Ram Gopal Varma has opened up about the influence of Aditya Dhar‘s starring Dhurandhar and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge Ranveer Singhmaking a sharp comparison Sandeep Reddy Vanga‘s Animal starring Ranbir Kapoor and to explain why the first left a deeper impression on him.In a recent interaction with Galatta Plus, the filmmaker spoke about scale, storytelling and how Dhurandhar 2 breaks conventional filmmaking patterns.
“Animal is still inside a template”
Explaining the difference between the two films, Varma said, “See, I’ll tell you the difference… Animal is yet another version of The Godfather. Instead of Michael Corleone, you have Ranbir Kapoor. It’s still a father-son story where the father is attacked and the son takes over. It’s within that template.”“Dhurandhar… I don’t think it’s like that. The closest example I can give is something on the scale of a James Bond-type film,” he added.
“Dhurandhar’s scale is too big”
He also highlighted how scale plays a key role in setting the film apart. “Animal didn’t have that scale. The villains were more ordinary. The shock element was in Ranbir Kapoor’s scenes and characterization. But Dhurandhar’s scale is too big,” he said.
“You don’t look at Animal’s hero, you look at Hamza”
Talking about the characterization, Varma said, “Nobody is going to look up to Ranbir Kapoor in Animal. You enjoy his performance, you’re in awe of what he does.”“But characters like Shiva or Michael Corleone, you look up to them. Same with Hamza,” he added.He emphasized that the protagonist of Dhurandhar stands out for his understated character. “Most of the time, Hamza doesn’t explain himself. You infer what he’s feeling… a lot of times he’s just watching, not saying anything,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe that a great hero took this role”
Varma also expressed surprise that a leading star had chosen such an understated role. “I couldn’t believe that a great hero would take on such an introspective role,” he said.If compared to previous eras, “Since the time of Amitabh Bachchan, even if there was inner anger, there were sharp dialogues that explained everything. Here, so many close-ups where you are left to interpret what the hero feels.”
“You Can’t Get Aditya Dhar’s Brain”
Crediting director Aditya Dhar, Varma said the film’s impact comes from his vision.“You can have tons of money, but where are you going to get Aditya? The nuances, the details of the characters, the emotional context, you can’t understand that on paper,” he said.Recalling one scene, he added: “When I burned the picture of my wife and son, I got a lump in my throat. That’s something that can never be explained on paper.”Varma also spoke about how the film redefines heroism. “Earlier, heroes didn’t show pain because fans wouldn’t like it. But here, when Hamza is stabbed, I have never seen such pain in a hero. That realism connects you more,” he said.
“It will stop everything”
Summarizing his thoughts, Varma said that the film will have a lasting impact on the industry.“In one line, the difference is this: other filmmakers do what they think the audience wants to see. Aditya Dhar did what he wanted to tell,” he said, “It will disrupt everything.”
