Ram Gopal Varma says he got ‘drunk on success, arrogance’ after Satya in emotional post: ‘Made films for shock value’ | Bollywood-OxBig News Network

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Ram Gopal Varma cried after watching Satya again

On Monday, Ram Gopal Varma took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a heartfelt ‘Satya confession’, revealing that rewatching the film after nearly three decades moved him to tears. He wrote, “By the time Satya was rolling to an end, while watching it two days back for the first time after 27 years, I started choking with tears rolling down my cheeks, and I didn’t care if anyone would see. The tears were not just for the film, but more for what happened since.”

The filmmaker likened the process of making a film to giving birth to a child, acknowledging that creators often fail to recognize the significance of their work during its creation. Reflecting on his own journey, he admitted to being so preoccupied with upcoming projects that he rarely paused to appreciate or reflect on the beauty of what he had created. “I ignored the countless inspirations Satya sparked by dismissing it as just another step in my journey toward an objectiveless destination,” he confessed.

Ram Gopal Varma became drunk on Satya’s success

Varma also recalled crying out of guilt for “betraying” those who trusted him after Satya’s success. He wrote, “Coming back to the hotel after the screening of Satya, and sitting in the dark, I didn’t understand why, with all my so-called intelligence, I did not set this film as a benchmark for whatever I should do in the future. I also realized I didn’t just cry for the tragedy in that film, but I also cried in joy for that version of myself. And I cried in guilt for my betrayals of all those who trusted me due to Satya. I became drunk not on alcohol but on my own success and arrogance, though I didn’t know this until two days back.”

The filmmaker delved into how the success of Satya and other hits like Rangeela led to arrogance and a loss of vision. He admitted to “making films for shock value, gimmicks, or technical wizardry—things equally meaningless.” He further noted that none of his later works carried the honesty and integrity of Satya, which he described as a benchmark for sincerity in storytelling.

Ram Gopal Varma urged fellow filmmakers to avoid self-indulgence and measure their work against the standards set by their best creations. “I so wish I could go back in time and make this one cardinal rule for myself: before deciding on any film to make, I should watch Satya once again. If I followed that rule, I’m sure I wouldn’t have made 90% of the films I made since then,” he wrote.

He ended the note with a promise: “Whatever little of my life is left, I want to spend it sincerely and create something as worthy as Satya. And this truth I swear on Satya.”

About Satya

Satya, a gangster drama that redefined Indian cinema, stars JD Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpayee, Urmila Matondkar, Shefali Shah, and Saurabh Shukla. As part of the re-release trend, the iconic film returned to theatres on January 17, 27 years after its original release.