5 QUESTIONS
BILLBOARD
BOX OFFICE
MAKING WAVES
MEMORIES
MOVIES CHAT
QUOTE MARTIAL
REVIEWS
ROUGH CUTS
SHORT TAKES
SOUTHERN SPICE
THE LIST
WISH THE STARS
ARCHIVES

'Veerappan is just a factor'

He transformed Urmila Matondkar from a struggling actress to a beautiful star.

Fardeen Khan -- whose career he is expected to kickstart -- says he will give an arm and a leg to work with him again.

Manoj Bajpai will never live down the popularity he gained by playing Bikhu Mhatre in his film.

Sunil Shetty thinks he loves to live dangerously, but enjoys the clarity of his vision.

Thanks to him, the industry another option in music direction called Sandeep Chowta.

And a list of landmark films.

Meet film-maker Ramgopal Verma, whose latest movie, Jungle, is scheduled to hit the marquee soon.

How would you describe Jungle?

It's a brutal film and a love story, but the dominant factor is the tension. Jungle is something that is in control and should keep you at the edge of your seat.

Is it true that the film is based on the life of the famous dacoit, Veerappan?

Jungle is not based on Veerappan's life, he has just been used as a believable factor in this story. Just like Satya, which had nothing to do with real characters even though it was based in Bombay, Jungle has nothing to do with Veerappan. When people think of a dacoit gang based in a jungle, they think of Veerappan even though there are others like Mann Singh, etc, who use the jungle as a hideout. Veerappan is just a factor.

Why did you choose to make a film based in the jungle? Since you decided to film it on location, it must have been a difficult shoot.

Yes, it was a difficult film in that sense. But, as a child, I had spent a lot of time in the forests of Bandipur, which is where Jungle was shot. Besides being bitten by insects and the tension of worrying that a star might be hurt, there was the additional problem of it being a very thorny location. But the mystery of the jungle has always fascinated me and it is, like all my projects, a reflection of my personality.

Are you satisfied with the performance of your cast?

I liked Fardeen immensely on first sight. At that time, I hadn't seen his first film. I just happened to meet him at a friend's house and I was very impressed. I mean, he is a very good-looking guy. I thought he was perfect for the part and he has done much better than I ever expected of him.

I had not worked with Sunil Shetty before either. In fact, I have hardly seen any of his other films. But Sunil is a terrific actor and he surprised even me. I think he has great potential and it needs to be tapped.

As for Urmila, let me tell you about this one scene. She had to run through this field which had many thorns. It was impossible for us to clear it for her, but she was professional enough to do the shot.

And the music?

Every movie has its own tone and I am very pleased with Sandeep Chowta's work. But the fact that he has done work for both Satya, Kaun, Mast and Jungle does not signal the start of any long-standing association.

Ramgopal Varma spoke to Vivek Fernandes.
Varma's pictures: Jewella C Miranda