It is 3 p m on Sunday at Link Plaza, Ram Gopal Varma's Factory office in Oshiwara and the security guard outside is fast asleep. You tiptoe past him and are about to push the glass door when he jolts awake and gives you a surveying glance.
Inside, the receptionist is busy on the computer. He registers your presence, speaks on the intercom after which information travels like the drum echoes in Phantom land. You are led to a guest room with peach sofas and barren bookshelf. A while later, Phantom's valet leads you to the Phantom chamber.
Ram Gopal Varma is seated behind his huge desk, as always pre-occupied. The desk like old times is uncluttered and his mobile phone on the silent mode. He smiles at you but his eyes have a distant expression.
"Being in a relationship is like being on a bridge of trust. The bridge collapses when doubt creeps in and after that the relationship can never be the same…" Ram Gopal Varma takes off on a philosophical note without any reference to context.
There is a long pause while he stares into space and restlessly plays with the paperweight on the table. "I've not admitted this to anybody," he says lowering his voice "but Nishabd is somewhere inspired from the biography of renowned author Ayn Rand. All of us who are well versed with the author know that her books open with a dedication line: 'Nethhil Brandon is no longer associated with my philosophy of objectives.' I have read so many of her books but never understood this until I read her biography Passion of Ayn Rand by Barbara Brandon, wife of Nethhil Brandon. Suddenly the name rang a bell and the mystery resolved. I learnt that Ayn Rand (50) was attracted to her ardent disciple, Nethhil (28), a married man and so the four of them, Ayn Rand, her husband, her disciple Nethhil and his wife sat across and discussed the issue…
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"It sounds unreal but the respective partners accepted the third relationship. This could be a result of Ayn Rand's power and charisma but her husband and Nethhil’s wife mutely reconciled to her decision. Logic tells us that their future relationships would have been scarred. For both of them more than the sexual betrayal was a rejection of identity."
He takes another long pause, punches a few buttons and orders coffee. As his Man Friday serves steaming mugs over flowery coasters, Ramu continues, "The book was in my subconscious mind but I had never thought that I would one day translate it into a film. Similarly, a Telugu film made by K Balachander Gupped Manasu about an older man who adopts his neighbour's orphan girl and later becomes attracted to her had a deep impact on me. We may not want to accept it but these things happen in real life. I was myself attracted to an older aunt when I was young. I did not express this out of fear of doing wrong but the feeling existed all the same."
His valet enters the room to clear the table while Ramu attends a pending phone call. He answers mostly in monosyllables. He is too impatient to pursue long conversations and easily irritated when interrupted. You wonder how he copes with the laborious process of making a film. "Of course I get impatient and there are times I lose interest halfway in a project. That is why I often drop projects and announce a new film. For me it is very important to feel excited all the time. Every film is like a new toy for me. The moment I'm bored I go looking for a new toy again…
"When we agreed to make Nishabd, Mr Bachchan asked me if I was sure of the concept. I replied that I was sure of my intention and the rest would take care of itself. My only brief to my writer Kusum Punjabi was to retain the dignity of the protagonist. I wanted Bachchan to resemble his real life image- strong, dignified and intelligent. He is a symbol of perfection until he meets Jiya! After Jiya invades his life he looks dazed… For Jiya I wanted an actor with loads of attitude. The attitude is also reflected in the way I have captured her as a director. It was a challenge to portray both my characters unconventionally, without any compositions or designs.I feel I have invented a new cinematic language via Nishabd, treated an emotional story like a suspense film and that is the beauty of the film."
He is restless again and it shows in the way he swirls the paperweight on the desk. "There is a possibility that viewers may not feel comfortable watching this film. I know for sure my mother wasn't. She said she empathized with the characters, understood what they went through but has warned me that the film may not be well received. She is most probably right because it is a disturbing subject…. You always imagine something like this to happen to somebody else, not to you. From outside it may seem immoral but for those involved it is very intense and real. The sad thing about age is that only the body ages not the feelings…Because of this, there is no control over desire…I confess I have portrayed these dormant desires like a voyeur. I feel the need to emphasize that the shock element is in the director's vision and not in the character."
His mobile phone beeps fervently. It's a reminder for his next appointment. We walk down the deserted staircase of the building and get into his car. He sits in his favourite seat and looks out of the window, " It's amazing how the skyline alters from dawn to dusk. I completed this film in May 2006 but releasing it only now. In this long period I have had various distractions with various films, But yesterday while I was mixing the final reel of Nishabd, suddenly all memories came gushing back…. Usually I hate all my films when they are completed. But this time I feel attached to Nishabd…. The film is aptly described as a love story that should not to be understood. The relationship in Nishabd is not a problem and therefore I'm not providing any solutions…"
As he gets down from his car he cannot resist the parting shot. "Once a film is released it is out of my system. I just forget about it. Two weeks later I will only discuss Sholay."