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Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in
Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...
in addition to
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
,
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
language films, and television.** * * Varma has directed films across multiple genres, including
parallel cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
and
docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...
noted for their gritty
realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...
, technical finesse, and craft. Regarded as one of the pioneers of new age
Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
, he was featured in the
BBC World BBC World News is an international English-language pay television network, operated under the ''BBC Global News Limited'' division of the BBC, which is a public corporation of the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and S ...
series ''Bollywood Bosses'' in 2004.* In 2006, Grady Hendrix of
Film Comment ''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...
, published by the
Film Society of Lincoln Center Film at Lincoln Center, previously known as the Film Society of Lincoln Center until 2019,Aridi, Sara (April 28, 2019).. ''The New York Times''. nytimes.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019. is a film society based in New York City, United States. Fo ...
cited Varma as "Bombay's Most Successful Maverick" for his works on
experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...
s.* * Starting his career as a
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
, he made an entry into Telugu cinema with the path-breaking
crime thriller Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
, '' Siva'' (1989) featured at the 13th IFFI' 90 ''Indian Panorama'' mainstream section, and has won Varma, the state
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
for
Best direction The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly rename ...
, Best first film of a director, and the
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu The Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The award was first given in 1964 for films released around 1963. Here is a list of the award winners a ...
. Subsequently, the film was included in
CNN-IBN CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
's list of 100 greatest
Indian films The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
of all time. Varma's next directorial was ''
Kshana Kshanam ''Kshana Kshanam'' () is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language road thriller and heist film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Venkatesh, Sridevi, Paresh Rawal, and Rami Reddy. The plot follows Satya (Sridevi), a young woman who is ...
'' (1991), the neo-noir
heist film The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime film focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significant robbery. One of the early defining heist films was ''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950), which ''Film Genre 2000'' wrote "almo ...
being featured at the
Ann Arbor Film Festival The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the fourth-oldest film festival in North America (after the Yorkton Film Festival, 1947; Columbus International Film ...
, won him another
Nandi Award The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
for Best Direction, and the
Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer The Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer was commissioned by the Nandi Awards committee in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Copper Nandi", a cash award of ₹10,000 and a commendation certificate. Most number of Awards were received by Srinu Vai ...
.Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema- Kshana Kshanam, Pg(503)-Professor of critical Studies-Paul Willemen-2014 The 1993
political drama A political drama can describe a play, film or TV program that has a political component, whether reflecting the author's political opinion, or describing a politician or series of political events. Dramatists who have written political dramas in ...
, ''
Gaayam ''Gaayam'' () is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language political thriller film, based on the 1980s Vijayawada Gang Warfare. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and story co-written by himself and Mani Ratnam, it stars Jagapathi Babu, Revathi, Urmila Matondka ...
'' received six state Nandi Awards. In 1999, he directed ''
Prema Katha ''Prema Katha'' () is a 1999 Indian Telugu-language romance drama film written by Vara Prasad Varma and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. It is the debut film of both Sumanth and Antara Mali as lead in Telugu film industry. The film opened to positive ...
'' for which he received his third
Nandi Award for Best Director Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...
. Varma is known for directing and presenting pan-Indian works casting actors across the country, such as the Indian Political Trilogy, and the Indian Gangster Trilogy; film critic Rajeev Masand had labelled the latter series as one of the "most influential movies of Indian cinema. The first installment of the trilogy, ''Satya'', was also listed in
CNN-IBN CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
's 100 greatest
Indian films The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
of all time. Varma also received the
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
for
scripting Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...
the political crime drama, ''
Shool ''Shool'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language action crime film directed by Eeshwar Nivas. Written and produced by Ram Gopal Varma, it portrays the politician-criminal nexus and the criminalization of politics in Bihar and its effect on the li ...
'' (1999). His recent
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
works include hits such as the dramatised re-enactment of "Rayalaseema factionism" in ''
Rakta Charitra ''Rakta Charitra'' () is a 2010 Indian political action thriller film based on the life of Paritala Ravindra. The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Prashant Pandey. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi with the latter title ...
'' (2010), the "
2008 Mumbai attacks The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11, pronounced "twenty six eleven") were a series of Terrorism, terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from P ...
" in ''
The Attacks of 26/11 ''The Attacks of 26/11'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, based on the book '' Kasab: The Face of 26/11'' by Rommel Rodrigues about Ajmal Kasab perpetrator of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The film st ...
'' (2013), the "
Operation Cocoon Operation Cocoon was an operation launched by the Special Task Force of Tamil Nadu Police to capture the forest brigand Veerappan and his associates, who were dominant in Sathyamangalam Forest in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka ...
" in ''
Killing Veerappan ''Killing Veerappan'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language biographical crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, who co-wrote the film with K. Balaji. The film is based on the events leading to Operation Cocoon to capture or kill Indian bandit Veer ...
'' (2016), the "Vijayawada riots" in '' Vangaveeti'' (2016), N. T. R. in ''
Lakshmi's NTR ''Lakshmi's NTR'' is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film based on the life of former film actor and chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao from the perspective of his second wife, Lakshmi Parvati as well a ...
'' (2019), and Konda politics in '' Konda'' (2022).


Early life and background

Varma was born into a Telugu speaking family, and did his schooling at
St. Mary's High School, Secunderabad St. Mary's High School Secunderabad is a co-educational, catholic school located at St. Francis Road, Secunderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the oldest schools of the country. It offers schooling from L.K.G. to Standard X under Secondary Sc ...
and completed his BE degree in Civil engineering from V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College,
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
. Even during this period, Varma remained a film buff, through his uncle. Varma would skip classes often and watch films instead. He would watch the same film repeatedly "just to watch certain scenes which interested him." According to him, that is how he learned film direction. In an interview to ''
Tehelka ''Tehelka'' (Hindi: Sensation) is an Indian news magazine known for its investigative journalism and sting operations. According to the British newspaper ''The Independent'', the ''Tehelka'' was founded by Tarun Tejpal, Aniruddha Bahal and a ...
'', Varma talked about his relationship with his parents and the reasons behind his decision to become a filmmaker.


Film career, craft and style

After a brief stint as a site engineer for Krishna Oberoi hotel in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
, he put his dreams on the back burner and decided to go to Nigeria to make some money. It was at this moment that he visited a video rental library in Hyderabad. He loved the idea and decided to start one of his own at
Ameerpet Ameerpet is a residential hub located in the north-west part of Hyderabad, Telangana. Basically was gifted by then 6th Nizam of Hyderabad (Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI). History The land was gifted by then 6th Nizam of Hyderabad (Mahbub Ali Kh ...
in Hyderabad, through which he slowly developed connections with the film world. Without being successful as a fourth assistant director in B. Gopal's film ''Collector Gari Abbai'', Varma directly ventured into film direction, with the 1989 Telugu film, '' Siva''.


International acclaim

Rachel Dwyer, a reader in ''world cinema'' at the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
-Department of South Asia, marked Varma's ''Satya'' as an experiment with a new genre, a variation of
film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
that has been called ''Mumbai Noir'', of which Varma is the acknowledged master. In 2010, Varma received critical acclaim at the
Fribourg International Film Festival The Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF) is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Grand Prize is the main award of the Fribourg International Film Festival ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
; a retrospective of his filmography, highlighting ''Mumbai Noir'' was staged by film critic Edouard Waintrop, a delegate in the
Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...
of the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. ''Satya'' and ''Company'', in particular, were cited by British director
Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including ''Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel ''T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', '' 28 Days Later'', '' Su ...
as influences on his
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-winning film ''
Slumdog Millionaire ''Slumdog Millionaire'' is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel '' Q & A'' (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Patel ...
'' (2008), for their "slick, often mesmerizing portrayals of the
Mumbai underworld Organised crime in India refers to organised crime elements originating in India and active in many parts of the world. The purpose of organised crime in India, as elsewhere in the world, is monetary gain. Its virulent form in modern times is d ...
", their display of "brutality and urban violence", and their gritty realism. In 2005, Varma directed the Godfatheresque- ''Sarkar'', another super-hit thriller inspired by the life of
Bal Thackeray Bal Thackeray (; 23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), also known as Balasaheb Thackeray, was an Indian politician who founded the Shiv Sena, a right-wing pro-Marathi and Hindu nationalist party active mainly in the state of Maharashtra. ...
and
North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
n politics, which was screened to special mention at the
New York Asian Film Festival The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a critically acclaimed film festival held in New York City, dedicated to the display of Asian Film Culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles ...
, along with its sequel ''
Sarkar Raj ''Sarkar Raj'' () is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language political crime thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a sequel to the 2005 film '' Sarkar'' and the second installment of ''Sarkar'' film series. The film was premiered at the ...
'', which premiered at the
2008 Cannes Film Festival The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 14 to 25 May 2008. The President of the Official Jury was American actor and director Sean Penn. Twenty two films from fourteen countries were selected to compete for the ''Palme d'Or''. The awards ...
and the 9th IIFA World Premiere-Bangkok, and was archived at the Academy of Motion Pictures library. In 2013, he directed a
docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...
, ''
The Attacks of 26/11 ''The Attacks of 26/11'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, based on the book '' Kasab: The Face of 26/11'' by Rommel Rodrigues about Ajmal Kasab perpetrator of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The film st ...
'', showcased to critical acclaim at the
Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
, in the Panorama as well as the Competition section, and was premièred at
Films Division of India The Films Division of India (FDI), commonly referred as Films Division, was established in 1948 following the independence of India. It was the first state film production and distribution unit, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcastin ...
. The film received highly positive reviews, with critics praising Varma's narrative of assistant commissioner N. R. Mahale, and the discrepancies associated with Mahale's interaction with
Ajmal Kasab Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab (13 July 1987 – 21 November 2012) was a Pakistani terrorist and a member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba Islamism, Islamist Islamic terrorism, fighter organization, through which he took part in the 2008 Mumbai atta ...
on anti terrorism.


Craft and style

Varma's philosophy is influenced by Russian-American Novelist
Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...
, Philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his ...
and authors like
James Hadley Chase James Hadley Chase (24 December 1906 – 6 February 1985) was an English writer. While his birth name was René Lodge Brabazon Raymond, he was well known by his various pseudonyms, including James Hadley Chase, James L. Docherty, Raymond ...
and
Frederick Forsyth Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...
, as well as by '' Mad'' magazine. Varma's first runaway hit in Hindi cinema was ''
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
'' (1990), the remake of his 1989 film '' Siva''. Varma introduced the
steadicam Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for Movie camera, motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It was designed to isolate the camera from the camera operator's movement ...
to Indian cinema with ''Siva''. Later, he garnered attention in
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
with the
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
film, '' Rangeela'' (1995) starring
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
. The film won seven
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
. Rangeela was later remade in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
as
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! ''Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Victor Levin and starring Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace, Josh Duhamel, Gary Cole, Ginnifer Goodwin, Sean Hayes and Nathan Lane. The fil ...
. He then directed ''
Satya ''Satya'' (Sanskrit: सत्य; IAST: ''satya)'' is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth, essence. A. A. Macdonell, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Asian Educational Services, , pp. 330–331 It also refers to a virtue in Indian relig ...
'' (1998), which won six
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
, including the Critics Award for Best Film, In 2005, ''Indiatimes Movies'' included ''Satya'' in its list of ''25 Must See Bollywood Movies''. Satya was showcased among the Indian panorama section, at the 1998
International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...
, Varma received the
Bimal Roy Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as ''Do Bigha Zamin'', ''Parineeta (1953 film), Parineeta'', ''Biraj Bahu'', ''Devdas (1955 film), D ...
memorial award for best direction for this film. In the same year, he co-produced '' Dil Se..'', directed by
Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
, screened at the 1999
Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
, and won the
Netpac Award The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the inst ...
, as well as two
National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
and six
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
. ''Satya'', together with his 2002 film ''
Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
'' (which he directed, won three
IIFA Awards The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...
, seven Filmfare Awards, and a
Bollywood Movie Award The Bollywood Movie Awards was an annual film award ceremony held between 1999 and 2007 in Long Island, New York, United States, celebrating films and actors from the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, India. History The predecessor to th ...
for best direction, and was premiered at the 2004
Austin Film Festival Austin Film Festival (AFF), founded in 1994, is an organization in Austin, Texas, that focuses on writers’ creative contributions to film. Initially, AFF was called the Austin Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the ...
) and the 2005 film '' D'' (which he produced), were also featured in the
Fribourg International Film Festival The Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF) is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Grand Prize is the main award of the Fribourg International Film Festival ...
, and the
New York Asian Film Festival The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a critically acclaimed film festival held in New York City, dedicated to the display of Asian Film Culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles ...
.


Experimental films

In 1991, Varma experimented with the
supernatural thriller Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
, Raat, and the 1992
Neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating ...
, crime film Drohi, and gained positive reviews from critics. During the years between his trilogy, from ''
Satya ''Satya'' (Sanskrit: सत्य; IAST: ''satya)'' is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth, essence. A. A. Macdonell, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Asian Educational Services, , pp. 330–331 It also refers to a virtue in Indian relig ...
'' in 1998 to '' D'' in 2005, Varma implemented different film genres in his craft. In 1999, he directed ''
Kaun Kaun may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Kaun?'', a 1999 Hindi film * ''Kaun? Kaisey?'', a 1983 Hindi film * Kaun (song), a song by Indian Ocean from album '' Kandisa'' Other uses * The Old Norse name of the ''k'' rune; see Kaunan * ''Ká ...
'', a suspense thriller set entirely in one house and featuring only three actors, and '' Mast'', a subversion of Hindi cinema's masala genre. In 2000, he directed ''
Jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...
'', set entirely in a
jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...
, for which he was nominated for the
Star Screen Award for Best Director The Screen Award for Best Director is chosen by a distinguished panel of judges from the Indian "Bollywood" film industry and the winners are announced in January. Frequent winners include Sanjay Leela Bhansali (3), Rakesh Roshan and Ashutosh Go ...
. In 2003 he directed another supernatural thriller '' Bhoot'' on the lines of his earlier hit ''Raat''. ''Bhoot'' became a major hit at the box office, and Varma was nominated for the
Filmfare Best Director Award The Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in Hindi cinema. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year. Superlatives Bimal Roy has the re ...
for the film. ''Bhoot'' was followed by even more
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
movies, including hit films such as ''
Darna Mana Hai ''Darna Mana Hai'' (English: ''Fear is Forbidden'') is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language anthology Horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore ...
'' (2003), ''
Darna Zaroori Hai ''Darna Zaroori Hai'' (translation: ''Fright is necessary'') is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language anthology horror film produced by Satish Kaushik, and Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a sequel to ''Darna Mana Hai''. It stars a host of Bollywood actors i ...
'' (2006), and ''
Phoonk ''Phoonk'' (English:''Blow'') is a 2008 Indian supernatural horror film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and produced by Praveen Nischol. The film stars Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, and Ahsaas Channa in the lead roles, while Kenny Desai, Ashwini Kalseka ...
'' (2008), gaining Varma the status of ster of the Indian
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
genre. Other experimental productions of Varma include '' Ek Hasina Thi'' (2003), a
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...
, and ''
Ab Tak Chhappan ''Ab Tak Chhappan'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Shimit Amin. It was written by Sandeep Shrivastava and produced by Ram Gopal Varma. It starred Nana Patekar in the lead role. It also starred Revathi, Yashpal Shar ...
'' (2004), a film about an inspector in the
Mumbai Encounter Squad Detection Unit consisted of several high-profile officers of Mumbai Police. The squad primarily dealt with members of the Mumbai underworld and other criminal gangs. Gang wars in Mumbai The Unit came to be known as the "Encounter Squad" because o ...
noted for having killed 56 people in encounters, featured at the
Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of ''The Iron Gi ...
. In 2006, he re-made a new installment of ''Shiva'', which was screened at the
New York Asian Film Festival The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a critically acclaimed film festival held in New York City, dedicated to the display of Asian Film Culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles ...
, where in a retrospective featuring Varma's experimental hits such as ''Company'', ''Ek Hasina Thi'', ''Ab Tak Chhappan'', ''Sarkar'', ''
Contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
'', and ''
Shabri ''Shabri'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Lalit Marathe and produced by Ram Gopal Varma. It is about a woman, played by Ishaa Koppikar, who becomes the first female crime lady in Mumbai. The film was completed in 20 ...
'' was staged. ''Shabri'' was also screened at
Rome Film Festival International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma. Sections The Rome Film Festival official program is divided into several sections: Cinema d'Og ...
. 2010 film on media, ''Rann'' was screened at
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
. A two-part bilingual
Parallel cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
''
Rakta Charitra ''Rakta Charitra'' () is a 2010 Indian political action thriller film based on the life of Paritala Ravindra. The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Prashant Pandey. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi with the latter title ...
'' (2010), on the theme of South Indian politics, was based on the life of Paritala Ravindra, and Maddela Cheruvu Suri; the film received praise from critics.


Mainstream films

Varma started his career in the
Telugu film industry Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...
as an assistant director on the sets of films such as ''
Collector Gari Abbai ''Collector Gari Abbayi'' () is a 1987 Indian Telugu-language action drama film, produced by Yarlagadda Surendra under S. S. Creations and directed by B. Gopal. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna, Sarada and Rajani, with music composed ...
'' and ''
Rao Gari Illu ''Rao Gari Illu'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by Y. Surendra under Annapurna Studios and S. S. Creations banner and directed by Tharani Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jayasudha and Revathi, while Nagarjuna has ...
''. His father Krishnam Raju Varma, was a sound recordist at the
Annapurna Studios Annapurna Studios is an Indian film production company, founded in 1976 by the actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR). Located in the heart of Hyderabad, India the studio mainly provides services for films including sound stages for set construc ...
. Varma met
Nagarjuna Akkineni Akkineni Nagarjuna Rao (born 29 August 1959), known mononymously as Nagarjuna, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and entrepreneur. Nagarjuna has acted predominantly in Telugu, along with a few Hindi and Tamil language fil ...
at the studio and narrated a scene to the actor which impressed him. The result of their collaboration was a film on the criminalisation of student politics – '' Siva''. It was a commercially successful film that gave Varma an opportunity to demonstrate his technical expertise and story telling skills. ''
Kshana Kshanam ''Kshana Kshanam'' () is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language road thriller and heist film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Venkatesh, Sridevi, Paresh Rawal, and Rami Reddy. The plot follows Satya (Sridevi), a young woman who is ...
'' with
Venkatesh Venkatesh is a given name and family name from the Indian subcontinent derived from Venkateswara, a Hindu deity. Notable persons with the name include: * A. Venkatesh Naik (born 1936), member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India * A. Venkatesh (directo ...
, ''
Gaayam ''Gaayam'' () is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language political thriller film, based on the 1980s Vijayawada Gang Warfare. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and story co-written by himself and Mani Ratnam, it stars Jagapathi Babu, Revathi, Urmila Matondka ...
'' with
Jagapathi Babu Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Rao Chowdary (born 12 February 1962), professionally known as Jagapathi Babu (), is an Indian actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has also appeared in a few Tamil, , Kannada and Malayalam films. ...
and ''
Anaganaga Oka Roju ''Anaganaga Oka Roju'' () is a 1997 Indian Telugu-language comedy film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars J. D. Chakravarthy and Urmila Matondkar in lead roles. Raghuvaran, Brahmanandam and Kota Srinivasa Rao play other pivo ...
'' with
J.D. Chakravarthy Nagulapati Srinivasa Chakravarthy, known professionally as J. D. Chakravarthy, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, producer, composer, and singer known for his work primarily with Telugu cinema in addition to Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, an ...
were successful, '' Govinda Govinda'' with
Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...
proved to be a moderate success at the box office. During this period, Varma produced films such as ''
Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...
'' and '' Money Money''. Other films by Varma in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
include '' Gulabi'' (1995); ''
Madhyanam Hathya ''Madhyanam Hathya'' (English : Afternoon Murder) is a 2004 Telugu language Indian crime thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, with cinematography by Chota K. Naidu. The movie seems to closely follow the story of Horace William Manton, the ...
'' (2004); ''
Rakta Charitra ''Rakta Charitra'' () is a 2010 Indian political action thriller film based on the life of Paritala Ravindra. The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Prashant Pandey. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi with the latter title ...
'' (2010), ''
Dongala Mutha ''Dongala Mutha'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Ravi Teja, Charmy, Prakash Raj, Lakshmi Manchu, Sunil, Bramhanandam, Subbaraju and Supreeth Reddy. This film is the first ...
''(2011), '' Rowdy''(2014), ''
Ice Cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...
''(2014). Varma introduced online auction based film distribution model for this venture, and tasted success. Varma's notable mainstream works in Hindi cinema include '' Daud'' (1997), ''
Darna Zaroori Hai ''Darna Zaroori Hai'' (translation: ''Fright is necessary'') is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language anthology horror film produced by Satish Kaushik, and Ram Gopal Varma. The film is a sequel to ''Darna Mana Hai''. It stars a host of Bollywood actors i ...
'' (2006), ''
Nishabd Nishabd (English: ''Speechless'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Amitabh Bachchan and debutant Jiah Khan. The story of the film took inspiration from the 1999 American film '' American Beauty'', a ...
'' (2007), '' Darling'' (2007), and ''
Phoonk ''Phoonk'' (English:''Blow'') is a 2008 Indian supernatural horror film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and produced by Praveen Nischol. The film stars Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, and Ahsaas Channa in the lead roles, while Kenny Desai, Ashwini Kalseka ...
'' (2008). Bollywood film makers such as
Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France a ...
,
Madhur Bhandarkar Madhur Bhandarkar (born 26 August 1968) is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer. In 2016,Bhandarkar was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, by the Government of India. The drama film ''Chandni Ba ...
,
Puri Jagannadh Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu ...
,
E. Nivas Eshwar Niwas born on April 11th 1974 is an Indian film director, known for his works predominantly in Bollywood and Tollywood. In 1999, he won the National Film Award for directing ''Shool''. Early life and career He was born in Hyderabad. H ...
,
Prawaal Raman Prawaal Raman is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has written and directed films like ''Darna Mana Hai'' (2003), ''Gayab'' (2004), ''Darna Zaroori hai'' (2006), '' 404'' (2011) and ''Main Aur Charl ...
,
Krishna Vamsi Pasupuleti Venkata Bangarraju, know professionally as Krishna Vamsi, is an Indian film director, producer and choreographer known for his work in Telugu cinema. Vamsi started his career as an assistant director to Ram Gopal Varma. He made his d ...
,
Vishram Sawant Vishram Shivram Sawant is an Indian film director. He made his directorial debut with '' D'', which is about the meteoric rise of a fictional underworld don, ''Deshu'' (played by Randeep Hooda), which appears to be loosely based upon Dawood Ibra ...
, and
Hansal Mehta Hansal Mehta (born 29 April 1968) is an Indian filmmaker. He started his career with television show ''Khana Khazana'' (1993–2000) and later moved on to directing films like ''Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!!'' (2000), ''Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?'' (2002) and ...
assisted Varma, before venturing into direction. In 1993, he scripted the
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
thriller ''
Thiruda Thiruda ''Thiruda Thiruda'' () is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language black comedy caper film directed by Mani Ratnam written along with Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Prashanth, Anand, Anu Aggarwal and Heera Rajagopal while S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Salim ...
'', screened at
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
. In 2015, Varma was fined for Rs 10 Lakhs, for an alleged copyright violation with the film ''Aag'' (2007). He made his directorial debut in
Kannada cinema Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...
with the thriller ''
Killing Veerappan ''Killing Veerappan'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language biographical crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, who co-wrote the film with K. Balaji. The film is based on the events leading to Operation Cocoon to capture or kill Indian bandit Veer ...
''.


Other work


Television

Ram Gopal Varma made his début in Television through a Talk Show titled Ramuism. The show is being aired on a Telugu channel since September 2014. The show is noted for its fresh and witty appeal. The show focuses on Varma's
Point of View Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...
on social issues such as Education, Religion, Mythology, Children, Crime, Death, Anger, Godmen, Woman, Philosophy, Cinema etc. The show is hosted by
Swapna Swapna may refer to: * Swapna (philosophy) the dreaming aspect of the Hindu philosophy of consciousness. * ''Swapna'' (1942 film), a 1942 Bollywood film * ''Swapna'' (1981 film), a 1981 Telugu film * ''Swapna'', the title of the Sinhala dubbed ve ...
, the managing editor of
Sakshi TV Sakshi TV () is an Indian Telugu-language 24-hour news channel. It was launched on 1 March 2009, by Indira Television Ltd. owned by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. It is currently run under the chairmanship of Y. S. Bharathi Reddy, wife of Jagan Mohan ...
.


Online media

He has also made a documentary called ''
God, Sex and Truth ''God, Sex and Truth'' is a 2018 Indian pornographic short monologue documentary directed by Ram Gopal Varma. starring American pornographic actress Mia Malkova. The film is a short documentary about strength of female sexuality and beauty. ...
'' with adult actress
Mia Malkova Mia Malkova is an American pornographic actress and Twitch streamer. Career Prior to entering the adult industry, then Malkova worked in the food service industry getting her first job at McDonald's when she turned 16 and then working at Sizz ...
.


Biographies

Varma wrote an autobiography titled ''Na Ishtam'', which discusses his life experiences and philosophy. 'Naa Ishtam' was released in December 2010 at Taj Banjara, Hyderabad. '' Sirasri'', poet, lyricist and writer wrote a biographical book on the interactions he had with Ram Gopal Varma with the title ''Vodka With Varma''. Director
Puri Jagannadh Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu ...
launched the book in December 2012. In November 2015, Varma published his book ''Guns and Thighs: The Story of My Life'', which discusses a wide range of subjects, from the influences and circumstances that drew him to cinematic techniques, his successful and unsuccessful films, his Bollywood idols, his live in relationship with Suchitra Krishnamoorthy his relationship with the media and the controversies dogging him, his philosophy of life, and
Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
. On this occasion, Varma said "I dedicated my book to
Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...
,
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
,
Urmila Matondkar Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare A ...
,
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
, and a few gangsters."


Personal life

Varma was married to Ratna, who are later divorced. They have a daughter.


Awards and nominations

Varma has garnered the
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
, the Bimal Roy Memorial National Award, seven state
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
, two Bollywood
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
, and five
Bollywood Movie Awards The Bollywood Movie Awards was an annual film award ceremony held between 1999 and 2007 in Long Island, New York, United States, celebrating films and actors from the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, India. History The predecessor to ...
.


National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...


Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...


Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...


Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...


Bimal Roy Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as ''Do Bigha Zamin'', ''Parineeta (1953 film), Parineeta'', ''Biraj Bahu'', ''Devdas (1955 film), D ...
Memorial National Awards


IIFA Awards The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as IIFA, is an annual awards ceremony for Bollywood. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans, who vote online for th ...


Bollywood Movie Awards The Bollywood Movie Awards was an annual film award ceremony held between 1999 and 2007 in Long Island, New York, United States, celebrating films and actors from the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, India. History The predecessor to ...


Zee Cine Awards The Zee Cine Award (ZCA) is an Indian awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. They were instituted in November 1997 to award "Excellence in cinema - the democratic way". They were first held in Mumbai until 2004, when the ZCA went internat ...


Screen Awards The Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony held in India honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced by t ...


Stardust Awards The Stardust Awards was an award ceremony for Hindi movies, which was sponsored by '' Stardust'' magazine. Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. The first ceremony was held in 2004 for films released in 2003. The ...


Other awards


Filmography


Short Films


RGV World Filmography


References


External links

*
Ram Gopal Varma At Taj by Chance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varma, Ram Gopal Hindi-language film directors Telugu film directors Indian experimental filmmakers Indian action choreographers Indian casting directors Living people Telugu people 1962 births Filmfare Awards winners Nandi Award winners Indian atheists Indian male screenwriters 20th-century Indian film directors Artists from Vijayawada Film directors from Andhra Pradesh Screenwriters from Andhra Pradesh 21st-century Indian film directors