by a review, let it be like that, what is worrying you about it?
Are you really worried and concerned about the hundreds of people and their families livelihoods?? No right?? You make films for yourself right. Then why care a damn about them?? If you are really concerned about the livelihoods and families or hundreds of people working for a film, make a film that would live up to that expectations instead of cribbing on reviewers about your film.
Personally, I have no problem about your film making style. I don’t mind if you continue making these kind of films because I’m totally driven by mere RGV mania, But I was only surprised to see that you care about so many people after your film is released, whom you would hardly remember while making that film.
hmmm….gr8 post………
let the critics bark…..i have watched agyaat……loved it and planning to wach it again….this time by closing my eyes and listening to the bg score!
wat betr film to study for sound design dan AGYAAT!!!
what is your favourite action flick
BTW, congrats on making a commercially viable film. It only means the following:
1. That a sound businessman sits inside you.
2. There will be no dearth of people coming forward to fund your projects.
3. You will keep making films that you like and the way you like it.
4. We can always look forward to something spectacular from you.
5. All the reviewer’s will get more frustrated unable influence you and finally
6. People who dont like points 1-5 can shove 3 fingers up their backside, and the rest can have a big laugh at their pain.
Enjoy!
Kesavan
Hey Ramu,
I feel you make very valid points and we all understand and accept the scenario as it exists today. Critics are the custodians of this art form in many ways. I always read great critics as they chronicle the history of cinema as they analyze and provide a perspective on a piece of film. Reading some of the reviews, I felt they were reviewing you more than the film. Your persona as someone who has fallen from grace of Satya and Company, who is brash and arrogant, who doesn’t care a damn attracts a certain personal attack as the media tries to play on your image. They are all idiots, but taking them on is not the solution. We simply don’t have critics who are good enough or who have any knowledge or understanding of the medium. I suggest IMDB if you are interested in some relatively honest and insightful take on films. Yes, maybe the vocab is not as refined but most reviews seem devoid of agenda.
I also think, now I am not talking of the critics but of the general audience perception that I pick up, is that their expectations are massive esp. from you from the younger lot from the movies like Satya, Company, Sarkar, Rangeela, Shiva which most of us have embraced and adored and have influenced us in some way . Since, you have the compulsive urge to experiment, it is not always that it might come off, or not always that audience might connect with it straight away, but this burden of expectations causes this over the top reactions, plus the megalomaniac persona that media is trying to hammer home. Now, there is not much that you can do about it, other than maybe a better PR job.
I can only speak for myself, I admire you as a filmmaker, I might not always agree with your sensibilities or your choice of movies, but I do distinguish the line between a director and his film. It is a wheel of fortune, now they are hammering you, in some time they will be jumping on the bandwagon for you and hail you as the master filmmaker who is back on track. In the meantime, there will be those like me, who will always go for the RGV film knowing that we can irked, repulsed, frustrated but not bored. IT IS ONLY A MOVIE AFTER ALL.
oh! forgot to mention the ‘jungle jungle’ song is awesome and i have a gut feeling that u r bound to make priyanka a gr8 actress…..her wrk has improved…..i liked her legs as well as her belly!….and the song has amazing edit…..freakin lyrics…mind blowing choreography.
have a lot of questions about the camera wrk in agyaat……wait for me to start bombarding!
Well said RGV. I have been eager to watch this and my wife who read the review online, was…’It seems there no ending’…so the movie is badd….” She already formed an opinion. No matter how good it is, sub consciously its a bad movie. I am at no positions to advise, but why dont you incorporate your opinions about these news papers and so forth into the screen play of the movie. Say for example in Satya, just after the Bau’s victory and Biku’s murder, while Biku is celebrating, Bau shows him the news paper about his victory….just then you should have incorporated this news paper is S*hit or something….
Any sensible reader forms an opinion from genuine editorials or sources…I know, Mid Day, HT and TOI are not worth the paper it is printed on. I hope many more realize that. I guess they should start printing on toilet papers…and save the planet.
i like agyaat
Hahhaha ! .. Take it easy and just ignore these guys Ramu!
I guess msot of these so called reviewers have already made up their minds and even wrote these reviews way before this movie got released.
Or may be , they are just so negatively pshyched up thier minds againest you even before entering theatre.
Normal audience like me who is actually looking for fun (thrill ) don’t care about these so called reviews and may just go and watch this movie in theatre.
Or , tmay be hat 2 minutes of reading that synopsys on the back of dvd cover may be good enough to pick up this DVD from dvd store.
May be after couple years when agyaat2 releases, these guys may come back and change these opnions on agyaat1. .. who cares !!!!
Anyways, you should be proud to provide bread and butter to so many buffalos :-)
Keep having fun !!!!!!!
Dude stop whining about some critics not liking your movie. If its any consolation nobody that watched it liked it. I cant remember one good movie that flopped because the critics didnt like it. Yes there are numerous examples of bad movies becoming “hits” with the help of paid critics. But not one good movie bombed because of critics. So get over yourself and come up with something more meaningful. I am glad you made money on this crappy movie. I am sure your distributors would be sharing the joy with you. it is very disappointing to see you bring up the “people depending on cinema” . are you going to put their photos on the posters for your next movie ?
i am sure they are not the reason why you make movies.
RGV,
I think I am the guy who finds time any time to be first to visit your blog. Hi Any way.
>>As for the pepper-mints and sweeties and buffalos you can look forward for my next Horror.
Cheers!!..
Hi Ramu,
As how these crazy wanting but loosy minded people, always bounce on the ever crazy film industry… just by writing something at a place which is already known and read by a sector of people……… there shud be someway for a filmmaker also to drastically pulldown the mis-deeds of the press.
I hope even a filmy guy(like u) shud create a tremor which appear stupid to common public but exactly relevant to a stupid.
Wishing you…waiting for…that alarming movie from you on press. I know you are on its grounds already.
Best wishes.
RGV,
I leave my comments once I read your post. I always remember you saying first watch movie before commenting on it. leave me alone until I finish reading your post.
ahem… now for the real reply to this “please-dear-critics-stick this up you ass piece ” by varmaji…
well sir lets say you have taken your date out for dinner…and you are going to spend a lot of money in this very expensive restaurants…and you couldnt help over hearing someone saying that FOOD SUCKS! may be all your friends and relatives gave double thumbs up to this restaurant and maybe you yourself have eaten here about like a year back.
Would you or Wouldn’t you just stop there for a sec and think if you should go in or not?
here the key word is – “expensive”
if the ticket is priced at a very cheap rate and popcorn and parking tickets are offered for free then no one will bother to read the reviews.
But then again you are right in one angle – critics are becoming sadistic these days.
You yourself told that directing a movie is like narrating a story and people who want to listen to that tale can stay and others who want to leave can leave… but you will only narrate stories which intrest you as the storyteller. Maybe audience couldnt connect with this piece which had more sounds and hand movements and less of the real stuff…
waiting for RANN and RAKTHA CHARITHRA… you want to tell a tale of a violent man…his rise and fall…yeah come on …waiting for that gory tale. Every blood lusting male can connect to that kinda tale. Rann sounds like fun too. I will hope that it will atleast half as engrossing as SARKAR was.
thanks!
Just saw ur interview on Sakshi TV n Just read ur post. I haven’t seen the movie yet to write my opinion here. But I intended to write my opinion after watching the movie right from the day u started writing and mentioning about this movie. I liked the way u answered the questions coming from the media. Someone should dare to shut their dumb questions. Glad it was u n I definitely think u will be another kind of, source of inspiration for those directors who weren’t able to support their films properly though they are good enough sometimes.
I dont know how genuine it is to talk about a another movie here, but sharing an opinion about the reviews n stuff…. Recently there was a film I saw wherein the entire film crew’s toil reflected on the screen but the film fell into the well of controversies. And it is a fact that the film has some very good technical potential in it yet it is not being appreciated just for some stupid political and personal reasons. The film is Magadheera. I am neither a fan of the hero, nor the director just went to watch the movie because it is a period film and somehow the promos were attractive. The movie did not bore me at all, out n out I liked most of the aspects n nothing to strongly criticize, and the most appreciable aspect was the film crew’s dare step and hardwork to produce a movie with some novelty in the present day. But I dont understand why there is a big fuss about such different movies, be it Agyaat or Magadheera. For what reasons on earth, would those reviewers want to write a bad review and spoil the reputation. The same feeling I had was, will the reviewer opine that his review is what matters??It is just another opinion of a movie watcher, doesnt mean that if he is not entertained none of the others will also be. But the way he writes will have some kind of impact on those who watch movies only after reading reviews. These days no reviewer is doing a proper job. Instead they just narrate the story and say this is not likable or that is likable. They are not analyzing the technicalities and performances properly.
Recently, a British newspaper’s Indian reviewer wrote very strong negative stuff criticizing Bollywood to extreme extents and Mr.Dumbo picked up Arundhati naming it as a Bollywood movie not even knowing it is a Tollywood product and expressed his worst views against the movie’s story line and also wrote Bollywood movies have no special values.So, I guess as long as such dumb writers exist these things keep happening.
Anyways Ramuji, Kudos to ur answers.
Hello Ram,
Dont care a damn about these bastard reviewers. They are like street dogs, just want to feed on negative publicity. in the last few years.. my friends and i, have changed our attitude towards cinema. we do not follow the reviews, but watch the movies based on our interests and choice. i am sure other people have also changed their attitude towards reviews and started to make a choice based on the cast n crew n trailer. and i think the more u try to explain on this blog about how stupid the reviews are, the more they are gonna come behind you. from what i remember, this blog started because of bad reviews of sarkar and u wanted to hit back. they r not gonna change… so u just chill with some absolute vodka, your girl friend(s), and have fun this week.
venkat.
When Sachin Tendulkar bats, he is expected to score a 100, every time !
- Sriram.
When are you releasing Agyaat in Los Angeles,US?
Waiting to watch your camera angle technics, simple but shocking effect of killing people in the forest with great sound effect(obviously)
I am waiting for the movie, please release it.
Prasad.
Hi Ramgopal
Till date no one ever thought there could be a bad movie to Aag but Agyat is. Good for you. How long you ll refer to Aag as an example Now its Agyat
–Sridhar
Also can you write on the piece on how you decide publicity of the movie before the release and after?
Like for Ex: Company promotion part doesnt show Manisha at all. Sarkar the main master plan is not seen for promotion of the film
How you decide about it? and what is your logic around promotion?
we all know, nowway days movie makers giving money to few websites and news papers write good review about there movies, so dont give a dam about this tom dick harry.
I hope you will give a reply with your movie Rann to media.
In the movie Evil Dead, the entity was not known too, except from the description of an (potentially unreliable) book, and the alteration it caused in the characters into a limited evil entities in themselves to kill each other.
Just occured to me, that your task was more difficult than that movie, since the characters were only dying without quantifying the entity in any way except for its effect and strength.
Peppermint! Lol.. RGV .. Great term.. I hve few frnds who r karan johar fans(?).. And frm today i wud cl them peppermint.. Newayz.. Sir, this is my 1st rply here.. I saw agyaat yesterday and its a gud movie.. Nice efxs and camera work.. M ur greatest fan.. And hv watchd all ur movies .. Including raat,drohi, naach… Pls forgive those stupid reviewers..they wont understand ur work.. They r all chamchas of yash chopra, karan johar .. Sanjay bhansali and the types..
Hi RGV,
A film critic is like an impotent man who talks about the dynamics of an orgasm.
Fuck them.You go ahead.
-Deepak Karamungikar
Hi RGV,
A film critic is a like an impotent man who talks about the dynamics of an orgasm.
Fuck them,
You go ahead.
- Deepak Karamungikar
Hi Ramu,
see this another review from greatandhra.com, I think this guy hates you , He didnt write much about the movie, he writes about you, I guess you dint give him a interview or you have commented on him very badly.
http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=15304&cat=1&scat=12
Frankly RGV you have done this before and doing it again, is it going to make any difference to anyone? You will continue making movies you beleive in, good or bad, the critics will come and go, today nobody talks about khalid, they will fade away since they are parasites, they can only live off people films, if you’ll did not make films, they will cease to exist, so let them thrive on your blood and die.
As for audience if you don’t please them, respect them, and feed them good stuff, one day they will know your work sucks no matter how much you beleive in them. You need to get out of the situation and look at the subject like an outsider if it’s really making sense your film as an audience, which you obviously don’t do. I guess that’s where your solution is, your constant rantings, justifications etc makes you look like a joker in front of them. “There he is back hitting back at us…poor RGV can’t please audience and blames us” . So i guess go back to do what you are doing best make some kick ass films, cause we know you have the ability to surprise us.
And please Audience care a fuck about the film’s financials, hit and flop should be measured by popular opinion, i know it does not make sense, cause you can’t measure it. But talking financial crap anyone can getaway with anything, plus Kaam se aadmi ka kaamyabi se kya lena right? So now that you let in your mantra to us, stop fooling us with the financial bullshit.
by the way i don’t go to watch your films reading reviews of peppermints and sweeties, but i go to watch it because you make it, so please tell them a BIG Fuck you from me too :)
Hi Ramu,
Nice retort but i feel reacting to them will give unnecessarily hype to those useless peppermints. They are not even worth of your time. But since you guys (Filmmakers) identified this problem, why dont you try to take some preventive steps.Like having these websites/newspapers delay their reviews by 1 week so that it can minimize the impact. I know it is very hard to implement in so called democratic country but atleast giving a try in that direction wouldn’t hurt.
Personally iam not supporting your film as i did not like it either but can understand how this mass critisim is effecting the thousands of lives behind the screen.
“AGYAAT was designed as a concept on whether I as a director can through the use of just sound efx, background music and camera movements create a being just in the imagination of the audience and not show it at all.” —
WTF…..then what are all those sleazy posters for??, as u described earlier in your blog about some sridevi posters showing her thighs and u guys went in for the movie. Why repeat the same thing for ur movie after so many years of expereince???
I understand one thing, these dumbfuck Indian film makers have not changed a bit, they still carry the same fcuking mindset cheating people creating a different image for the movie on posters but the film content is something different. U guys can never cross the intelligent barrier.
FYI…. I have seen this film it is worst than Love Aaj Kal which is another piece of crap.
Its also interesting to note that people in some calamity dont try to think of what is causing it as much as to get out of it first. Analysis comes as an afterthought.
However for a viewer, since he is already out of the situation, this need to know kicks in first and if this need does not reach a conclusion it leaves them frustrated.
And that was my first comment on this website. Nice to see your blogs regularly. Keep em coming.
I completely accept this without any doubt. My order of the preferences based on which I watch a movie would be technicians, actors, genre, promotions and to some extents my friends’ reviews. I would never rely upon the reviews especially on websites. I saw good movies which were rated badly on websites or blogs and vice-versa.
Hi ramu,
I saw the movie today morning, I did not miss any of your films since you started writing this blog
Well I felt that it was not at all horrifying in anyway… the reason is quite simple, I did not understand why and whom should I be scared of…
the sound effects are excellent, you have bragged a lot about the jungle in blog but strictly speaking any other forest in India would have been fine… may be a jungle which was more denser would have scared me
Orey.. yemanna ante annanu antau gaani.. aa cinema tiyyadam yentra bewars yedava… sagam cinema aa nisha kothari todalu sallu choopinchadam thone saripoyindi.. aa jalagalu yentra.. nadumu meeda salla meeda tappa inkekkada kuttava?
inthoti cinema teese talent ki malli telugu lo cinemalu tiyyanu ani alaka oka.. neela meeda kopam vachchindi ani muddy kadukkovadam maanesadanta.. neelanti vade yevado…
ofcourse.. adi nee cinema.. nee paithyam.. choosinavadini naaku buddhi undaddu…
aa troup lo okkokkadu chastunte.. asalu intha kooda saanubhooti kalagaledu… hammayya oka daridram vadilindi ane feeling tappa…
yentha routine ga teesi chachavanate… last ki hero heroine maatram batukutaru…
ne yebba.. nee lanti valla valle kadara.. sagam mandi cinema ante bhayapatutunaru.. thu..chee.. yaak.. dooooku…
I have not seen this film yet..But i am not surprised it is not big success.
You agreed earlier in this blog saying “This is just a film to fill in time, as you are preparing for other ambitious project.”
By the way, I read on eenadu that..”Students are complaining to ban this film, Because this is too sexy for them “…That is funny :-)
I could have undersood, if this was done by old men..But students kicking with hormones complaining on semi nude heroine…aaaahhh
Your anger and analogies are not very rational. Except cinema, no other product that you have referenced in your article is paid for without checking it out. Given that the price is small for a movie compared to a car or a shirt, it is in our nature to be certain about the value of the product before making any payment. I don’t think you will buy a cell phone for yourself without actually seeing it and checking out its features. Also, with respect to all of the above, you can most likely return it if you don’t like it. This is where the movie reviewer steps in. The reviewer has the advantage of actually getting paid for seeing both sensible and senseless cinema. If the review has any merit, he or she will gain credibility or else lose the job eventually. Even people who read these reviews are not dumb to blindly follow the reviews. Good movies will always attract audience and bad ones will make them run away for their lives no matter what a reviewer opines. As for the hatred, your condescending approach and your insults will only rejuvenate them. If your confidence is in the fact that financially all your films complete business before hitting screens, you will soon become another south director who was churning out movie after movie with Mithun in the late 80’s; or with the growth of new entertainment medium, your work will be of ‘direct to DVD’ nature. As an admirer of your work since your first film, your work deserves to be par excellence.
Ramu,
Just saw ur interview in “Gemini TV”, some how i felt u r less dangerous than u r in else where.
Do u feel the same when u r dealing in telugu ?
These losers(critics) wud give a four star rating to newyork or love aj kal which are stupid illogical movies..but they r alway searching for chance to pull ur leg…
What did you like in Vamsi direction and Why did you produce W/O V.Varaprasad?Were you satisfied with the final product?Did you happen to see Gopi Gopika Godavari
Peppermint Tejpal’s Review:
Sometimes terror has no form, reads the promo line of Agyaat. Well, sometimes, a film has no form too, as Ram Gopal Varma proves with his latest venture, which should have ideally stayed unknown forever.
Agyaat is supposed to be a horror/adventure film, but instead it just turns out to be horrible, and the only adventure seems to be in buying a ticket and sitting through this garbage. At no point does the story, scene or any of the characters really scare or touch you in any manner. The film does, however, manage to irritate you enough to make you want to stuff your ears with cotton and sit with your back turned to the screen. Damn, my seat doesn’t swivel around.
So here is the hoary gory story then. A film crew goes to a remote jungle for a shoot, where they start getting brutally killed one by one. A man gets violently sucked into the ground, wherein blood spouts out like a fountain. A wounded man stabs himself with a knife. Another dead body bubbles over bloodily, like a jacuzzi. Yup sweet stuff like that. Unfortunately none of it is scary. Worse, no one, including the director, knows who, what or which thing, alien or dayan aatma is doing the damned killing. So at the end of Agyaat you are left brain dead and angry, twiddling your thumbs as to what the hell happened. Wonder which bright corporate suit cleared this project at UTV. Even the Ramsay brothers did it far better, decades back.
Now that you know Agyaat has neither story nor horror, let me scare you some more. The film is also badly directed, the characters act in a hammy, caricaturish manner while the camera seems to be in jungle warfare mode, lurking around behind bushes. Jungle mein bungle. Barring Nitin and Rasika Duggal, the acting is atrocious. It seems that Priyanka Kothari can only act in a bikini or tiny skirts, if that. A scene in which she does yoga stretches in short pants in the middle of the dense forest is simply priceless. Joy Fernandes, playing a jungle ka vaasi, keeps glowering without blinking his eyes. Ooh, that’s real creepy, big boy. Hard-jawed Gautam Rode belongs to the six-pack school of acting, and he puts it on full display, while the south Indian producer is terrible, and the rest of the cast isn’t worth mentioning. The only good part of Agyaat is that the characters keep dying periodically, though you do wish it was sooner.
Agyaat is mostly shot on a real location in Sigriya forest, Sri Lanka, and it’s here that the production design is excellent. Natural looking rocks, textured dirt, large bushes with green leaves, screeching monkeys (good casting), and gigantic, gnarled wooden trees. The actors, taking inspiration from mother nature, decide to stay screechy and wooden through most of the film. The background score is too loud and overdone, sounding like a starving witch trying to speed gargle while being electrocuted in a pool of piranhas. So the collective film experience is like a wild, jungle cacophony. Is this the same director who gave us Satya, Company and Sarkar? No, clearly this is the other half that gave us gems like Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag.
Meanwhile just what is the mysterious agyaat force gobbling up the film crew in the forest? Who cares. Since RGV doesn’t bother to answer that minor point, viewers can make their own choices. Personally I think it could be Gabbar Singh’s bhoot extracting revenge on RGV. Or perhaps it’s Bhiku Mhatre’s ghost rueing the death of Satya kind of cinema. Incredibly, the film ends with a title saying “Agyaat 2, Coming soon”. Uggghh, whaaaat. That’s the only time the entire audience collectively feels very, very scared. No, never, please have mercy on us, mujhe Ramu se bachao. RGV, RIP.
Im sure this peppermint might have liked Karan johar’s classics…Aditya chopra’s cult classics, David Dhawan’s super cool comedies, Subash Ghai’s earth shattering Blockbusters….
Hi Ramu,
Do you think reviews can change the fate of the movie?
cheers
Hi Ramu,
I saw your interview in TV9 & etv today, i tried calling to the phone number when TV9 interview is going on but i dint get chance.
how you trying to explain a new experiment to the anchor is good but poor guy doesnt have any cinema knowledge or such type of things,
I really liked the concept of Agyaat.
Ramu,
Come on, atleast u shd understand them, they r made like tht by the system of “enjoying-ripping-off”.
Wht they r giving is just the perception of them, guys who follow them shd understand tht every individual has set of tastes of thr own which make them experience everythg diff. to others, in short they shd “stop listening to others” follow thr own judgments.
By the way, after seeing u r articles i feel u can do better job in this “ripping-off” business, wht say ?
2 or 3 interviews of yours were aired on tv today. Do you really enjoy doing them? All your interviews are the same. Same old questions and the same old replies.
Very Well Written! I totally agree with your POV, its all about giving the opportunity to the makers and the Audience for them to decide! than to be so explicit so as to SABOTAGE someones work!!!
”
(it’s fair enough that some relevant expert can give his views on the car’s good and bad points to an ignorant customer)!!!!!!
nice one RGV.. already got this in an email forward..
sooper!!!
u Ripped the bloody reviewers..
Reviewers write reviews for 90% of the people, you make films for the rest 10% .If you expect people to write good reviews than you should also make movies for those 90% of them, which I think is not your intention.
now please don’t give us a shock by making one of those sakutumba saparivara samithamaina movie..
anyways
Q. Why do you think most of us change (our working styles), deny (with our opinions), and contradict (with our objectives) in the long run and then why do we call it growth ? (not just in movies, in any profession for that matter ! )
Sweetie’s review:
At one point in Agyaat — The Unknown, one character turns to another and asks: Have you lost it? You might want to put the same question to Ram Gopal Varma after sitting through this spectacularly dim-witted horror film about a film crew lost in a jungle, being hunted by an unknown creature.
Agyaat begins with Priyanka Kothari, who plays the film’s heroine, doing an item number. The song screams: I wanna, wanna kiss you day and night while the camera caresses her thighs. I don’t know what your definition of horror is but I was already scared. We then land in the jungles of central Sri Lanka.
The crew consists of an annoying hero, his servile spotboy, a lecherous producer, a moronic director, a philosophical cameraman, a manic stunt director, two assistant directors and the earlier mentioned permanently pouting heroine, who comes, believe it or not, absolutely alone. When shooting is halted because the camera breaks down, the crew decides to go camping in the forest. Before they know it, the weird caretaker who led them into the forest has been killed. And now they must find their own way out.
This set-up of a blood-soaked rumble in the jungle has been featured in dozens of horror movies, from Friday the 13th series to Blair Witch Project.
All Varma had to do was copy but apparently even that was too much of a challenge. Agyaat is relentlessly foolish. The characters, without exception, are so annoying that you are waiting and rooting for the creature that kills them. But the first murder happens only about 50 minutes into the film. Until then, Varma tries to create shivers with close-ups of looming branches, snakes and monkeys.
Not to mention a laugh out loud shot of Kothari exercising by a pond, in a tennis skirt while the creature rustles around her. Telegu actor Nitin Kumar Reddy, who plays an assistant director, tries to bring some conviction to his scenes but it’s an uphill climb, literally. At one point, in the midst of this bloody mayhem, the AD and the heroine climb up a hill. They are, or so you think, unhinged by fear. Instead the AD declares to the heroine that he has always loved her and will get her out of the jungle.
These ridiculous situations aren’t helped by the fact that Kothari seems to have mistaken rolling her eyeballs for acting. And she’s not the only one. Joy Fernandes playing the caretaker also pushes his eyeballs out as much as is humanly possible. Is this scary? Not in the least. What is scary is that Agyaat ends with the promise that Agyaat 2 is coming soon. I recommend that you stay far away and let the unknown stay unknown.
////////////////
honey!…cho…chweet of you…. now talk to your teddy bear…have a pillow fight …and go to sleep….
True…i knw u wud be back with a bang…and shut da mouths of those who write shit for publicity and money. all da best sir..i loved your lock up experience.
Do I hear a whiner from RGV (a director who is mentally so strong). Anyways you beat the market with your business model that augurs well for you financially.
we dont read anyreviews before going to movies, especially your movies..
They review RGV, not the film….
Not just this AGYAAT, they will kill every movies of yours. They may do it more , because of this post..
But nevertheless, there is something called “RGV” brand.. thats enough for us .. Who cares these reviewers….
Hi RGV,
In this age of internet you have so many film critics and each have their point of view. But is it the fault of mass media entirely. I dont think so. Its the week mindset of people who want gossips and reviews and redicule of film makers that these reviewers are cashing on. Its basically demand and supply rule. The demand is high for such reviews. I read reviews too, but thankfully i’m not that weak to give into them. If my fav directors are directing them or some new director is directing it, i definetly watch the movie. I dont like someone else to tell me what i should think of a movie. But i also like to read other thoughts on that same movie without influencing mine unless the other persons point is rational according to me though again.
Regarding the technicians and their livelihood, that angle wont work as we are all selfish, all we care is about our opinions and try influencing as many people as possible. Many people have this obsession of trying to influnce people as much as they can but again only the weak and dumb heads will heed to it. Unfortunately they are in majority. So such metallity afftects everywher not just films.
I’m still waiting to watch Agyaat, as none of the store here in US have got the DVDs yet. I read that they were released on the same day the movie was released, i really wonder if the DVDs are released in USA yet.
dont bother about the reviews RGV. u know the value of the movie
I really feel the pain when somebody who doesnt have any qualification to review a cinema
reviews it and it gets air as early as wen a film is released. its like a different piracy.
How can one guy will scrap a movie by just seeing the moview to do some review.
As you mentioned only film field only has this type of problem. when some one writes a book
the book is reviewed by some other writer but not by normal reader but this is not the case with films. book can be read by anybody and simply the reader can imagine in which ever way he wants, but another good writer can only review it to a bit because he know what is a book or story etc.
Even when you see the TV9 interview with Badri the type of questions he is asking are similar kind of questions what a politician or criminal gets from his desk,
Any new experiment is always hard to digest for some resistant to change guys.
But there is one point i observed is rather than hatred of this movie Agyaat, lot of guys may be feeling bore of the number Horror movies from you – i saw some guys feeling oh this is also again horror moview man…:-(
But we should cheer up you might have already observed that lot of guys liked this film i m on of them.
Watched the telugu version.. adavi… its extra ordinary in sound effects….and visuals. who cares of the damn fucking reviewers………… one small guess the budget might be some 50 lacs .,.
Agreed RJV. Reviewers today are idiots. There some who are worth their salt such as Jeevi etc. but most like Taran Adarsh at Indiafm are SRK and big movie fans who will give 4/5 for big movies but for small movies which are great such as Welcome To Sajjanpur etc. they give a 2.5 or 3 and that too as if they are doing the movie a favour.
However, movies like your Aag need to be criticized because you claimed to remake Sholay which is an all-time classic. So you brought criticism for that movie onto yourself.
I’m really looking forward to your Rakht Charitra. I hope you keep the emotions in the first part as high as SSR’s Chatrapati until the interval bang. Please watch Chatrapati to get some ideas on how to do a mass movie on Paritala Ravi that will shock and destroy every other movie before.
Also watch Lajja and check the character “Bulwa” played by Ajay Devgan. I hope you make it a mass-punch movie with many commercial payoffs instead of a lame documentary.
We telugu’s love your movies and are really looking forward to Rakht Charitra and your mass commercial payoffs.
hi,
RGV ur a brilliant man.RGV ur a legend.U r so down to earth.
all of u who critise him are morons,pigshits,scumbags.who dont understand movie making.
in India he is one of those who knows film making,like shekar kapoor.
U who critise him fit for nothing,just to siting on ur big fat ass watching a masala flips[so called blockbuster(for ME they are stupid films)]
like KANK,KG3,VEER ZARA,ETC etc.shitheads u wont change ur messed-up brainsdont spoil others..u gotta feel the concept man
.grow up.and wat RGV quoted in sarkar raj is true.in orro’s dialogue “IN INDIA ,EVERYBODY WANT ENTERTAINMENT,NOT DEVELOMENT”
atleast now try to encourage people who experiment.
RGV is a legend.I LOVE U RAMU AND UR FILMS.flops r hits doesn’t matter U R great.
p.s i personally hate this fuckhead armchair critics….by the way i from vja.., see u.
Most “Critics” are just like your “Average” viewer, if there is such a thing, in the sense that they may not appreciate the finer aspects of cinema but rather judge it at an emotional level. This is not wrong per se because that’s what movies are supposed to do. The problem with critics is that they have a platform to shout out their opinion which readers consume it as some sense of expert advice.
So, i think a film-maker should engage with his audience directly. right from the start of the movie production may be even pre-production. Like using this blog or some movie specific blog.
This can involve your potential audience, especially those who love movies, understand and appreciate its different aspects. If this engagement is successful then they will form the driving force in advertising the movie when it comes out through online social networks, blogs etc.
In today’s internet age we don’t need the mass media, we can leverage the power of the social internet and when the movie gets a buzz online then the mass media is forced to take notice.
we supersede them and subsume them.
Lets talk to the audience directly. No more semi-intelligent mass media gate keepers.
cheers guys
happy to see some true rgv fans here
watever may be ur film u are the best guy in terms of film management in terms of ppackaging,product making of a film
dare these reviewers to stop producers to stop making a film with u
publish stats from agyaat collections
send a lettter to each of these critics
AGYAAT is a hit even before it was released. Ok. Producers got return on investment. What about the distributors and buyers ?
You love making movies so you do what ever you wanted to do. And you don’t force any one to watch your movies. Point taken. But how for are your financing entities (you, producers, distributors, and buyers) satisfied ? what is the over all result ?
Sir, I just returned after watching Agyaat (depite those ‘earnest’ caveats from buffaloes, sweeties and pepper-mints). You know what, throughout the entire movie, I noticed that everyone in the audience was completely engrossed and responded to each and every sound effect designed to evoke shock (just like I did), but once they were out of the multiplex, they changed their colours like chameleons (hey, there weren’t much animals and insects in the jungle, okay I’ll tune in to geographic channel for that, no complaints).
So the point is, just like those cinegoers, review writers, too, change colours when they sit in front of their computer to type their review. They feel as if they’re God sitting on a throne on Judgment Day! Had I followed their caveats, I would’ve missed out one of the best Indian thrillers (let’s ban the word ‘bollywood’) ever made.
I simply don’t understand why most people and such review writers behave in such ways? First they enjoy the movie in the darkness of movie hall and then cry hoarse outside the multiplex! It’s like enjoying sex with a beautiful girl and then calling her an ugly whore after orgasm.
Strange, but true.
Looking forward to Agyaat-2. Promote it head on, just the way you did for Darna Zaroori Hai, after Darna Mana Hai.
PS: An idiot RJ, who has made some 2 odd short films (whom i contested with during a film festival and competition) commented on Agyaat by saying ‘Aisi film to mein bhi bana sakta hoon!
You bet.
Regards
Prakash Gowda
DISCLAIMER: “all the characters in this film are fictional and are not related to anyone. If they resemble anybody its just a co-incidence”
Everybody knows that movies like Company, Guru are based on real life people. Then instead of stating that “the characters in this film are inspired from real life people or real life incidences”, why do producers prefer to have the the above “disclaimer”
Are you going to use such disclaimer for Raktha Charitra or are you going to say that “the characters in this film are based on real people and real life incidences”
What are the legal issues of not using that disclaimer although the characters are based on real life people?
Movie review is opinion of the reviewer, nothing like expertise as watching a movie is an emotional experience. If you think its expertise tell me what are the qualifications to be a movie reviewer? Car is a mechanical object. It can be reviewed objectively at least based on the technical specifications. You cannot do that in case of a movie. What ever you feel about a movie is subjective.
A well balanced review never interests the readers. If somebody tears apart a movie with incisive comments then it will be interesting to read. If it is the profit, which motivates the media business, why do you think it will care about the negative effects of the reviews taking a toll on movie industry? If you are a genius or who thinks that is a genius, then think how to combat this problem.
Before internet/news paper reviews people chose movies to watch by the word of mouth. Now with various newspapers/web sites people try to read the reviews before they watch a movie. It’s the power of media. How can you overcome it?
If you don’t want a guy at the door psyching /influencing the customer on what to buy and what not to buy then get rid of him. But HOW? Kill him? Bribe him? Beg him?
Why so much hype for movie industry? Why so much popularity for movie industry? Why is it so glamorous? WHY it doesn’t deserves for its products to be constantly judged, ridiculed, made fun of, misinterpreted in the eyes of the people?
How can we eradicate the species of film critics? Good question.
How about you writing a review about your own movie and make it reach wide audience? Then you can prepare the mindset of the audience better than any other reviewer.
You are talking about zero accountability. Aren’t you living in India where zero accountability is the norm.
.
ONE CAN NOT CONTROL OR SENSE THE OTHERS VISUALIZATION,OBSERVATION,KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. LET US ALL FORGET ABOUT THE SOME OTHERS (RE) V I E w s…….
Watched couple of interviews on youtube which you have on Sakshi, TV9 and so on.
Old stuff and repeated questions to you like – too much exposing, repeated movies, and repeated heroines and I can see your face and you are like sicking tired of answering same questions.
I understand that in some what, these kind of interviews will give kind of publicity to your movies. Thats good so.
But the point I am making here is – Why do you want to give such kind of interviews who doesn’t have any knowledge on movies and doest know what they are asking for and more likely they don’t have proper presentation while people calling and questioning you in between there are lot of disturbance and I can see you and I can see what is going on your mind!!
What ever it is – You still rock and I am damm fucking like you so much what ever you do.
I am again saying – If everybody does their work what they are for living or interests since there are no harms to somebody or illegal, who the f..k cares!! I am sure – these media and critics are acting too much for raising their ratings.
“As for the pepper-mints and sweeties and buffalos you can look forward for my next Horror”.
HAHAHA so RANN is going to be a nightmare for media.
I am not sure how you film makers loose money because of the reviews in India but over here in US, it is more due to piracy than the reviews. We are not so dumb here to read some stupid website reviews and go watch the film. If we want to, we will watch the film even when some idiot reviewer didn’t like the movie. But, the problem is piracy. The movie will be available on infinite websites on the same day of release and sometimes better quality than a DVD. Obviously when available for free and is nothing so special, we Desis, wouldn’t go to the theater to watch it. So, if you want to make money for all those movie dependents, do something to stop piracy, if you can, rather than crying on your blog on reviewers like a baby. Remember, we are not fools to trust those reviewers. If we want to, we will watch the movie anyways.
RGV,
You make either good may be great movies or THE worst movies which are unbearable to watch. But these days its becoming highly impossible to see the free publicity you are trying to get by trashing media.
I always thought heroes typecast themselves. But you as a director who got all the freedom can be such a a&& to say i will remake my own films. Now instead of worrying about the present disaster “Agyaat” you already started canvas for your next release which you made on media. I never knew Anupama, now you made her popular…
RGV, Your blogs are really interesting and goes to show the inner working of the industry.
I was watching Sarkar and had a couple of questions.
1) During Rashid’s first meeting with Sarkar, he gets rejected and is being told that he won’t be allowed to use the docks to deliver his consignments. Rashid keeps playing with his nose giving a impression of a cold, is that something that was planned by you and required of the character or was it improvised by Rashid’s character.
2) The Swami keeps pushing his hair behind, again, is that something that was planned by you and required of the character or was it improvised by Rashid’s character.
Thanks
Ramu bhai,
Once you wrote in your blog that “you are afraid of stings, scared of bites and ignore barks”
Just ignore these reviews too.
Thanks for the Post Ramu….
I just said to my frnd who said not to watch Agyaat as it as rated low….
I told him, not to go by reviewer comments for RGV movie…
“They(Critics) all are against him…”
Hi Ramu,
Watched Agyaath today, photography was impressive. I dint like the ending but overall it was a watchable flick. It reminded me of Hitchcock’s line “key to suspense is being a whore by hanging on as much as possible before revealing things to audience” :)
-Sreedhaar
How come you keep making horror movies? Are you like good friends with Night Shyamalan or some thing?
Ramu, I read the above article in another website (greatandhra.com) before it’s published on your own website. I normally don’t believe 95% of things on Greatandhra.com and hence I ruled out the fact assuming it’s not written by you. But I’m surprised to see the same article again the next day on your webiste. Is someone leaking the information from you ? Beware of your techies Ramu !!!
I haven’t watched Agyaat yet. But based on the above comments from our friends I understand you haven’t revealed the villian even at the end.
Spielberg’s first movie – DUEL also doesn’t reveal the villian even at the end, but audience know some psychic truck driver is trying to kill the lead role (and has killed many in the past) and in the end they see the truck being dumped in a deep valley assuming the truck driver is dead and hence ended the story.
In order to justify your title (Agyaat) you took chance on that kind of ending by not revelaing anyting about the villian. But if you would’ve shown something like – convincing the audience that the Unknown (Agyaat) is dead, most of the audience will leave the theater with some kind of relief or conclusion, which Indian audience are used to. Your movie would’ve left most of them with a “What the Fukk !!” kinda feeling.
Again it’s a bold step ahead to show something different on screen irrespective of success(which no one can guarantee even if they follow regular masala formula). You’ve already got my pat on your back.
I don’t think most people will stop watching your movie by reading reviews bcoz.. reveiwers can’t show Priyanka kothari’s legs and her dance moments ..so don’t worry I hope many people love to watch your movies atleast for the way you show heroines…
cheer up :) And I strongly believe that movie is meant to watch and justify not to read and justify….
Ramu – I don’t even know the names you’ve mentioned above. There are lot of unemployed people (who also have limited brains) out there trying to make a living out of something. Of course you would have to save your own ass if someone abuses & threatens your way of living. I don’t have hard feelings on neither of you.
As you already told, In spite of Agyaat’s Failure…. Its sound efx looks damn good….. Congrats Dwarak and you
I do not understand, though your business arithmetic works so fine…. why should you worry about all these Fuck.ing Reviews???
Seems you are unable to digest the way reviewers are say something.
You said somewhere that a philosopher should not be a compete, Then why do you comparing a dumbo person like Khalid and satisfying your self.
Have seen Agyaat on the very first day, I liked it, though I cannot say I enjoyed as much as Sarkar (Yes I know they are different genre).
Am following you blog right from the beginning and loving it, but this post today was a big disappointment. I agree that there are few people who write the review based more on their perception of the director rather than the content of the movie itself. But I think the we should leave it to the end reader to judge if he believes the views of the reviewer more than the talent of the film-maker. Kambaqth ishq was a bad movie and you too acknowledge it (though the context here is different) , so by expressing your opinion it doesn’t mean that you have an ulterior motive behind the statement. Similarly to think all the reviewers were having an ulterior motive behind criticizing your movie looks soo childish.
I think you should just remember that not everyone understands a Picasso painting, and it does not mean that if such a person criticizes it, he has an ulterior motive behind doing it. I think if you believe in your product then you should ignore such reviews. Having said that, once you ignore the right feedback you have a danger of not learning from your mistakes.
The argument that a film involves lot of money and effort and so should not be rubbished in a review, is again so illogical. Every movie that is made in bollywood or any other industry involves money so does it mean you watch every movie in spite of it being badly made?
I saw yours interview in TV9 and Sakshi TV. What a stupid anchors they are? Asking same questions repeatedly. I don’t know when these channels learn the basic of journalism.
Some Woman Organizations seems to be presenting you Bikinis. I wonder what they would present you when you shoot the heroine in nude.
Y agyaat was not released in chennai
Hmm.. Welcome to the Club. This is the second biggest word against the reviewers after first was initiated by Puri Jagannath in his movie “Neninthe” . Yes. point accepted that reviewers are doing bad job. In the process what you are missing is the intelectuality of the viewer. Anybody who wants to go a movie is inflenced y several factors (again personalised) . In modern days of having computer availability , Review on website/paper/channel has become a factor. By the time you showed your agression towards the reviewers, I believe viewers also realized the fact that reviewers are shoowing off their lateral thinking , so called bull shit technical points by making into 2 halfs of the movie. It is always fun to see a guy can do a biopsy on a movie. Anyways I dont want to go long on the comment very first time.
All I can tell you Ramu, is that In another way the reviewers are forecasting HATE on your moives , which is good for you , as I believe you like to be HATED or LOVED than giving some sober bullshot on your movie reviews.
All the Best! Keep your attitude as is …
Veera
Hello Ramu,
Why can’t you give a statutory warning: ‘This film is not meant for any commercial reviewers or analyzers or people who get monetary benefits by reviewing this film directly or indirectly are advised not to waste their time and our efforts on reviewing this film and this film is meant for INTELLIGENT people with commonsense not for super humans :) ”
Just like “Adults Only” on posters you can also have “Wise Advise: Strictly not for Reviewers.. ”
I too dislike most of the reviewers, I wish to watch a movie without reading the reviews. Infact I watch all the movies with less ratings to my surprise all less rating movies are the one which I like, same is the case with my friends. So we joke watchability of the movie is inversely proportional to the ratings in ascending order.
Regards,
Prasan
Saw Agyaat.
It did not work for me. It has no elements that I have not seen before except for some good moments.
I could not connect to the characters or their fear, the changes that characters undergo are nothing new, there are barely any good visuals except deft camera work. I didnt even feel helplessness of the characters (or for them) even though it seemed to be a powerful entity they were dealing against.
except for indulging in your conceptual outlook of the plot and notion of fear, it had nothing to offer me – neither stunning visuals, nor novel view points.
Just like you judge if you need a established actor or a new comer for a role, perhaps you should also consider if a movie needs an established director or a newbie.
I dont mind open endings, but the impact of the movie was so less that this open ending felt funny and moot. The performances, the sound were bad, worse the timing of the song “dekh sako” or something put me off.
Regards,
One thing we must keep in mind…. If movie has sufficient stuff… No one reviewer can do any thing… If you are missing right elements..all these issues will raises..
@prakash.gowda
Well said.
First things first. I have not yet seen AGYAAT.
This (Audience enjoying the movie, but changing their mind after coming out) happens when the pay-off is missing. Choosing not to put the pay-off is the decision the director has taken and that is why he called it an experiment. But then just because it is an experiment it need not be totally discarded or necessarily admired.
A Hollywood director named David Lynch did a similar thing in the movie “Mulholland Drive”. But that was atleast like showing the orgasm internally in a porn film. Not showing an orgasm itself is like denying the pay-off for the spectator. Such movies are true experiments.
Some work and some don’t.
I’m not competent enough to comment on the effect of a review on the turn-out for a movie.
hmmm ….this article made me remember these words “Dont kill the cinema ..give it a chance ” uttered by Mani Ratnam when his movie Yuva was released.
Ramu garu,
These so-called critics seem to be venting out their frustration.
I havent seem Agyaat yet, however, I look forward to see this week.
Cheers
Bharadwaj
Tokyo, Japan
The Movie Agyat is inspired or say the theme of the movie is from Hollywood flick “predator” but the main crux of the movie is missing. Sir you gave the desserts without the main course ;). My friends says i am a good critic but i say i always give my opinion and everyone has the right to say it. I am a big fan of your movie and always expect a different thing than that of other directors or producers do. The actors were good but the script was week when compared to the original one. I think if i was given to write the script of the Predator remake i would have written at least 1% better.
hi ramuji
dont you think that the exposure of the indian audience to world cinema today is a challenge for indian diectors,coz when i was watchin agyaat yesterday my friends were trying to compare it with hollywood films and i heard them saying that it is not as good as {x} film.i tried explaining them that indian directors have less resources available,compared to hollywood directors.but because they have seen all classic thrillers they seemd to have a closed mind while watching the movie
they went in to the movie believing that it wont be as good as a hollywood film……
dont you think that during the release of the film ,the director should work towards creating a awareness amongst the audience of what to expect.i recollect your interview for pfc where u said
that om shanti om is a honest film,i was quite surprised to hear that,but your explanation of why u think it was a honest film made sense to me.one of the reason why some people are not liking agyaat is because they went in expecting a bhoot or a hollywood classic.
their mindset of what the movie “should be ” was in conflict with what it aactually was, and thus they disliked the film.
(ps -this is just my point of view as an audience)
Aagyat – firts half is not so good .
Priyanaka – just passable .
But the second half is too good.
The sound effect and the way the forest hace been captured by DOP is truly incredible.
Awaiting for the sequel.
Can you please publish the financial – analysis of Nishabd ?
But Mr. Ram: WHY DO YOU READ THE REVIEWS??? Forget them!
Yesterday I saw ‘Phoonk’, at last! I remember the reviews weren’t very positive, were they?
I liked the film. Not among your masterpieces, but I liked it. Not so good as ‘Bhoot’, but more interesting (in my opinion).
I think ‘Phoonk’ gets better as the narration is going on. The beginning is not very impressive. So the first steps towards the heart of the story. But then gradually it becomes more & more elegant (as per the look) and more & more interesting. I like very much the direction (OF COURSE), I mean the framings (the shots?) and in general the technical way. My favourite shot is when the family comes back home from the doctor, the Grandma is waiting for them on the stairs (we see her back), she’s in the dark, the other actors come from the light, the little girl goes on the stairs. Brilliant! I like the cinematography (very elegant), and the music. I like the acting, above all the male lead actor (he’s very talented). It’s interesting the argument that in front of a tragedy like the possible death of a child all the certainties fall down: an atheist applies to a shaman and a believer has doubts on God (it means: all of us are the same in front of a big fear). But the most interesting aspect in my opinion is that the film has been made in a way that the greatest scaring aspect is not the black magic but the death of a daughter (or a son). Fot this reason, my favourite Stephen King’s horror book is ‘Pet Sematary’. So it was very surprising for me watching in ‘Phoonk’ that the real heart of the story is not a horror fear, but a very real fear. Well done!
I also saw the ‘Making’, and it was very funny hearing your words about the way you managed to work with a child in spite of your little interest in children… Anyway the child actor seemed to love you so much…
Please, Mr. Ram, for your next dvd releases don’t forget to add English subtitles to the special features! And not only for the Hindi dialogues, but also for the English ones! For us non-speaking English people, is easier understanding a written English than a spoken one (please please please).
Now I’m waiting to see ‘Agyaat’.
Love you.
Celeste
hi
gr8 movie man when is agyaat 2 releasing. i was more exited about agyaat and more even more excited about agyaat 2 and rakta charitra .plz ttell us about agyaat 2
I really got annoyed by the CRITICISM done by our so called media CRITICS.
I would suggest to know their job better.
The name itself, AGYAAT, tells some invisible thing that haunts. At the end of the movie, RGV told, wait for AGYAAT-2.
Then, what is the fun in wring in criticism writing like … “RGV could have showed the agyyat one.” What the f*ck is this man? These media are bringing hell out of us.
Just leave that… but the thing what surprised me is… Why RGV replied back to the critics. “You RGC, are RGV when you remain silent to them. You are not RGV when you reply back. That is not your Way.”
But RGV Boss… some scenes are really stupid, I should admit.
Waiting for RANN and especially for Raktha Charithra.
I was into silence, when they were telling, “probably this could be the end of RGV Film career.” Please bounce back.
Expecting soon, a hollywood flick. Atleast you should cross MANOJ NIGHT SHYAMALAN in thrillers.
All the best,
MovieBee
(Ok: I repeat it. Sorry if it’ll be double)
About ‘Agyaat’ reviews: why the hell do you read them??? Forget them!
About ‘Phoonk’: yesterday I saw it, at last. I remember the reviews weren’t good, were they? I liked it. Not among your masterpieces, but I liked. Not so good as ‘Bhoot’, but in my opinion more interesting.
The beginning is not very impressive. So the first steps towards the heart of the story. But the film gets better as the narration goes on. I liked the direction (OBVIOUSLY), specially the… framings? the shots? (sorry, I don’t know the correct word) and in general the tech aspects. My favourite shot is when the family comes back home from the doctor and the Grandma is waiting for them standing on the stairs (we see her back in the dark). Brilliant. I like the cinematography, very elegant. I like the soundtrack. I like the acting, specially the male lead actor (very talented). But my favourite aspects of ‘Phoonk’ are:
1 – in front of a tragedy like the possible death of a child, all our certainties fall down. An atheist may apply to a shaman. A believer may have doubts on his God. So: all of us are human and all of us behave the same
2 – the most scaring aspect of ‘Phoonk’ is not the black magic, so the horror aspect, but a REAL fear, I mean the death of a daughter (or a son). Very well done, Mr. Ram. It’s a very original aspect. It reminds me my favourite Stephen King’s horror novel, ‘Pet Sematary’.
I also saw ‘The making’. Very funny hearing you speaking about your work with a child, in spite of your little interest in children! And the child actor seemed loving you a lot…
Please, Mr. Ram, for your next dvd releases add the English subtitles also to the special features, and not only for Hindi dialogues, but for the English ones too. For us non-English speaking people, is easier understanding a written English than a spoken one (please please please).
Now I’m waiting to see ‘Agyaat’ (hope soon).
Love you.
Celeste
Ramu,
I saw Agyaat.I did not like it. I have wasted my hard earned money. I also agree with some of the reviewers:
1. “…all the characters in this ensemble cast are hurriedly bumped off or turn suicidal so that the lead pair can carry on with their lives…You know when a motley crew gets stranded in a jungle, they will all be bumped off one by one. You know when frogs croak loudly and bees buzz angrily, something is not right. You know, when the camera sneaks up on a character from the back, he/she either dies or it is a false alarm. The list goes on and on and on…” -Chandrima Pal Site:Rediff
Poor story, very predictable(especially for followers of your blog), poor dialogues.
2. “Varma might have done better to jump straight into the action, establishing his characters and their equations along the way, thereby giving this film the breathless, edge-of-the-seat tension that is sadly missing here. It’s something he pulled off so well in Kaun, which dived straight into the tension, creating that ominous feeling at the very start.”-Rajeev Masand
“Agyaat lacks the spooky fun of Phoonk or constant eeriness of Jungle.”- Anand Vaishnav Site:Buzz18
3. “minus those two redundant item songs”-Rajeev Masand
“bekaar item song”.-Nikhat Kazmi
What was the need for the song in the beginning? For me it totally spoiled the mood.
4.How many people do you know who would agree that Priyanka Kothari can act? She was one of the turn-offs even before I saw the movie. Still I went to see it because I like you a lot from your blogs.
5.Just compare AGYAAT with KAUN and BHOOT. Kaun and Bhoot didn’t have any item songs. Morover they had Bajpayee, Urmila, Devagan-people who can really act.
6. Please give me an example where not acting but only sound design, background score & camera movement have made a good film
Do you know what is more depressing than watching a bad movie? It is watching a movie which had the potential to be a great film but ended up as just average. That’s what happened with Sarkar Raj- great acting but a cheap story.
The concept of Rann is novel, the characters have to be terrific-influenced as they are from Fountainhead & Atlas Shrugged and the idea behind Jana Gana Rann is superb. I am really, really waiting for Rann.Please do not dissapoint me again.
Hollywood movies of this genre concentrate more on the limitations of creature and the defensive mechanisms actors have to devise in order to keep themselves alive. I think in this way they succeed in creating impact on viewers. In your movie ‘agyaat’ concentration is more on individuals how they are taking the situation. Since it is with the faces, feelings and emotions more familiar to me than hollywood movies it has more impact on me.
At one point in Agyaat — The Unknown, one character turns to another and asks: Have you lost it? You might want to put the same question to Ram Gopal Varma after sitting through this spectacularly dim-witted horror film about a film crew lost in a jungle, being hunted by an unknown creature.
Agyaat begins with Priyanka Kothari, who plays the film’s heroine, doing an item number. The song screams: I wanna, wanna kiss you day and night while the camera caresses her thighs. I don’t know what your definition of horror is but I was already scared. We then land in the jungles of central Sri Lanka.
The crew consists of an annoying hero, his servile spotboy, a lecherous producer, a moronic director, a philosophical cameraman, a manic stunt director, two assistant directors and the earlier mentioned permanently pouting heroine, who comes, believe it or not, absolutely alone. When shooting is halted because the camera breaks down, the crew decides to go camping in the forest. Before they know it, the weird caretaker who led them into the forest has been killed. And now they must find their own way out.
This set-up of a blood-soaked rumble in the jungle has been featured in dozens of horror movies, from Friday the 13th series to Blair Witch Project.
-NDTVS ANUPAMA CHOPRA
All Varma had to do was copy but apparently even that was too much of a challenge. Agyaat is relentlessly foolish. The characters, without exception, are so annoying that you are waiting and rooting for the creature that kills them. But the first murder happens only about 50 minutes into the film. Until then, Varma tries to create shivers with close-ups of looming branches, snakes and monkeys.
Not to mention a laugh out loud shot of Kothari exercising by a pond, in a tennis skirt while the creature rustles around her. Telegu actor Nitin Kumar Reddy, who plays an assistant director, tries to bring some conviction to his scenes but it’s an uphill climb, literally. At one point, in the midst of this bloody mayhem, the AD and the heroine climb up a hill. They are, or so you think, unhinged by fear. Instead the AD declares to the heroine that he has always loved her and will get her out of the jungle.
These ridiculous situations aren’t helped by the fact that Kothari seems to have mistaken rolling her eyeballs for acting. And she’s not the only one. Joy Fernandes playing the caretaker also pushes his eyeballs out as much as is humanly possible. Is this scary? Not in the least. What is scary is that Agyaat ends with the promise that Agyaat 2 is coming soon. I recommend that you stay far away and let the unknown stay unknown.
The above is by NDTVS anupam chopra
@RGV
THE reviewers gave positive reviews to ur earlier films like satya,company,boot,sarakar etc.. and the same reviewers gave negative reviews to Agyaat. WHY?
@rgv
instead of blaming reviewers,why dont u try to make a film, which shuts the mouths of reviewers and make them to tell that”we dont want to talk abt this film because its a MASTERPIECE OF RAMGOPAL VARMA”
Reviews and works of Media …..
just like…
” Ye sab unki Dhandhe ka JAAT hai “
Masand’s movie review: Agyaat takes long to rattle
At a running time of one hour and forty minutes, Ramgopal Varma’s Agyaat is an interesting experiment that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
When a film unit goes into a forest for shooting, an unknown, inexplicable entity begins killing them one by one. With everyone’s lives at stake, hierarchal differences in the team no longer matter; each must fend for himself, and soon people’s real personalities begin to surface.
Agyaat, interestingly, is as much a comment on human nature as it is a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase. Varma spends the film’s first 45 minutes or so establishing his characters and the group dynamics.
Self-absorbed movie-star torments his spot-boy and generally behaves like the world owes him a favor, earnest assistant director is nursing a crush on the amiable leading lady, irritable action director can’t stand the sight of the hero – 10 such oddballs with their own set of quirks and prejudices are introduced to us at an agonizingly slow pace, while the film’s second half is marked out for the suspenseful killings.
This in fact, works against Agyaat which ultimately feels like two different films.
Varma might have done better to jump straight into the action, establishing his characters and their equations along the way, thereby giving this film the breathless, edge-of-the-seat tension that is sadly missing here. It’s something he pulled off so well in Kaun, which dived straight into the tension, creating that ominous feeling at the very start.
Nevertheless, the pace in Agyaat picks up post-intermission as one after another the characters are knocked off in thrilling attack scenes that never visually reveal the attacker, but use excellent sound design to conjure up your imagination and confront your worst fears.
Now I’ve never been deep in a jungle, but I know if I was, every rustle in the trees, every snap of a twig would terrify me about who and what was out there. Varma taps into that fear to the fullest, and banks on the expressions of the characters to convey just what they’ve got themselves into.
Agyaat is neither The Blair Witch Project nor Cloverfield which may be obvious inspirations but were different because of the real-time, documentary feel that both films had. Agyaat reminds you more of the early seasons of the hit TV series Lost, where even the audience has no clue what it is exactly that is attacking the characters.
What surprises you about this film is the sharp characterisations. It’s as if Varma is holding up a mirror to how a film unit operates, complete with monstrous egos and fickle relationships.
As the spiteful movie-star who alienates the entire unit with his high-handed behavior, the relatively unknown Gautam Rode shines through with an accurate caricature of some of our own starry Bollywood types. The rest of the ensemble too delivers convincing performances, especially Ravi Kale as the short-fused action director who needs the slightest excuse to tip over.
Agyaat makes no pretences about the fact that it’s only goal is to rattle you, and it achieves that several times with some chilling moments that make you jump out of your seat.
It’s not great cinema, it isn’t intended to be; Agyaat is an event picture which delivers a few good thrills. With a tighter first-half and a slicker pace and minus those two redundant item songs, this might have been a more compelling ride.
I’m going with two out of five for director Ramgopal Varma’s Agyaat; at a time when special effects and digital tricks can be used to create just about anything, here’s a reminder that what really scares us is the stuff we can’t see.
Rating: 2 / 5 (Average)
CHEERS VARMA..MASAND GAVE MOSTLY POSITIVE REVIEW….
@ Ramu
Chote bache ke jaisa kaikoo rotha hai,
apna “RANN” hai naa,
bajadhe sab Media walon ki GHANTI……..
Sab Media waalon ko BAMBOO ghusaad dhe………
Awwwwwwwwwwww not from u ramu…. U r being a BAD BOY here :-)
when sarkar gets 4 stars that’s put on the hoarding of the movie to entice us ..now why bng so hypocrite when ur movie is trashed…
DON’T CRY
So shud I watch It ??
RGV,
I agree that reviewers are biased and often do not understand the vision of the maker.
Having said that, when you mention that hundreds of careers are linked to a film doing well, does it not put the onus on you to make a film that you think will work?
Your previous posts indicate that you are more of the “I’ll make what catches my fancy – everyone else be damned”…
Just seems like a contradiction…
RGV,
my girlfriend said she loved Agyaat, but i suspect she only liked it, she said she loved it only because she might have a tinie-tiny crush on you.
i loved it, especially those much talked about camera shots. but i wished you hadn’t had spent so much time establishing characters and straightaway gone into the jungle just like your previous movie ‘JUNGLE’ where the characters got established sitting in the bus and during the song ‘aaiyo aaiyo raama’. but i guess you thought otherwise.
also i believe i was psyched by your blog to expect a straight up horror/thriller movie like final destination films, since you never really spoke about how you were going to take time to establish each character.
loved the film… waiting for the second part….
Kashyap on ‘Satya’:
The script for the Hindi masterpiece “Satya” was co-written by you. What are your feelings for that film today?
A.K. – I still feel that was the best work WE did. It wasn’t my film alone. I always say “Satya” was my film school. There was a lot of searching in that movie, which I believe we gradually lost.
Kashyap on RGV:
Please, tell us something about your work with the great director Ram Gopal Varma.
A.K. – I wrote three films for him, “Satya”, “Kaun” and “Shool”. He was the man who inspired the whole generation of us who are making films today. I learnt what I had to while working on “Satya”.
http://hindicinenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/exclusive-interview-with-anurag-kashyap.html
why dont you invite these film critics to direct a small budget movie to be to be produced by you.. ? and then let’s decide if they have in them to critize a movie.. ?
@ Ramu Sir,
How Sensitive you are…………….
I never expected these kind of shade in you
Vennela
That was a lovely write-up Ramu. All these “Fly by Night” critics should be dumped. They make their reviews controversial so that they can get more eyeballs. Else there is no one to listen to their crap.
Particularly that Bazmee lady. Some one needs to tell her to shut up.
Atleast 200+ people are supporting you naa sir,
Now forget Reviews and Media ………………
We are looking for Our RGV here…….
Vennela
Sir what you are saying it is 100% correct.Reviewer ? who is he? to tell th film is good or worst?,
he pay Rs100 per ticket & himself decide it is flop. He don’t know to make film with right subject.
if he have that stamina, come with good subject and give it to directors then only he realize him self.
i am agreeing to you r opinion
The word “Criticism” ideally should never exist.It has to be called “My Opinion”
“Criticism” never exists.It has to be called “My Opinion”
Check the Wonderful poster
http://www.santabanta.com/jokes.asp?catid=9536
@RGV
check this one its quite creative….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_Msrdg3Hk
Had you made a horror movie as you say “Aagyat” is one, you wouldnt have had to explain so much/
Mr Kamal Hassan tried to prove that he is a great actor through “Dashavatharam,” man we all know he is one, the same way we know that you are technically superb!!! but why prove again and again.
I cant digest the fact that an intellegent, experienced, etc man cant identify his weakness.
Hey watched on saturday with my friends…liked in some parts..but have watched ‘The blair witch project’ and some bollywood film by jimmy shergill(they have lifted completely TBWP) u have said in our blog about the unknown which will not be revealed..I could pacify myself about climax.My friends hated this..They have felt RGV has done something stupid in last 15 min..by not revealing it..Personally i didn’t feel any impact on my emotional plane(fear) throughout the movie .nor made me interested to look for Agayat-2…Really i want to u to ask why u have not made Deyyam-2..RGV u scared hell out of me…I remember my seat no.in Sangam theatre in vizag when I watched that in my 8 standard..No movie horrified me like that..I never made myself to ask why not other movies…still now…One thing straight sound design is superb in Agayaat..
If you are Sweetie, Buffalo, Peppermint and any of those reviewers, this message is for you from the spirit of RGV.
“He will any day go ahead and make a bad movie instead of sipping endless cup of coffee at Barista”
Stop barking against his personality!
- don’t beg
- seems to be shattered
- you made movie for yourself why this begging for connected people
- A good movie (Satya, Company ..) are a concidence so are bad (Aag, shiva-2.. can’t write Agyaat because haven’t seen yet)
- reviews rarely hurt a good movie Shiva and Satya and many more are examples
- Mahesh Bhatt could not repeat magic of Arth, Aditya Chopra couldn’t DDLJ, Shubhash Ghai couldn’t repeat his magic. It is all time, may be your time is over or under bad stars wait and keep going
- concede your mistakes otherwise
- At last, I (may be others) have faith in you hence can’t resist watching your movies. Would see Agyaat and all other in future until you deliver a good number of Aag. Charevati – Cherevati.
RGV,
No matter, there is a point in your post. As usual which benefits you?
I know you are not a person who listens to the people comments and keep quite. You always wanted to respond the way you think about others comments. I think you are not going to leave Khalid alone until you see his end. May be he deserves for what he did to you (poor fellow). May be you started keeping the hit list of these movie reviewers who bash your movies on the reviews so that whenever you get a chance you can bash them back.
I think people who are not matured may think that you are crying out loud since they bash your movie in reviews. Until they find out the blame game. It is common, when you involved in the movie making game (movie, media, interviews…..).
Do you really think they are going to get matured after reading your comments on your blog. they just do what they wanted to do. And so do you.
I think in the film industry (not only film industry, this applies to any industry) there are 3 kinds of people.
1, people who do chamcha giri (Khan and his chamchas, Chopra’s and his chemchas, and
other big and little chemchas) basically chamcha giri is their survival and livelihood.
2, people they can’t tolerate hypocrisy of others, they don’t care and they don’t want
others to win in their game, they know how to play the power game like you and
Aamir khan.
3, The 3rd verity is typical, that either they can’t do both or they do both.
So I always think ” Ye picture Abhi Bhaki hi”.
hi, you gave an example about buying a shirt from a store, well there you see the product , go for a trail and then you buy it, that is not the case with a movie, first you buy the ticket then you watch, why would someone want to waste his 100rs on a movie with all crap.
1. Your strength can be determined by the strength of your enemies. So, if I kick you and you become feel the kick and then I feel visible to myself, but if you react to the kick then I get the previliged enemy status and hence my strength is redefined by others. So, peppermint is the real gainer by your reaction.
2. Tell me what car you drive and immediately tell me who the CEO of that company is. What paste do you buy and who is the CEO of that company… you dont have any answers to any of these kind of questions and the reason is that that these men behind these great products dont get the good publicity. Hence they also dont get the bad publicity either. I know who made shiva and I also no who made black friday and I also know who made Swades. The reason I know it is that I am passionate about movies and am not passionate about the people who made the toothpaste I use. So how can you say I want to enjoy only one side of a double edged sword??
3. There are a ton of issues plaguing the country and probably quite a few major problems which the cine industry is facing for which people are not getting together to resolve because of “I dont care” bums like you…. and you want the industry to get together to fight critics…. come on… are you serious…. just because a couple of pricks pricked you, you want the industry to get together… stop kidding..
4. you portray yourself as a thick skinned bastard…. so remain like that. why do you complain like a kid.. this guy is poking me, that guy is pinching me… whats all this nuisance.
5. And hell,,, if you mean what you say by saying “I make films for myself” and release it for yourself only. If its in the market, it will be beaten to death… If you cant take this nonsense, make movies for others and drop your psuedo macho attitude….
First You say You make films for yourself, and then You bitch at the critics who bitch about your films. Not done!
Here z vamsi!!!!!!!! I have seen ur film “adavi” (in telugu). wat i like the most zzzzz the way u changed the frame of mind of the stunt master all at sudden, who kills the hero in the film. That is the most terrifing seen i like the most in ADAVI.
you are a special kind of person who always thinks i am different,intelligent.but you aren’t
you know why??? you can’t make cinema beyond underworld,horror,bikini,veerappan
you better consult a psychiatrist!!!!
By the way my friends are going to sue you for showing an incomplete movie(adavi-2 don’t make it please) vamsi anumaanaspadam is 1000 times better!!!!!
Ramu
This was the least expected post from you, in retaliation to the critics, why do you need to come back with a vengeance?
I truly understand your concerns( of people and their money put at high stakes while making a movie), however i expected as always you will be least bothered and that’s what makes you DIFFERENT from others.
After getting addicted to your blog from past a year, this was a dissapointment.
I havent watched Agyaat yet as it is not released here in US, and i have n’t got a pirated version to watch it either ;) (winks)
And congr8ts on recovering your investors money on Agyaat, Pull in those same guys for your Agyaat-2, as i heard there is a sequel planned for it….
Cheers
Sridhar Aemalla
Anna, Nuvvu Sallaga Undoo…Namasthe nay…
Heres my take and I find this to be very very, absolutely, 100% true –
*The Tree with Most fruits (talent) attracts the most stones.* So relax and I understand your point of view.
I agree most reviewer’s rip movies to get more ratings ..
however I have to say that I would never see most small budget movies…
if not for some good reviews on websites…
like Dasvidaniya, 99, A Wednesday, welcome to Sajjanpur, Bheja Fry, Dor …etc..
These movies will be completely out of my Radar if not for some good reviews on websites ….
All these movies I watched only after good reviews from websites and I liked all these…
However, at the same time I don’t watch SRK, Akshay, Salman khan movies…
no matter what the ratings say.a crappy movie like “Om shanti Om” gets very positive and good reviews (I always rely on friends for these big guys movies)
annaa…swammeee….nuvvu …nuvvu lekundaa…naa lokam emi aipoyedi annaaa???
annaa…nuvvu cheppakapote…naa batuku emaipoyedi annannaa???
ee revelation lekapote….maa janma saarthakam ayyedi kaadannoyy…!!!
(naaku kaalindi. nenu first comment chesaanu ..ee article ki. adi display avvale..)
telugu marchipoledu kadanaaayy???
annaaa…annaaa….nuvvu gaani..lekapote..emaipoyedi annaa???
nuvvu cheppakapote maaku evaru evaru evaru dikku…huhu huhuh..??
entannaa…artham kaaledaa???
telugu annaa…telguu…..
(my prev comment is not displayed. thats y abusing ramu…anna…ninne annaa…nee gurunche…)
Anumanaspadam by Vamsi dealt with the same theme as Agyaat but in a better way.
Whats your take on this?
You dont owe anything to society and society doesnt owe you anything .
You dont have responsibility towards your crew.Then why are you worrying about the outcome and how it may effect them,their families?
Dear Varma Ji,
I read your long open letter that has come to my mail id yesterday (also uploaded at http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=15341&cat=1&scat=4)
I read every letter in it with attention and could do nothing but empathizing you.
And please find some time to read this and certainly it’s not as big as your mail.
PS: You may feel first half bored but there is a perfect relevance to it in second half.
I was a bright student till my 3rd standard and never knew what 2nd rank was. I always stood first in every test and examination. But my standards have bitten mud in fourth class. My 4th class teacher has thrown Unit Test book on my face when I failed in Mathematics. She shouted saying, “Your 3rd class teacher always speaks high about you. But this is what you are. Go and show these marks to her”.
I have gone to 3rd class teacher and she replied, “Don’t keep me down with this kind of marks. I spread news that you are the best student in this school. What happened to you?”
It’s not a cooked up story or a filmy narration but it took place way back in 80s in Eluru at CSI School. My fourth class teacher was Mrs Prasanna and third class teacher was Mrs Bhagya Latha.
I got pestered by that issue then. I had no love on Prasanna teacher as she shouted on me in front of everyone. I also lost respect on Bhagya Latha teacher as she too reprimanded me and simply asked to keep up her image. Indeed, I was around 10 years old that time and my understanding was fully childish.
But that brought ignition in me but it took me months to regain my lost glory. The reasons are many.
* Disgust on studies as teachers are not liking me
* Loss of attention on studies and focus on other things
* Friendship with back bench students
* No big desire to regain 1st rank
* Growing competition and new comers from big cities into my class those are above me in studies
But I happened to get solace from my Telugu teacher as I always stood first only in that. And a thought came to my head why can’t I get similar respect from Prasanna teacher as well. I struggled hard and managed to stand 3rd in the class by Annual Examination. The same teacher lauded me among all and I never looked back from then.
Hence now I regard those two teachers. I can understand their feelings. They influenced me. They recognized my abilities and kept me on track when I was derailing.
Similar thing happens to great director RGV now. He made Shiva, Kshana Kshanam, Gaayam, Sarkar and Sarkar Raj. But the same director also made Aag and now Agyaat.
The reasons can be many.
* Disgust on making movies as reviewers and audience are not liking them
* Loss of attention on movie making and more focus on RGV Blog
* Friendship with people those always praise you but never point out mistakes
* No big desire to be No-1 always
* Growing competition and new comers from many international film schools those appear bigger for you
Yes, I see myself in you connecting to my childhood.
But this is not the outcome that reviewers or audience expect from you. They wish something better or bigger. You are a big sensation and everyone wishes you to see on top as a unique director who can be matchless to anyone.
And indeed, you, in your open letter said that some liked the movie Agyaat and some didn’t- (like Telugu teacher liked me and Maths teacher disliked me earlier).
Ok..bank on the people those said ‘good’ and try to answer those said ‘bad’. And you should come up with the best next time. The reviewers those treated Agyaat as a film that hit below the belt, should rate the next film bigger and keep it higher.
Indeed, the last line in your open letter ‘As for the pepper-mints and sweeties and buffalos you can look forward for my next Horror’ implies the same, I believe.
All the best, Varma ji.
-SiraSri
Film Critic
Dear Ramu,
I really wonder why you had to give such heavy ‘gaalies’ to all those idiots who wrote bad reviews on ur new film Agyaat.
They don’t know and can’t appreciate films more than those idiotic same old filthy films that they call popular Hindi-masala-cinema with sixpacks above their navals and weakpacks on the ’skills set called acting.
Right from my childhood i have been watching Hindi cinema now and then. Everytime i walk out of Hindi cinema, it is with a fullhearted pukish feeling. i never see any change in them.
They simply think film is meant to entertain people who are tired of their usual miserable lives. Thats why they have to show everything that is far away from the reality. And when the whole mental set up is in such a disgusting way, people who were born and brought up watching such lowgrade stuff and developed a taste for such distateful films, they cant help criticising when you were trying to experiment with this medium!!
Only when you and Maniratnam make films, people come to watch films even if u guys have casted Brahmanandham or Binladen in the films as heros, just b’coz they are made by you people. Then to watch rest of the films made by other directors definitely one needs to be in misery so that these directors know the antidote for their misery … fucking critics and fucking to the square of their understanding of cinema. Pedro almodavar, please forgives these idiots who share this land along with me. Ramu go head and screw their heads with ur films!!!
Sir,
You are genius whether people accept it or not. Even I agree about not ‘reviewing’ a particular film. Unfortunately, even I have that negative mindset & I do crack terrible jokes. It is something that cannot be changed. However, probably what you can do is express your views..so its a tit for tat & people who follow you at least understand that they must not follow reviewers always. They can first go by their heart, watch movie & then join the reviewers if required but, not before. :)
Anyways, all the best for the venture. Even I cracked up terrible jokes about this movie even before I watched it. I cracked those jokes after reading reviews. However, after reading your blog. Am interested to watch the movie now. Probably every movie to catch one or two of the glimpses. I remember Raaz2 is big flop but, I actually liked that movie & some scenes in the movie. Like you said, its all left to self & not go by one’s choice. Am with you.
Btw, I have a nice story & actually want to work too if you liked the idea. I look fair, tall & good looking but, definitely am not expecting a ‘hero’ role. Am not sure how to approach you. If I can find a bulk email tht u use to let fans email you. Please let me know by replying to this comment. I’ll send the story. Alternatively, search for saibharadwaj in google & you will find my personal website as first result.
Reading your blogs is akin to watching a grown man fall apart. That too on a public platform, right in front of an audience of probably thousands. :-(
It is not realized by many that hundreds of people and their families livelihoods are dependent upon a films run…
@rgv
ok u r rite on the above issue…but what abt us(audience)..u r wasting our money,valuble time by making these kind of films(by creating hype with ur very much positivitive talk on the film,eventhough most of the times u knew abt the films outcome,before its release)..what is worst thing in this is..after release of the film also..u r trying to make profit by completely neglecting audience money, time etc..
Hi RGV,,
its waste of time talking about our media…they are not going to change anyways..why cant you be quiet for some time so that the media concentrates on some other hero….
Thanks,
srinu…
This is to http://www.greatandhra.com
Hi SiraSri,
I think you have every right to review a movie and post it on your website. But can you really control the language you used in yours.
link 1 : http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=15304&cat=1&scat=12
First thing..
Let’s take a look at your review
“Direction is not a big deal here and any fresher can make this sort of film.”
My opinion: Are you judging the movie or the director. Let’s say you are judging the director then you don’t even have a basic qualification(you didn’t even hold a handy cam) to judge a director. I am sure you are dumb enough to rate the movie 3/5 if it was a new comer and 1/5 for Ramu.
“Analysis:
The following impressions, either one or many, would linger in the minds of everyone who watches this film:
• Ram Gopal Varma might have made a trailer for his Agyaat-2
• Ram Gopal Varma might have lifted the content from one of his amateur juniors and made this one
• Ram Gopal Varma must be feeling over confident about himself and hence arrogant about his products
• Ram Gopal Varma failed to understand what he was making and hence concluded the movie shoot all of a sudden and released this 1:45 Hr stuff
• Ram Gopal Varma might be thinking that he has started a new revolution in film industry- screening the pre-interval part as one movie and post-interval part as another
• Ram Gopal Varma must have gone insane
• Ram Gopal Varma must be considering his audience insane
• Ram Gopal Varma is losing creativity and depending on stories from recycle bin
• Ram Gopal Varma, with Agyaat, behaved like a host who takes away the plate from guest half way through his meal (without giving conclusion)
• Ram Gopal Varma must be making any nonsense movie just for the sake of his pocket money (selling the movie to someone and making some table profit with his legendary image)”
I don’t know how you could even write such things against a film maker even if the movie is bad. It’s insane on your part to use the language like that. I don’t understand where are you reviewing the movie in all these lines. Better learn to review the movie rather than inducing your personal feelings about the people who made the movie.
Link 2: http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=15374&cat=1&scat=4
“I was a bright student till my 3rd standard a…
………………………………… Similar thing happens to great director RGV now. He made Shiva, Kshana Kshanam, Gaayam, Sarkar and Sarkar Raj. But the same director also made Aag and now Agyaat.”
Let’s say for a second RGV is a very talented director. Then, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU??
The most hilarious part of your writing is “Yes, I see myself in you connecting to my childhood.”
CRAP!!
how can you connect to him. It was your teacher who was scolding you. You are not RGV’s teacher or mentor to write as you like. Don’t express some stupid feelings and opinions you have on people. They are better than you. Try to learn giving respect and try to attain that.
My best and free suggestion to you.
if you are the owner of greatandhra.com please change. Or if you are just employed to greatandhra.. please resign for your unqualified analysis.
Learn BOY!!! GROW UP!!
Muni
Peppermint Tejpala hahahahahahhahaha…vadu malli reviews rayaduu! papam
lol lol lol
the qualification http://www.greatandhra.com guy has is
SiraSri
Film Critic
For lot of movies he says.. Telugu directors need to grow and have to experiment. When someone does that.. he will say.. this is not the way telugu film looks like.
Opinion is like ass hole …. everybody got one :-)
HI RAMU ,
THE MOVIE WAS NOT THAT BAD … IT WAS AN EXPERIMENT … SOMETIMES THEY FAIL AND SOMETIMES THEY CLICK … ( ATLEAST IT CLIKED FOR MOST OF YUR FANS )
COMING TO COMMENTS BY MR/MISS MINTY … SHITTY .. TEJPAALL … I THINK HE IS A BIT PISSED OFF .. DNT KNOW Y … I READ HIS REVIEW AFTER YOU MENTIONED HIS NAME AND HIS WEBSITE “MUMBAI MIRROR” ( MAY BE YOU CAN DIRECT ANOTHER EXPERIMENTAL MOVIE WITH THE SHITTY TEJPAL IN THE MOVIE WITH THE TITLE ” MUMBAI HORROR” .. MAY BE THEN HE WILL BE PLEASED …)
ANYWAYS THE TOTAL REVIEW WAS SO FULL OF HIS SHIT … NOTHING WAS TRUE …. JUST AIMED TO HURT YOU THATS ALLL… SO I SUGGEST PLEASE DNT TAKE THEIR COMMENTS TO HEART AND JUST CHILL … THINK ABOUT “RIFLE” .. MAY BE IT’LL COOL YOU OFFF …
BUT A SMALL REQUEST MAKE AGYAAT 2 …SOON .. CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT …
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU GET TENSED OR PISSED OF?
All said and done…if you were asked to write a review(opinion) on Agyaat as an audience perspective what would it be, not considering it’s success(financial aspects)…???
I think RGV is not planning to make AGYAAT 2 …
AGYAAT 2 is just joke kind of stuff … to leave audience mind in curiosity …
He told one good example …. Like Serials cuts at interesting part and keep audience in some kind curiosity for next episode …. same trick he tried with the Movie …
Idea is good … but badly executed …
Ramu, These peppermints, buffalos & sweeties dont deserve them to be named. They become more famous the more they are highlighted. We all love your movies no matter what. It could be possible that these peppermints went with the expectation that there might be some tata sumo’s flying in air or they may be expecting hum appke hai kaun family type setup with jungle background. Looks like they are dissapointed..May be they should watch dostana to get back to normal.
Another piece of crap
http://passionforcinema.com/rgv-r-i-p-in-your-agyaatness/
RGV – Love him or Hate him … But you cant ignore him
I don’t know how film lovers are completely fall into these 2 groups …
Hey RGV, what is your secret …. why people cant ignore you?
Cheers,
Anil
I want bring this content to your notice ,, actual content posted in different website ..
Dear Varma Ji,
I read your long open letter that has come to my mail id yesterday (also uploaded at http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=15341&cat=1&scat=4)
I read every letter in it with attention and could do nothing but empathizing you.
And please find some time to read this and certainly it’s not as big as your mail.
PS: You may feel first half bored but there is a perfect relevance to it in second half.
I was a bright student till my 3rd standard and never knew what 2nd rank was. I always stood first in every test and examination. But my standards have bitten mud in fourth class. My 4th class teacher has thrown Unit Test book on my face when I failed in Mathematics. She shouted saying, “Your 3rd class teacher always speaks high about you. But this is what you are. Go and show these marks to her”.
I have gone to 3rd class teacher and she replied, “Don’t keep me down with this kind of marks. I spread news that you are the best student in this school. What happened to you?”
It’s not a cooked up story or a filmy narration but it took place way back in 80s in Eluru at CSI School. My fourth class teacher was Mrs Prasanna and third class teacher was Mrs Bhagya Latha.
I got pestered by that issue then. I had no love on Prasanna teacher as she shouted on me in front of everyone. I also lost respect on Bhagya Latha teacher as she too reprimanded me and simply asked to keep up her image. Indeed, I was around 10 years old that time and my understanding was fully childish.
But that brought ignition in me but it took me months to regain my lost glory. The reasons are many.
Disgust on studies as teachers are not liking me
Loss of attention on studies and focus on other things
Friendship with back bench students
No big desire to regain 1st rank
Growing competition and new comers from big cities into my class those are above me in studies
But I happened to get solace from my Telugu teacher as I always stood first only in that. And a thought came to my head why can’t I get similar respect from Prasanna teacher as well. I struggled hard and managed to stand 3rd in the class by Annual Examination. The same teacher lauded me among all and I never looked back from then.
Hence now I regard those two teachers. I can understand their feelings. They influenced me. They recognized my abilities and kept me on track when I was derailing.
Similar thing happens to great director RGV now. He made Shiva, Kshana Kshanam, Gaayam, Sarkar and Sarkar Raj. But the same director also made Aag and now Agyaat.
The reasons can be many.
Disgust on making movies as reviewers and audience are not liking them
Loss of attention on movie making and more focus on RGV Blog
Friendship with people those always praise you but never point out mistakes
No big desire to be No-1 always
Growing competition and new comers from many international film schools those appear bigger for you
Yes, I see myself in you connecting to my childhood.
But this is not the outcome that reviewers or audience expect from you. They wish something better or bigger. You are a big sensation and everyone wishes you to see on top as a unique director who can be matchless to anyone.
And indeed, you, in your open letter said that some liked the movie Agyaat and some didn’t- (like Telugu teacher liked me and Maths teacher disliked me earlier).
Ok..bank on the people those said ‘good’ and try to answer those said ‘bad’. And you should come up with the best next time. The reviewers those treated Agyaat as a film that hit below the belt, should rate the next film bigger and keep it higher.
Indeed, the last line in your open letter ‘As for the pepper-mints and sweeties and buffalos you can look forward for my next Horror’ implies the same, I believe.
All the best, Varma ji.
-SiraSri
Film Critic
(sirasri@gmail.com)
Dear RGV,
What’s all this? SEEKING FOR APPROVAL? SUCK IT UP AND GET IT OVER.
IN THE LARGER SCHEME OF THINGS “AGYAAT” IS A SMALL THING. IS N’T IT?
lol … reminds me of a famous quote
“The amazing thing for me about Human Beings is that there are Millions and Millions of them and each and every one of them have their own mind and each and every one of those minds is convinced that only it itself knows what is Right and all the other minds are Wrong. That’s from where all the comedy and tragedy and the drama of Life arise from.”
Hey RGV,
Congrats we made at #25 on IMDB ( of course in the bottom 100 movies list )
http://www.imdb.com/chart/bottom
Only problem with RGV ki AAG is reference to Sholay
Ramu – watched your interview on Sakshi TV. Can’t stop laughing when the leader from some ABCD youth association is talking to you about social responsibility.
I know there are things like social responsibility, humanity, reforms in this world. But they are not being executed by the people from these stupid associations, who only know how to bark like mad dogs. These dogs don’t know how to fight on real problems like corruption, poverty, loop holes in Indian system, politicians robbing the civilians and million other serious problems prevailing in the country.
The real reformers and socially responsible people have different minds and they don’t fight with silly things (or things that don’t matter) like heroine wearing bikinis, movies showing terror, violence etc.
Ramu,
How do you rate the average maturity level of majority of Indians from 1 to 10 when compared to America ?
NOT in the P.O.V of movies, but in general aspects like understanding a new concept, accepting change etc..
I would rate them somewhere between: 0.5 to 1
ramu why do you care about the reviews? i was under an impression that you would never but after reading this i can feel how obsessed you are with reviews. Fuck reviews and all the peppermints out there…i don’t give a damn. waiting for your rann..
Give the man the respect he deserves. Fiza was good and Zubeida was good too. its a different form of art and may be you don’t get a point in it. may be you would say only ‘2′ but even you are not more than 2 good movies.
Hi Ramu,
I need to share a presentation with you. It’s about you, your journey as a director, your formula, the USPs of our movies. I had done this way back in 2005. But I guess, you’ll love it. How do I share it with you? Any suggestions?
See… the problem is… when someone says it is bad, we see that in their manner only. We dont try to get it with our mind. As MINTY TEJPAL Fucker wrote like that, we may get the feeling that, it is bad. If MINTY TEJPAL fucker would have written like this.. everyone would have praised this movie a lot.
———————–
MINTY TEJPAL Review … rewritten and corrected. Actually realized. :) :) :)
————————
Sometimes terror has no form, reads the promo line of Agyaat. Well, That suits very well for this movie as Ram Gopal Varma proves with his latest venture, which should stand ideal forever.
Agyaat as it is supposed, a horror/adventure film. but instead it just turns out to be horrible, and the only adventure seems to be in buying a ticket (Yes… really horror movie. You should date to watch it). At every point the story, characters really scare or touch you in manners.
So here is the hoary gory story then. A film crew goes to a remote jungle for a shoot, where they start getting brutally killed one by one. A man gets violently sucked into the ground, wherein blood spouts out like a deadly fountain. A wounded man stabs himself with a knife. Another dead body bubbles over bloodily. Yup horror stuff like that. Fortunately none of it is more scary. Otherwise your heard could have stopped. Their worse condition is, no one, including the director, knows who, what or which thing, alien or dayan aatma is doing the damned killing. So at the end of Agyaat you are left in trauma kind of, brain dead. Wonder which bright corporate suit cleared this project at UTV. Really suerpb.
Now that you know Agyaat has got both story and horror. The film is also intelligently directed, the characters act in a haunting manner while the camera seems to be in jungle warfare mode, lurking around behind bushes. Nitin and Rasika Duggal, the acting is superb. We thought that Priyanka Kothari can only act in a bikini or tiny skirts, but she could manage very well to act in the breath taking scenes marvelously. Joy Fernandes, playing a jungle ka vaasi, keeps glowering without blinking his eyes. Really tough. 10 out of 10 marks. Hard-jawed Gautam Rode belongs to the six-pack school of acting
Agyaat is mostly shot on a real location in Sigriya forest, Sri Lanka, and it’s here that the production design is excellent. Natural looking rocks, textured dirt, large bushes with green leaves, screeching monkeys and gigantic, gnarled wooden trees. The actors, taking inspiration from mother nature, decide to stay screechy and wooden through most of the film. The background score is too Good. It pulls you into the scene. So the collective film experience is like a wild, jungle junctured horror. Is this the same director who gave us Satya, Company and Sarkar? Yes, He proved again that he is ‘GodFather’ for the underworld and horror movies. Really really he mastered. Every scene. Hats off to RamGopal Varma gaaru.
MINTY TEJPAL
—
Thanks,
MovieBee
If someone tells that it was bad. We get the feeling like it was really bad. We dont want to see it as it is. We see that with thier feeling. That was what happened here. When MINTY TEJPAL said, it was bad, everyone got feeling that it was bad. If MINTY TEJPAL would have written like below… everyone would have praised the movie like anything.
MINTY TEJPAL review done again…
Sometimes terror has no form, reads the promo line of Agyaat. Well, That suits very well for this movie as Ram Gopal Varma proves with his latest venture, which should stand ideal forever.
Agyaat as it is supposed, a horror/adventure film. but instead it just turns out to be horrible, and the only adventure seems to be in buying a ticket (Yes… really horror movie. You should date to watch it). At every point the story, characters really scare or touch you in manners.
So here is the hoary gory story then. A film crew goes to a remote jungle for a shoot, where they start getting brutally killed one by one. A man gets violently sucked into the ground, wherein blood spouts out like a deadly fountain. A wounded man stabs himself with a knife. Another dead body bubbles over bloodily. Yup horror stuff like that. Fortunately none of it is more scary. Otherwise your heard could have stopped. Their worse condition is, no one, including the director, knows who, what or which thing, alien or dayan aatma is doing the damned killing. So at the end of Agyaat you are left in trauma kind of, brain dead. Wonder which bright corporate suit cleared this project at UTV. Really suerpb.
Now that you know Agyaat has got both story and horror. The film is also intelligently directed, the characters act in a haunting manner while the camera seems to be in jungle warfare mode, lurking around behind bushes. Nitin and Rasika Duggal, the acting is superb. We thought that Priyanka Kothari can only act in a bikini or tiny skirts, but she could manage very well to act in the breath taking scenes marvelously. Joy Fernandes, playing a jungle ka vaasi, keeps glowering without blinking his eyes. Really tough. 10 out of 10 marks. Hard-jawed Gautam Rode belongs to the six-pack school of acting
Agyaat is mostly shot on a real location in Sigriya forest, Sri Lanka, and it’s here that the production design is excellent. Natural looking rocks, textured dirt, large bushes with green leaves, screeching monkeys and gigantic, gnarled wooden trees. The actors, taking inspiration from mother nature, decide to stay screechy and wooden through most of the film. The background score is too Good. It pulls you into the scene. So the collective film experience is like a wild, jungle junctured horror. Is this the same director who gave us Satya, Company and Sarkar? Yes, He proved again that he is ‘GodFather’ for the underworld and horror movies. Really really he mastered. Every scene. Hats off to RamGopal Varma gaaru.
– MINTY TEJPAL
Thanks,
Movie Bee
Hey Ramu i just wanna say one thing (even if u read this or not..) & that is …
“RASSI JALI MAGAR BAL NAHIN GAYA…”
Before u awake aur kitne producers ko le dubega..
i started reading your blog recently…..when am seeing this post i got to say something
Why was Tom Hagen kicked out in Godfather? I didn’t buy the logic of him not being a war-time consigliore.
Ans: Corporates (of which underworld companies are one) by nature operate on result. If an employee is given authority, funds etc towards a project and if he fails in delivering the expected result he will be kicked out. If Hagen couldn’t see the attack of Solozzo coming or couldn’t prevent the death of Sonny, he had to go. He was given a position to deliver results and not explanations. You and me as readers might feel it’s too harsh a thing for what we feel is not Hagen’s fault, but being in the shoes of the Don and Mike I think it’s highly understandable.
for the question he had asked, i think there is no need of explanation since it was the writers wish to end that character and only thing we have to do is a spectator job
hi sir,
its really rocking…………
How did the cinematographer managed the camera on the body of “producer (the hat man)” showing legs that are dragged into the jungle in Agyaat movie.
This is my favourite scene in Agyaat.
Whos thought is this?
Are you really going to make Agyaat-2?
Dear Ramu,
I really wonder why you had to give such heavy ‘gaalies’ to all those
idiots who wrote bad reviews on ur new film Agyaat.
They don’t know and can’t appreciate films more than those idiotic same
old filthy films that they call popular Hindi-masala-cinema with sixpacks
above their navals and weakpacks on the ’skills set called acting.
Right from my childhood i have been watching Hindi cinema now and then.
Everytime i walk out of Hindi cinema, it is with a fullhearted pukish
feeling. i never see any change in them.
They simply think film is meant to entertain people who are tired of their
usual miserable lives. Thats why they have to show everything that is far
away from the reality. And when the whole mental set up is in such a
disgusting way, people who were born and brought up watching such lowgrade
stuff and developed a taste for such distateful films, they cant help
criticising when you were trying to experiment with this medium!!
Only when you and Maniratnam make films, people come to watch films even
if u guys have casted Brahmanandham or Binladen in the films as heros,
just b’coz they are made by you people. Then to watch rest of the films
made by other directors definitely one needs to be in misery so that these
directors know the antidote for their misery … pucking critics and
pucking to the square of their understanding of cinema. Pedro almodavar
forgives these idiots who share this land along with me. Ramu go head and
screw their heads with ur films!!!
Perhaps it is normal to react to reactions… but it is equally important to understand the problem at root level and provide a solution.. cinema as a form of art is new and came into existence in the 21st century.. an awareness on cinema by filmmakers would give these reviewers a better platform to put across how they have felt and understood the film and then review it… no piece of art can ever be rated it needs to be felt and understood..
Hi Ramu,
Check this out: http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=15374&cat=1&scat=4
Thats what Mr.SiraSri feels about ur open letter!
Don’t just care what reviewers feel about, continue making such movies. After all reviewers just say their opinion, but who finally makes a decision is the audience. There are millions of RGV’s film lovers who can prove reviewers wrong!
@ sree venkat you fall somewhere between 0.6 and 0.7
@Prashanth, the url u posted http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_Msrdg3Hk is very creative
Mr RVG you give us some store-shirt example, mind you there we dont pay to get in the shop (we buy or we dont we lose nothing), but here we pay to enter a movie hall not knowing how the product is and by the time we realise its unworthiness we would have already lost money and time. So why dont you be “THE CHANGE” by allowing us to watch your movie for free with the options choose and if we like your product then we’ll promise we’ll pay back (even if its average or above average and below good).
Ramu, we are looking forward for another thriller from you soon.
I was watching SHIVA yesterday, my 4 year old nephew happened to see the scene where Nagarjuna pulls a cycle chain. He immediately turned and asked me whose bicycle was it? I laughed at his innocence and said “why don’t you ask Ramu Uncle. He asked me “who is Ramu uncle?
But felt so good to see a even kid seeking explanation for that scene.
I don’t know if I am asking too much. Is it possible for you to create “The Making of SHIVA”. I don’t know if the film’s unedited reels are stored in the library. However, is there a possibility of you coordinating with Annapurna Studios or Satthi Babu who was the editor for that film. It would be great to see the unedited rushes, cuts and which were shot then. So far, we were fortunate to see only 4-5 snaps ( Thanks to your mother).
Please respond to this.
Cheers
Abhishek
I just wanna share this piece of article….
He paid an amount of Rs.300 to spend 2 hours with her. She came into the room. She started moving her body to the rhythm of the music being played on. She slowly stripped off her top. Her erotic behaviour was making him mad. After a couple of minutes, she removed her jeans too. Now, she was naked. In the next one hour, she satisfied him to the maximum. He finally ended up with an orgasm.
She was at Chikkadapalli Police Station. The Sub Inspector called her to his table. He asked her to satisfy him or else she would be sent to the prison. She agreed to it. She suffered his torture for the next few hours.
She was called “The Bitch” and “The Prostitute”…
* * *
He paid an amount of Rs.100 and entered into the Screen 1 in iMax complex. She came on to the screen. She started moving her body to the rhythm of the music being played on. She slowly stripped off her top. Her erotic behaviour was making him mad. After a couple of minutes, she removed her jeans too. Now, she was naked. In the next one hour, she satisfied him to the maximum. He finally ended up with an orgasm.
She was at iMax theatre. The Sub Inspector of Chikkadapalli Police Station requested her personal assistant to get her autograph. He waited for her autograph for two hours.
She was called ” The Celebrity” and “The Angel”…
Rocking one… all those peppermints etc., will hang if they see this article…
In Agyaat, when people come to know there is no creature revealed in the movie , It was surprise for the next show that there isn’t a human creature in the theatre … ohooo
best wishes for Agyaat-2 (Eagerly waiting..)
Is Sirivennala Seetarama Sastry’s character in “GAAYAM” your alter ego?
He says, this society cannot change and will not change whatever you try to do. He vents out his anger on society thru his “kukkalavale nakkalavalle” song.
Similarly you said that if society has to change it would have changed long ago and you gave an example of SHIVA. Even after 20 yrs of cult classic SHIVA, there are are still masala movies being made even to this date.
my example is : whenever any attack happens in India, even now politicians are using the same sentence “the attack is being condemned” (in telugu “theevranga khandisthunnamm”) just like Kota Srinivasa Rao told 17 yrs ago in GAAYAM.
varma, have you read ‘Lord of the Flies’, an allegorical novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding before making this film?
Hey Ramu,
I saw agyaat, it was a good movie, not as good as a your other masterpieces but till it was a very good movie.
The most fascinating part was the climax, I couldn’t stop grinning in excitement when you declared “coming soon, Agyaat-2″.
There were many things which in my knowledge were never been tried before in bollywood.
1. Ofcourse, the climax.
2. The innovative sound effx by Dwarak Warrier.
3. Special effx.
4. and of course some of your mind blowing shots.
Regarding you post,
I just want to put a dialogue from ‘the fountainhead’ when Ellsworth Toohey tortures Keating to sign the confession.
“The great is the rare, the difficult, the exceptional. Set up standards of achievement open to all, to the least, to the most inept–and you stop the impetus to effort in all men, great or small. You stop all incentive to improvement, to excellence, to perfection. Laugh at Roark and hold Peter Keating as a great architect. You’ve destroyed architecture.”
wonder why you compared movie watching to buying a shirt..Agyaat is a bad film. period.
Why cant you make a film devoid of those terrible camera work & background score? Its getting repetitive & boring man…
Why were the tunes for the song “kanti papa” in Adavu copied from the song “subhaleka rasukunna”???
yea of course, i like ur movies…but wat if the show itself gets cancelled :( (and u still feel its a hit :( )
yes, it got cancelled today 2nd show at innovatie multiplex bangalore
is dat wats a hit u r talking about
Ramu,
I think you are as insecure as a 13yr old girl, no wonder you can’t take criticism with grace.
Be a man and face your failures, if u think u r being a man by hiding behind a computer and writing nonsense on your blog, think again.
Grow some Balls,
Kebal
I guess Ambani’s are not good friends of u … hence the Big Cinemas is not screening Agyat … others are too busy leaching on Magadheera’s success … and other movies coming back to back .. I guess I need to wait for the pirated version online … will watch for sure … I guess u have earlier agreed on having ur own set of viewers … and these ppl wud watch even movie like Aag .. u don’t need to take out ur anger on the reviewers … even if it is bad they do watch it .. and u never run in loss because of ur budget …
yeah i do accept ur point of ppl writing reviews and which stops others from watching the movie … as if they wud have lost million $$ if they watched a bad one … Well they are making their job secured I guess … or some people feeding them to maintain good reviews .. I guess even TV interviews are driven by $$ ..
Magadheera the actors are taking and being given the credit for .. where in its sole credit goes to director … I guess in India money can buy anything .. reviews and interviews and success …
im feel very bad about nitin reddy introduce to bolly with worst concept.
i never see this kind of worst camera work.
re recording super.
nitin dance super.
side character sethu n remain character dubbing fail in telugu version.
really rgv days are go to die.
worst direction after aag.
I don’t care what “reviewers” say about Agyaat.. I haven’t watched the movie yet but I’m sure it offers something exciting! Anyway I was watching Sarkar Raj again yesterday. I noticed a scene where Shankar’s mute bodyguard is shown sitting in the center of the screen blocking the light. His silhouette divides the screen into two parts – one where Abhishek stands and other where Ravi Kale stands. How did you visualize this? If not original what was your inspiration? Whatever it might be the scene rocked !!
Every move maker thinks his movie is great, but once its released neither film maker nor Peppermint can’t decide the result. Only the Audience can decide the fate of the movie.
so ramu, as long as you make good movies like shiva, satya, sarkar etc.. people come and watch it, they dont give a damm about these Peppermints.
so dont cry, just think its added in to your kitty(AAG) one more film, anyway how long you will say AAG is your best film, this is the time to change – AGAYAT.
what I am asking you is.
Just to satisfy your EGO(comment on this piperment) did you write this article?
Dear Ramu Sir,
I watched ur latest adventure on the first day first show, as I often did when u realesd a film. Agyat is not ur one of the best film but it not not bad either, as stated on many news papers and website, ok leave them with their bullshit thought. Sir u tried ur best I know but still some how ur presence was absent in the film sometimes. From Shiva (1st part) I am ur ardent fan and u have provided me enough fun, entertainment, and knowledge of film making (ur are absolutly great with camera). But last few yars u are not concentrating with ur negetive charector, for an example, Shiva 2 I didn’t find a character near to Bhavani, Ganesh and Nanaji. I think Shiva’s success mostly depends on its negetive character not only the character Shiva. Agyat is a good film. And I was eagerly waiting for the audience responce (because I love u sir). I tell u sir audience responded well and even in the interval they were thinking of the film with pop corn and coldrinks (I live in Kolkata).
One thing I must tell u I was totally shoked with ur finishing of Agyat. I am a great movie lover and i watch many adventure films in English. So the subject was not unknown (Agyat) to me.I took my sit in the theatre only for u. In the last shot when u framing the jungle and closing up the frame I thought u would end the movie with “The End” or something like that (remain the mystery agyat) but then u did the most extraordinary thing u invited us for next part of the film, thats great, only u have the courage and determination to do this kind of film for us.
Thank u sir
Hat’s off to u
Please write ur thought against my view. I am a new comer in this blog (even any blog). Though I am not new with ur thought.
one day a man asked his friends to attend his birthday party at a forest…………a loney place………….22 members of his friends are attended……all are enjoying lyk anything….sudenly one dead body thrown to the crowd…….all are frightended and shouting lyk anyting….and with out some space to realize wat is happening suddenly one big shout heard and again another dead body thrown……….all are running to survive themselvs but it is a night more over its a forest……………………..in the morning itseld all the 22 members are died……….who is the killer………..can u guess? ………..
yes.!!!!! he is the killer……….and why he is killing………….how the murders happend………………………………………….?????????????? to know contact….
ajju.director@gmail.com
Well, i think a movie is piece of art and some business attached to it…. just like painting’s so aghyaat is fine…. even Picasso painting doesn’t make any sense for few. But, how come you running in a race of “something for everyone”….. precisely title track and skin show ??
I really like the following quote from Ratatouille abt critics –
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents, new creations. The new needs friends
Anton Ego, Ratatouille
Any movie will please the audience if they can understand the director’s mind..but omg RGV’s mind is so unimaginable and most so criminal
I would like to see a Sweet Love Story from your direction, in which only destiny and fate does the vital role and no other goons or vlillainous character. All characters are very idealistic and good. Not like your prema kadha which has loads of villians and tragic end. I wish I could see such movie in your making style.
Have you all ever realized that this whole Movie AGYAAT is taken from a famous US based TV flick LOST….
Yes, its taken from L.O.S.T
Go watch LOST and you will find what is innovation.. I must say Ram do not have innovative brain but definitely has creative brain… He just took a chunk of story from LOST and projected it as movie.. awesome.. and Interesting part would be to know what he is gonna show in his second part.. I am interested in knowing what is Agyaat 2 all about….. need to see if it anyways similar to LOST ( when it comes to show the reasons of why and what ??)
And people.. its not horror movie of GHOSTS but its a kind of thriller.. New angle for horror i would say.. Dont follow the reviews or critics.. just watch this movie if u want to check what he is trying to show…
RGV, I agree with you.. people must watch the movie first and then read the reviews…. Reviewers lost their mind they are just writing crap… !!!!!!!!!!
right. my friends always say that maniratnam and ramu are deserved holywood directors. when it comes to you, after seeing movies like adavi, you deserve to be a second grade holywood director making teen horrors. only thing is when are you going to transform in to first grade director? waiting to see your next telugu film. i read in a magazine that you are planning to direct a film with nag’s son in the lead. is that true?
i believe reviewing is shit. reviewers can only reveal storyline cos people need to know what type of film they are going to and they cannot judge for people whether to watch or not. and i feel pity for the distributors who might get loss with the reviewing system.
Ramu! I have always been impressed by your boldness and frankness. maybe that is one reason I got onto this site.
when we are talking about critics in India. I had a question….DO WE HAVE ANY?
all we have is disturbed people with their own point of view and if some one is watching a film based on others interests, then why watch. just go and have a chat with them.
I recently saw the movie ADAVI (AGYAAT in hindi), which was disappointed everyone in the theater very much! (Its true!)
Poor characterisation, dialogues. Songs..ha? they are like a signboards to leave the hall immediately..
Audience have lot of sympathy on NITIN(so-called protagonist).. his face became pale after the preview at IMAX, hyderabad!
Ramu showed one more time his frugal behaviour, he cut this film into 2 parts and releasing one after other! (But remember remunerations might be single time :(0)… )
Great idea! This is how, he wanted to escape from the economical recession! :( I don’t know why others didn’t get this wonderful idea?
Hi Ramu
Just joined this web site to read and respond to your blog. I havent watched AGYAAT, but one movie I enjoyed was Raatri (in Telugu) I think it was as good as a Wes Craven movie. I m not too much of a fan of Hindi movies though. I did watch Sarkar…… some of the scenes were good… but anyways I think u r a brave man to continue to make movies after Aag….
Why dont u try ur hand at comedy? I know its a tough genre… but would love to watch a comedy by u….. u have such a tongue in cheek humor.
Think about it.
Ramu,
Just saw Pirated version of Agyat … Spare me … because u shd have made sure its released in Chicago .. so saw what ever I got.
About movie .. its technically ok’ish ..
U can call it thriller .. but the subject should have been handled much better way that it was … Sound track was good … I would say it could have been presented a lot better …
dun tell me u are going to reveal that Sethu is the killer … because it wud go out as the more biggest dud … a lot more than AAg …. leave alone the reporters .. I will ensure to bug u to hell for that …
Well I am not sure if u saw a movie called “Anumaspadam” EVV’s elder son acted in that movie .. try and watch it .. the subject is good and the story .. but the way it is presented is soooooo awe full … If I am not wrong there is not one movie in Indian languages that has done justice to Treasure hunt .. and someone needs to think in that direction … I am writing a story on that .. still half done :D ..
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
It is truley a tremendous job by you and your team. films like this are rarely seen in India which truely needs respect which i think. as your biggest fan ever i’m telling you that i have seen adavi or agyat 15 times which is true. first 3 times i went your fan and rest of the times i went as viewr who liked the movie very much.
my one question you may call it as a request
from all the films i have watched not only yours but many other directors. whom i liked very much. is there any chance from your side to produce a film with some established directors and a remake of sarkar with mahesh babu
I have never thought that AGYAAT will be the copy of Predator . I think Mr RVG Need to re-think of this story line and need to think of Indian people are watching Hollywood movie`s as well they are enough matured to to understand all the cock and bull stores or the mixture of cut copy paste .every one Knows you with you Taking of quality movies on a less budget…. okokok sorry ,but am I right ask any one in this wide India every one will say u are the cheapest one with good quality so please sir don’t try to fool the crowd .its the same crowd which once liked you and your movie`s .but why not Today .lack of you techniques or the people around you deciding what you want ?………………………………………………. sorry sir ,its just the love for your movies .
Tell me when will Agyaat 2 release?
Never expected the ending of Agyaat to be not revealing who the killer is !
Ramu,
Have you ever seen a ghost? If you would like to, there is this house in El Cajon, California (a suburb of San Diego) where you can meet three. My friend owns it and I can arrange a night’s stay – let me just say that it is not a great experience. ;)