Exclusive| Ram Gopal Varma on Handling Controversies: “In a Civilised Society, You Just Have to Bear With Opinions”, Clarifies Remark on Rajinikanth

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is no stranger to headlines, often because of his unfiltered opinions. But in a candid conversation with The Hans India, the director opened up about how he navigates the backlash, insisting that misunderstanding is inevitable in an age where social media amplifies everything instantly.

RGV explained that every individual has the right to express their views, just as he does. “Everyone, if they open their mouth, will express something about somebody or something else. Whether you agree with it or not, you have to bear with that. That’s how a civilised society works,” he said.

The filmmaker believes the real problem begins when social media escalates statements without context. “Social media complicates it much more. The only way to deal with it is to ignore it. I ignore it completely.”

Referring to the recent uproar over his comments about Rajinikanth, Varma maintained that his words were purely technical, not personal. He compared stardom across eras, noting how technology shapes performance styles. “Charlie Chaplin worked because of the 18-frame camera giving that skipping effect. If he came in the 24-frame era, he wouldn’t be the same star. Similarly, if the invention of the steady slow-motion camera hadn’t happened, Rajinikanth wouldn’t have been the biggest star ever. No one carries slow motion like him.”

RGV continued to maintain his stance. The filmmaker has had two of his initial films re-released; one being his debut film "Siva" with Nagarjuna Akkineni and the other one is his Hindi film debut, "Rangeela" starring Jackie Shroff, Aamir Khan and Urmila Matondkar in lead roles. Both the classics were released in 4K version and have been receiving praises from the audience even after 3 decades of their original release dates.