By:
Joginder
Tuteja,
IndiaFM
Monday,
September
17,
2007
"The
release
of
my
film
was
synonymous
to
a
'mela'
out
there
and
everyone
seemed
to
be
joining
in
the
celebrations",
says
Ram
Gopal
Varma
whose
Aag
may
have
been
doused
in
one
week
flat
but
the
heat
has
continued
to
stayed
on.
"It
appeared
as
if
festivities
were
on
and
anyone
and
everyone
had
something
to
dance
and
cheer
about.
People
were
having
fun
at
my
film's
expense
which
ultimately
did
succeed
in
providing
them
entertainment",
he
laughs
with
his
characteristic
sarcastic
humor.
Does
he
feel
that
the
film
was
rejected
as
a
result
of
an
emotional
outburst
from
those
who
still
haven't
forgotten
'Sholay'?
Or
was
it
the
herd
effect?
Getting
serious
for
the
first
time
Ramu
reacts
promptly,
"It
was
a
herd
effect
for
sure.
The
film
was
barely
on
and
obituaries
were
already
written.
Also,
the
all
around
negative
reviews
clearly
indicated
that
so
many
critics
were
just
in
love
with
their
own
phrases
and
headlines.
They
did
come
up
with
some
real
clever
quotes
that
made
for
an
amusing
read.
We
do
have
some
really
creative
people
out
there,
you
know!"
It
is
hard
for
Ramu
to
stay
on
to
be
pensive
for
long
as
he
jumps
on
to
narrate
an
anecdote.
"I
remember
when
I
was
in
class
7th
or
8th;
me
and
my
friend
were
returning
from
school
when
we
saw
a
man
being
beaten
black
and
blue
by
public.
They
were
hurling
stones
at
him
and
my
friend
too
went
ahead
and
gave
him
a
punch
and
a
kick.
On
his
return
I
asked
him
why
he
did
that.
It
so
turned
out
that
the
man
was
a
pickpocket
and
he
had
been
caught.
Since
everyone
was
bashing
him
up,
my
friend
too
confessed
to
possessing
super-strength
as
he
joined
the
mob.
After
Aag
I
can
relate
to
that
poor
man",
he
laughs.
There
was
never
a
shred
of
doubt
that
Aag
would
have
been
minutely
scrutinized.
But
did
Ramu
anticipate
such
hostile
reactions
with
an
all
around
audience
back
lashing?
"If
I
knew
that,
I
would
have
never
made
the
film
in
the
first
place",
reflects
Ramu
whose
Darling
has
just
hit
the
marquee,
"If
you
believe
in
advance
that
your
film
won't
be
appreciated,
why
would
you
bother
about
bringing
it
on
celluloid?
Nevertheless
I
agree
that
everyone
has
a
perspective
and
a
right
to
view
an
opinion.
When
reactions
are
same
from
everywhere,
I
may
or
may
not
agree
with
them
as
a
film
maker
but
I
have
to
acknowledge
that
as
a
sane
person.
Can
I
do
anything
about
that
now?
No,
but
I
can
move
on,
right?"
He
has
moved
on
for
sure
with
Darling
recently
seeing
a
release.
"As
per
my
knowledge,
the
film
is
pretty
original",
he
smiles,
"It
is
a
unique
storytelling
here
with
the
narrative
from
the
lead
protagonist's
(Fardeen
Khan)
point
of
view.
The
technique
of
shot
taking
and
movements
come
from
Fardeen's
mindset.
This
is
why
situations
alternate
between
being
scary,
comic,
fearsome,
humorous,
romantic,
thrilling
and
then
back
to
comic
at
regular
intervals.
It
may
all
sound
gimmicky,
but
then
you
have
to
get
into
the
protagonist's
shoes
to
understand
the
situations."
Well,
it
isn't
exactly
gimmicky
as
one
realizes
this
after
watching
the
film.
Darling
does
present
Fardeen
in
a
new
light
and
showcases
one
of
his
best
performances
till
date.
"Yes,
people
do
tell
me
that
Fardeen
has
come
up
with
his
career
best
performance.
Why
just
Fardeen?
Even
Esha
has
got
an
all
around
acclaim
for
her
act
in
the
film."
How
much
was
his
contribution
in
making
them
act
the
way
they
did?
Did
he
enact
the
scenes
for
them
and
just
asked
them
to
follow
suit?
"No,
I
rarely
call
an
actor
how
to
perform",
says
Ramu
promptly,
"I
primarily
explain
the
mindset
of
a
character
to
them
and
then
leave
it
on
my
actors
to
do
the
rest.
There
is
no
point
forcing
my
views
on
an
actor,
you
see."
Technically
too,
Darling
comes
across
as
a
vintage
Ramu
product
with
jump
cuts
et
al,
something
that
he
used
quite
effectively
in
Company.
Laughs
the
film
maker,
"But
then
you
can't
have
technique
going
beyond
a
character.
Yes,
there
are
constant
jump-cuts
in
the
narrative
to
reflect
the
mindset
of
a
viewer
who
is
going
through
a
constant
mental
tussle.
However,
you
have
to
ensure
as
a
film
maker
that
after
making
a
point,
you
need
to
put
a
full
stop.
A
few
moments
more
than
what
is
actually
required
and
as
an
audience,
you
would
only
end
up
wondering
about
the
very
need
of
a
particular
shot."