Ram Gopal Varma, aka RGV, has never been one to shy away from bold takes on matters. The filmmaker, popularly known for classics like Rangeela and Satya, just stirred fresh conversation when he credited Bollywood legend, Amitabh Bachchan, for shaping the careers of South Indian cinema’s biggest stars. In a recent interview, the ace filmmaker didn’t hold back when he mentioned some of the biggest names in the South, claiming that they earned their status through remakes of Bachchan’s blockbusters.
Ram Gopal Varma credits Amitabh Bachchan’s blockbusters for South Indian stardom
Amitabh Bachchan majorly dominated Bollywood during the 1970s and ’80s. When he took a break in the ’90s, Bollywood coincidentally shifted to music-heavy films like Maine Pyar Kiya. Speaking to IndiaTV Showbiz, RGV claimed that around the same time, leading faces in South Indian cinema, including Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao, and Dr Rajkumar, earned their demigod-like status as they started starring in the remakes of Bachchan’s blockbusters. He was quoted as saying:
“In the beginning, the entire South, all four languages, were remaking Amitabh Bachchan films. Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao and Rajkumar were making remakes of Bachchan’s films of the ’70s and ’80s. Then, in the ’90s, Mr Bachchan took a long five-year break. At the same time, coincidentally, the music companies entered the scene. They made films just to sell their music. That’s when movies like Maine Pyar Kiya came out. But the South never stopped making the so-called masala films, which they picked up from Bachchan. That’s how those stars became big demigods. It continues to date.”