Guns & Thighs (The Story of My Life)

In these delightfully candid musings about his life and his cinema, RGV reveals the man behind pioneering Telugu and Hindi films such as Shiva, Rangeela, Satya, Sarkar, Bhoot and Company.

Discussing a wide range of subjects, from the influences and circumstances that drew him to films to his cinematic techniques, his successful and unsuccessful films, his Bollywood idols, his relations with the media and the controversies dogging him, Guns & Thighs is as much about RGV’s life and philosophy of life as about his films and the Indian film world. Characteristically, he pulls no punches, whether he’s talking about movies, women or the media. Even when it comes to his own film, he embraces his failures as much as his successes and dissects them with rare honesty and humility.

Refreshingly contrarian and politically incorrect, this book discloses a perspective as colourful and larger than life as Indian films. It is not for RGV fans alone, but for all those passionate about cinema and the people associated with it.

ram Gopal Varma is a film director, screenwriter and producer who has made films in Telugu and Hindi in a range of genres—psychological thrillers, gangster films, road movies, horror films and musicals. His first successful Hindi film was Shiva, but it was with Rangeela, which won Filmfare Awards for the lead actor and music director, that he truly gained recognition in Bollywood His ‘gangster trilogy’, consisting of his masterpiece Satya along with Company and Sarkar, has garnered several Filmfare Awards, including a Critics Award for Best Film and a Best Director nomination. These films have, besides, been pioneers in their genre. The film Shool, that he produced, has won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Ram Gopal Varma has also given breaks to many newcomers like Shimit Amin and Anurag Kashyap, who have gone on to become independent writers and film directors of note.

Many philosophers from Ayn Rand to Friedrich Nietzsche, fiction writers like James Hadley Chase and Frederick Forsyth and even humour magazines like Mad have made me live many lives, influenced me greatly and moulded my personality. They have also triggered many incidents and relationships which have shaped and steered my life. In my interviews and through my Twitter handle, I have always spoken my mind and delivered my opinions: loud, clear and uncensored. This book is another platform for explaining my ideas and the way I view the world, examining what motivated me to enter the film world, performing an honest post mortem on my films—the hits as well as the flops—and talking about some of the people who have shared my life—filmy and personal. I have never, ever since I’ve been old enough to have a mind of my own, believed in God, respected elders, valued friendships or cared for education. The one thing I have ardently relished, respected, valued, loved and trusted is film-making. I share some snippets from my filmy journey here with my readers. This book is a mere penning down of my thoughts, some of which might irritate you, some amuse you, some entertain you and some even make you hate me, but, at the end of the day, it won’t stop me from speaking my mind and doing as I please. Irrespective of what anyone thinks of me, I will forever remain who I am—and if you think I’m bad and outrageous and terrible, I won’t lose any sleep over it.

Friedrich Nietzsche said, ‘There are no facts, only interpretations.’ It follows that more than what I meant, what’s important is what you make of this book.