Ram Gopal Varma reveals he wanted to be an autorickshaw driver, not a filmmaker
In his latest post, Varma also discussed his decision to shift his focus from the next installment of the Sarkar franchise to a new project titled Syndicate.
In his latest post, Varma also discussed his decision to shift his focus from the next installment of the Sarkar franchise to a new project titled Syndicate.
In his latest post, Varma also discussed his decision to shift his focus from the next installment of the Sarkar franchise to a new project titled Syndicate.
Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is known for his unfiltered views, and he recently shared a surprising revelation about his childhood ambitions. In a candid post, Varma confessed that at the age of 10, he dreamed of becoming an auto rickshaw driver, fascinated by the ‘vrooom-vroom’ sound of the engine revving. "I wanted to be an auto rickshaw driver when I was around 10, because I was fascinated with the sound when the accelerator revs up," he wrote.
Varma went on to explain how his dreams evolved over the years. At 15, he was inspired by a cousin to live in a forest. A few years later, he thought about becoming an engineer, but that too was replaced by his desire to pursue filmmaking. He also reminisced about his reading habits, recalling how he was first captivated by Enid Blyton’s books, only to abandon them when he discovered the works of James Hadley Chase and later, Frederick Forsyth, whose writing he admired beyond imagination.
“We all keep getting re-shaped from time to time because of newer and newer experiences which elevate our benchmarks as they should." He maintained that his benchmark films—like 'The Sound of Music' (influencing Rangeela), 'The Exorcist' (influencing Raat and Bhoot), and 'The Godfather' (influencing Satya, Company, and Sarkar)—played a significant role in shaping his filmmaking journey.
In his latest post, Varma also discussed his decision to shift his focus from the next installment of the 'Sarkar' franchise to a new project titled 'Syndicate.' He wrote, “Syndicate is based on the premise of ‘What if the entire law and order of India collapses in just one single day?’ It will be almost like a horror film—not because of supernatural elements, but because it will lay bare the terrifying potential within human minds. Syndicate will follow the rise of an organization so powerful and driven that it threatens the very existence of India. I believe it will be a perfect fit for the post-Dhurandhar2 era."
Varma went on to praise the recently released Dhurandhar: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh, and expressed his admiration for the new wave of filmmaking led by director Aditya Dhar. "After watching Dhurandhar2, all my earlier films look like nothing. If Godfather was my earlier benchmark in this genre, I now feel Dhurandhar2 is like Godfather's Godfather," Varma wrote. He highlighted how the film redefined storytelling, craft, character design, background music, and more.
“I need to abandon the lessons learned from the old school of Coppola and embrace the new school of Aditya Dhar,” he continued, stressing the importance of evolving as a filmmaker. Varma also warned that filmmakers, writers, and stars must adapt to the changes brought by films like Dhurandhar2. "It will be a suicidal blunder not to do intensive research on Dhurandhar2 and reconsider everything you believed in cinema before March 19, 2026," he cautioned.