RGV Credits Dawood Ibrahim for Career Success, Calls Underworld Don His 'Inspiration'

Ram Gopal Varma has once again stirred controversy with his trademark provocative statements, this time crediting India's most wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim as the foundation of his cinematic success. In a candid Filmfare interview, the maverick director boldly declared that his livelihood depends entirely on the underworld don.

"My career wouldn't have reached this level without Dawood Ibrahim," RGV stated without hesitation. The filmmaker, known for landmark crime dramas like Satya and Company, acknowledged that these films were directly inspired by real-life underworld events. According to Varma, the Mumbai mafia kingpin's existence provided the raw material that became his most celebrated works.

The director revealed an fascinating anecdote about his autobiography 'Guns and Thighs': he originally wanted to dedicate the book to Dawood Ibrahim but had to remove the dedication when publishers refused. Even more intriguingly, RGV claims that Dawood himself watched his underworld films and appreciated them immensely.

This appreciation, Varma suggests, explains why he never received threatening calls from underworld gangs despite making films that exposed their operations. Instead of viewing him as a threat, the mafia reportedly sees him as a "soul mate" who understands their world.

This isn't RGV's first controversial homage to the fugitive don. On Teachers' Day, he created a social media storm by listing Dawood Ibrahim alongside respected figures like Amitabh Bachchan and Steven Spielberg as his "inspirations." Despite widespread outrage, the filmmaker remained unrepentant, maintaining his philosophy that creative inspiration can come from any source.

Currently working on crime projects like 'Sarkar 4' and 'Syndicate,' RGV shows no signs of abandoning his underworld obsession. His latest comments prove that even after decades in cinema, he remains committed to mining the dark underbelly of society for his storytelling.

While his statements will undoubtedly attract criticism, they also highlight RGV's unflinching commitment to his artistic vision: regardless of how uncomfortable it makes audiences or authorities.