RGV blames Amitabh Bachchan for RGV Ki Aag failure

When Ram Gopal Varma decided to remake the iconic film Sholay as

RGV Ki Aag

, he initially aimed to modernize its elements and give it a fresh narrative. He believed that if he had approached it with the same sincerity as Satya, it would have been a success. However, the project took a turn for the worse, and the film ended up being one of Bollywood’s most notorious flops.
Sascha Sippy and the ‘Jr. Gabbar’ script idea
In a recent interview with Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changers,

RGV

revealed how the idea for the film stemmed from a meeting with Sascha Sippy, the grandson of Sholay producer G.P. Sippy. According to Varma, Sascha proposed a bizarre sequel idea where Gabbar Singh fathers a child with Helen’s character, and years later, ‘Jr. Gabbar’ seeks revenge against Veeru and Basanti’s family. The plan even involved casting Jackie Chan.
Varma found the concept absurd and declined to be a part of it. However, the conversation sparked his own thoughts about remaking Sholay in a different way.

The role of Amitabh Bachchan
RGV shared that a poster designer from his team created an image of Gabbar Singh modeled after Amitabh

Bachchan

’s look from Sarkar. While he initially found it unrealistic, the designer convinced him that legendary characters should look larger than life. This led to a meeting with Amitabh, where Varma pitched the film, and the superstar agreed to be a part of it, trusting the filmmaker’s vision after Sarkar.
Creative block and wrong decisions
Despite Bachchan’s involvement, RGV admitted that he suffered from a creative block and made several mistakes. He explained that the first and biggest error in filmmaking is deciding what to make. Once that decision is set, everything else follows, often beyond control.
Reflecting on the failure, RGV jokingly blamed Sascha Sippy, the poster designer, and even Bachchan himself, before ultimately taking responsibility. “The real culprit is Sascha Sippy, the poster guy, and the people sitting next to me. In a way, also Bachchan sahab. But I am taking the blame for it,” he quipped.

Regret over Amitabh Bachchan’s involvement
In an earlier conversation with Galatta Plus, Varma expressed regret that Amitabh Bachchan had to endure backlash due to the film’s failure. “Amitabh Bachchan put his reputation at stake because he agreed to do RGV Ki Aag,” he admitted, adding that it was his fault, not Bachchan’s. “I would feel guilty that I made him go through that.”

Released in 2007, RGV Ki Aag starred Mohanlal, Ajay Devgn, and Sushmita Sen alongside Amitabh Bachchan. The film was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and is still considered one of Bollywood’s biggest disasters.