He has apologised to Big B and warmed up to Karan Johar. He says Aishwarya can act. And after Sarkar Raj and Contract, a sober Ram Gopal Varma is making another Sholay.

Is your forthcoming film, Sarkar Raj, a sequel to Sarkar? Both have the same protagonist.
Sarkar Raj doesn’t take off from where Sarkar ended, nor is it based on the Enron crisis or the Narmada Bachao Andolan as rumoured. A charismatic leader such as Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan’s character), responsible for so many lives, keeps getting into complex situations. In Sarkar Raj, you have a new set of situations. I would call it the further adventures of the Sarkar family.

Are more adventures on the anvil?
Sarkar 3 won’t happen because of certain incidents in Sarkar Raj.

You have called Abhishek Bachchan a better actor than Amitabh. Why?
Amitabh Bachchan came up the hard way. His journey from actor to star to superstar has included experiences that have enriched him as a person. These are reflected in his performances. Abhishek grew up as the son of a superstar. His connection with the common man was thus far lesser than that of his father. Yet he’s able to grasp a character’s emotional intensity with as much sensitivity and that calls for greater credit. That prompted me to call him a better actor.

Even Aishwarya has bowled you over in your first film with her.
Call me arrogant, but I cast Aishwarya in Sarkar Raj only because her looks suited the character. Not once did I think about her acting. That’s because her popular films such as Devdas have focused more on how beautiful she’s looked in them instead of her performance. But while working with her, I was taken aback by her performance. Her ability to slip in so easily into the raw, rugged realism of Sarkar Raj has impressed me.

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