- Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma credits Dawood Ibrahim for inspiring his films Satya and Company
- Varma dedicated his autobiography Guns & Thighs to Dawood Ibrahim, though name was removed
- Dawood Ibrahim reportedly watched and appreciated Varma's crime dramas, avoiding threats
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has once again sparked debate with his blunt remarks. This time, for linking his career success to one of India's most infamous gangsters, Dawood Ibrahim.
In an interview with Filmfare, Ram Gopal Varma admitted that his iconic crime dramas Satya and Company were deeply inspired by the real-life underworld. He claimed that without figures like Dawood, these films and perhaps his career trajectory would not have existed.
“I dedicated my autobiography, Guns & Thighs, to Dawood Ibrahima also, but the publishers removed his name. If Dawood Ibrahim was not there, I would not have made Satya and Company, the two iconic films. How can I not dedicate it to him? I am earning my living because of him," he said.
RGV also revealed that Dawood himself watched his films and loved them. “I was the only guy who never got threatening calls, the reason being they loved Satya and Company. They didn't want to bother me. I kind of became their soul mate," he added.
Released in 1998, Satya featured J.D. Chakravarthy, Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Shefali Shah and Saurabh Shukla in key roles. The film revolved around a man named Satya who comes to Mumbai for work but gets entangled in the criminal underworld after being falsely jailed.
Company, starring Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi and South superstar Mohanlal, released in 2002. The film is a fictionalised expose of the Mumbai underworld. It is inspired by the real-life rift between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.
Earlier, Ram Gopal Varma came under fire for calling Dawood Ibrahim an "inspiration" on Teacher's Day post. While the filmmaker started by saluting icons such as Amitabh Bachchan, Steven Spielberg, Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee and Sridevi, he also mentioned underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, sparking outrage online.
Sharing a note on X, Ram wrote, “Here's a BIG SALUTE to all the GREATS who inspired me to become whatever I became and to make whatever films I made, starting from Amitabh Bachchan, Steven Spielberg, Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee, Sridevi, and Dawood Ibrahim. Happy Teachers' Day."
Here's a BIG SALUTE to all the GREATS who inspired me to become whatever I became and to make whatever films I made, starting from AMITABH BACHCHAN, STEVEN SPIELBERG , AYN RAND ,BRUCE LEE, SRIDEVI and DAWOOD IBRAHIM ???????????? HAPPY TEACERS DAY ????????????
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) September 5, 2025
Ram Gopal Verma is currently busy with projects like Sarkar 4 and Syndicate.
