'Dhurandhar' will give rise to new crop of directors: Ram Gopal Varma
Mumbai (PTI): Comparing “Dhurandhar” to his cult classic “Satya”, Ram Gopal Varma says he feels glad that the 1998 gangster drama served as the baseline for Aditya Dhar who, he believes, has changed the grammar of commercial filmmaking.
Varma has been effusive in his praise for Dhar, who has written, directed and co-produced "Dhurandhar" and its follow-up "Dhurandhar: The Revenge".
The second part of the Ranveer Singh-starrer released in theatres on March 19 and has already collected more than Rs 145 crore on its opening day.
“‘Dhurandar’ is not just a film, it changed the grammar, it changed people's mindset. It will definitely give rise to a new crop of directors, taking this as a benchmark,” Varma told PTI in an interview.
The filmmaker is known for revolutionising the gangster genre with “Satya”, a Mumbai-set crime drama that redefined realism in Hindi cinema and introduced a character-driven narrative. The film featured J D Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpayee, Saurabh Shukla and Urmila Matondkar.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, "Dhurandhar" is a spy action thriller in which an Indian agent, Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari, goes deep undercover inside Karachi's criminal underworld and then works to dismantle a terror network targeting India.
The narrative draws on the backdrop of real events including the IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“In today’s directors, after having seen ‘Dhurandhar’ I feel he (Aditya) is way up...I remember telling Aditya about how he has managed to up the whole thing of what I started with ‘Satya’... If ‘Satya’ is one, then I would say it is (‘Dhurandhar’) 10x. I told him all this,” said Varma, also known for 90s and early 2000s crime dramas such as “Shiva”, “Rangeela”, “Company” and “Sarkar” franchise.
When asked about fans pointing out similarities between “Satya” and “Dhurandhar” in many reels on social media, Varma said every filmmaker gets inspired by the work of their predecessors.
“‘Satya’ also took it from ‘The Godfather’. Everyone will take it from somewhere, that is a part of being a filmmaker,” he said, adding he is rather impressed with the man who posted the reel.
Actors R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi returned for the second part, which is produced by Aditya Dhar, Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
