‘I’ve stopped taking things seriously’

Ram Gopal Varma talks about Sridevi, the controversy surrounding the title of his new book, his often misinterpreted statements and more

When Ram Gopal Varma titled his book Guns and Thighs, he was being very specific. The gun in question was one wielded by Amitabh Bachchan and the thighs were those of Sridevi. The filmmaker had earlier said that it was the gun in Bachchan’s hand in Deewaar and Sridevi’s thighs in Himmatwala that made him want to make movies. Flattering as it may be, the eulogy hasn’t gone down too well with Sridevi’s husband, Boney Kapoor. Especially since this is not the first time that RGV has paid an arguably twisted tribute to the actress.

The filmmaker received a legal notice from Sridevi and Boney Kapoor last year after he proposed to name a voyeuristic Telugu film after the actress that dealt with a young man’s fascination with an older woman. Since RGV did not go ahead with his film, Boney and Sridevi didn’t pursue the legal matter either. The title of his latest book and its obvious inspiration, however, may have stirred up a hornet’s nest. A friend of Boney who didn’t wish to be named, lamented that RGV’s references in the book weren’t in very good taste.

“What does he mean by talking about Srideviji’s thighs This is scant respect for a woman and mother of two grown-up daughters. Ramu has no respect for family values.” The friend personally sent Ramu a long message criticising the content. “I leave it to Boney to do what he likes,” he said.On Wednesday, RGV sent out pointed tweets, fiercely defending his stance on the written word. He later agreed to answer our questions in an email interview, where he elaborated on the title, his often-misinterpreted statements and the people’s unwillingness to see beyond their prejudices. Excerpts: Your tweets today suggest that Boney Kapoor is upset about your book. Are you prepared if he sues you To start with, the title Guns and Thighs came from my exposition of how the populist cinema of the 80’s influenced me — whether it is Amitabh Bachchan’s gun in Deewaar or Sridevi’s thighs in Himmatwala. If you remember, the media used to refer to her as Ms Thunder Thighs. With regard to Boney getting upset, I would advise him to read my article in the book before reacting to a random misquote. I doubt if anyone in Sridevi’s entire career would have praised her more than I did. Anybody who reads that article even with half a brain would understand that my respect for her as a fan is far greater than his own love for her as his wife. Has Sridevi herself reacted to the book yet The said article was first published on Sridevi’s birthday a year ago and she personally told me she loved it. Boney is reacting to lines quoted in the media from a paragraph, without reading the whole chapter.

You have written in your book about how upset you were with Boney, when you saw Sridevi making tea in the kitchen. What’s wrong with an actress fixing herself or her husband a cup of tea The answer to this cannot be said in an interview. Anyone interested to know can read that chapter in my book. You are rather open when it comes to your admiration for Sridevi’s physical attributes. Is a woman (mostly) a sum of her parts It’s absolutely untrue that I talk about only her thighs. I talk about so many aspects of hers. Do you think that you’re often mistaken to be a misogynist I believe that people will only believe what they want to believe, irrespective of what I say. I kind of stopped taking things seriously. I feel I have clarified on this in my chapter,Women. If they misunderstand me after this also, then it’s their problem. You have often rued the way you have treated your heroines. Have you let them down as a creative mentor Yes, many times. The book touches upon various topics regarding your life. What are the things that are closely guarded Every person will have something to say and more than anyone else, a filmmaker will feel the need to do so. A book gives me the opportunity to have a direct one-on-one contact with the reader. I have told quite a lot of untold stuff and elaborated on what’s already known.

With inputs from Subhash K. Jha