The first of Varma's series of tweets was ambiguous, leaving readers unsure if his claim of being 'stunned beyond belief' was sarcastic.
Saw pakistani film 'Waar ' ..stunned beyond belief..i just want to leave direction nd go to pakistan to assist its director Bilal Lashari
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 26, 2013
Things got clearer when the second tweet came in around 10 minutes later, with Varma comparing Waar's tremendous first-day performance at the box-office.
Sharuk khan being the biggest star there nd chennai express having a record of 9 million on first day Bilal lashari's Waar collected 11.4
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 26, 2013
In a confessional tweet which he later deleted, Varma admitted he had watched the pirated version of Waar, which has only gotten a limited number of screenings outside Pakistan.
But the director behind films like Sarkar and Company did slam Bollywood for being self aggrandising and refusing to acknowledge that Pakistan was churning out films that deserved attention.
After seeing 'Waar' i honestly feel us indian film makers should get off our assumed high horses and look at pakistani films seriously
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 26, 2013
To top it off, the Bollywood star 'saluted' Waar's director Bilal Lashari for a film that absolutely filled him with thrill.
Mr.Bilal Lashari wherever u r in pakistan I want 2 salute u..irrespective of anythng else I am student of cinema nd am thrilled wth ur film
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 26, 2013
Hey if anyone out there in pakistan knows Mr.Bilal Lashari personally can you please convey to him my regards and congratulations
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 26, 2013
COMMENTS (77)
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@Sheharyar: Seriously? you people just can't get it do you? sound like geo now!!!
Pakistan's film making is well into a transition phase and I am sure with the old film industry adjusting to new trends, Pakistan will do very well in future. I think it is high time to deviate from the old formula films which are still being made in Bombay. Congratulations Pakistan.
@yash:
you are right
Why not if it is a well made film? After all films are fiction. Indians and Pakistanis are too prickly and take offence even at fiction and go about protesting some times violently..shows issues in self esteem...
@Khawar: Its not easy to make fake accounts on Twitter, thats why Twitter is Twitter.
Express Tribune just made a fool of itself. Well done to the ''competent'' staff at Express Tribune...
Pathetic.
I'm amazed at how idle, pessimistic and shallow some of the commenters above can be. Waar was a great film evidenced by it's record sales. It doesn't matter whether Ram Gopal or Alpacino or Kojak have sent the tweet or whether they have acknowledged the film's greatness or not. Why can people never see the glass half full? I'm sure given their own meaningless contributions to the country or the world, it's the least they can do.
i think we pakis dnt need to argue abt our movie.indian ppl are famous for pak fobia :P. n indians here r talking about paki actors wrking in bollywood bcz these indians are unaware of their famous bollywood actresses deepika, kareena , sonam, karishma, sushmita nd much more did modeling for Pakistani lawn brands and their actors in our Q mobile commercials, as u know indian media didnt spread it like fire or even gave these news any coverage or wrote masala article about it. secondly as compare to paki ppl getting wrk in bollywood cz of their ability , indian ppl cudnt get any big opportunity in Pakistan like to work in WAAR .
I mean y there's so much hatred against our country (India).The world knows that you all see bollywood movies but hate to accept that i think this is the reason y indian movies has 3.6billion viewer than 2billion of hollywood movies viewer i am guessing how many people see pk movies?
Simply a worth watching movie.
Guys !!! If you dare go and see Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag... The best of his movies ;-)
I do not care what every one saying...Real Truth is ....Waar is a Must Watch movie....I watched twice & will see Again...Wonderful Direction
trolling indians will find an excuse to disregard his tweets
@Waqar Qureshi: Account is real as you can see the small blue color icon with the account name, which is official twitter insignia appears on the accounts that are verified by twitter to be original for the key personalities.
@Sheharyar:
You got it right! RGV's praise is sarcasm almost all the time.
Thanks God, good news are emanating from Pakistan.
where did he watch it and in which format?
@Insaan: I paid you'll a compliment............have the decency to accept it with grace.
@Khawar: The account is a verified account.
@salman: thats the thing salman. when we make we make quality stuff, not some uber melodramatic low class entertainement coming out of india! compare your dramas your music your news channels! everything is loud and melodramatic. The thing is bollywood was never the benchmark! if it had been a movie like waar would have ended up much like the bollywood crap
@Sheharyar: hahahahahahahahahhaahhahahaha
Sorry no hate to India But this movie Waar is a great flick, i watched it thrice in different cinemas and every time its fascinates, gets more clearer. The acting is beyond expressions a Top level notch. We watched Indian movies but never been amazed like this, its more than a movie, classic in acting sound tracks are wonderful and sequences are really astonishing.
Mark my words "Worth Watching" Well done Waar team, i hope more are on the way. Its still going on HOUSEFULL. Regards
Some people don't seem to have the ability to identify sophisticated sarcasm. It's just beyond them.
@salman: I can smell a typical Bollywood fan here........... No wonder in developed countries not even desies watch Bollywood crap
loolywood a small and sruggling film industry produced a very good film after a long time.lwe should appreciate it. End of day this is only a film.India produce lots of anti pakistan fims.
haaah one lollywood movie and these pakis r getting excited and started comparing with bollywood who has created own mark in the world and dont forget these pakis artist who are dieing to work in bollywood,everybody knows that pakis love watching indian movie...
@Salman: Shoaib Mansoor's films look like dramas/telefilms, they cannot be compared to the 'waar' canvas. I know waar has loopholes too, but let me ask u one thing can Shoaib Mansoor make a film like waar? We should give credit where it is due, Bilal and his team have done a wonderful job in making a Hollywood style looking film.
every one is here telling that it is a fake account of Verma, Lets wait for his response
@Kiran: Please read the article first then comment. RGV has said he has seen a pirated movie. And also why such hue and cry for appreciation of a movie from Pakistan?
I have received a message from Steven Spielberg. He says, I have seen the non-existent pirated version of WAAR. I wish I had made the movie. I wish my name was Bilal Lashari. I wish......" Mr Spielberg has endorsed the petition for an Oscar for WAAR.
@R. Khan: Shaharyar is NOT pakistani...please read between the lines..if you could.
In continuation of his praise, RGV also mentions Bilal Lashari to be an assistant of Shoaib Mansoor & also suggests Shoaib Mansoor to start assisting Bilal Lashari along with him, which to me seems funnier...may be sarcastic!
I have seen the non-existent pirated edition of WAAR. I wish I had made this movie. I wish my name was Bilal Lashari. I wish.....
The guy who made the mental-torture device called "Ram Gopal Varma ki AAG" is being sarcastic about WAAR?
If he really is being sarcastic then I'd say Varma sahib needs to first look at his own movies before arrogantly sneering at another's work.
As a student of cinema if he comended the movie (which has no item number) then what's the big deal
Who is 'RGV' that you all are referring to? And who is the guy in the picture of the tweets? An indian super star? Weird. Never heard of him.
Why so many haters? Can't we all just congratulate Lashari for directing a masterpiece by Pakistani standards? I for one am extremely proud.
Guys please share the link if you have where I can watch this movie.
Sheharyar, You are one suspicious guy who will not take even an appreciation without apprehensions! Typical mindset of an average Pakistani! Grow up. Thanks Verma Sahib.
@Khawar: Its a genuine account , do you see a sky blue tick mark , it means its verified by twitter.
@TUNG,
Anything shot at 4k resolution by Red Epic Digital Cam will have an Hollywood look. And add DI (Digital Intermediate), it looks even awesome. But do not confuse this with good cinematography. Good tools do not necessarily make good craftsmen. RGV is the man who introduced SteadyCam to India way back in 1989. He is the first Indian director to shoot a film on Red One, Red Epic, and then on a Cannon 5D.
And as far as sarcasm/praise debate is concerned, most people here aren't probably following RGV for a long time. Anyone who knows RGV knows that he often overpraises with an underlying and intentional sarcasm.
Peace.
India does not have issues as Pakistan has, so the WAAR like story line is not possible right now. Good Films are based on mostly on current issues.
Pirated? Huh! Isn't that a copyright violation by RGV?
Appreciate it RGV. Arts should be respected, irrespective of it's content. Finally you did something good after making gutter movies like RGV Ki Aag. I still cannot believe the director of movies like "Satya" can make something which is aberration to movie making. By the way Paki friends, congratulations from an Indian for finally reviving your movie industry. No pun or sarcasm intended.
No, I don't think Ram Gopal Verma is being sarcastic here...RGV is more of a uncompromisingly forthright person I have ever known...In case of WAAR, I'm not sure if he watched the entire film but I'm assuming he might have been highly impressed with it's Cinematography and the Technical Finesse to the action scenes...
P.S.:- RGV is never afraid to speak his mind... Way back in 2004, he had even dared to criticize none other than superstar Shahrukh Khan by saying...
"Shahrukh Khan comes with a package, the best musicians, the best clothes, the perfect look - he is really smart to get all that just right...My belief is that if the idea is right, then people come to see that. That's all that works.If all these things are not correct, I don't think people will like Shahrukh as much..."
verma has history of sarcastic tweets so not sure if it was sarcasm or something.
@Parvez: When a master film maker pays tribute to an up and coming filmmaker, it only shows the greatness and caliber of the master.
Even Lata Mangeshkar has said nice things about many Pakistani singers. It gives a chance for Pakistanis to brag about their artists or movies. It means a lot for them if their singers or movies are accepted by a well known person in India.
Indians are FREE to say good things about a Pakistani movie which carries anti-Indian message.
Poor fellow.
He is just being a modest unbiased gentleman , but he will soon be somewhat targeted by hate mongering Hindus.
Still a brave man indeed.
Assuming the time and date of the tweets to be correct, I think Mr. Varma was overwhelmed when he saw Waar,
How can it be fake a twitter account with 745,847 Followers and more than 3000 tweets??? limit your doubts and jealousy guys... Pakistan did a great job and great efforts should be praised, only a Jeweler can recognize the diamond... Now please don't relate RGV to ISPR just koz of his tweets lolz... RGV is my favorite director in India..
He is INDIA, where did he saw the movie WAAR? Is it on pirated CD? Try to understand RGV first
It's V funny, ET staff didn't understand RGV properly.
Good to read his tweets! But this movie is worth such praise. Extremely proud of you Waar team. Brilliant stuff. Have to admit though I am totally surprised to read someone this open minded from across the border.
@Khawar: Its real account verifi Twitter see verification logo
Who is this chap called Verma? and why should we care about what he thinks about Waar?
I've never gone to cinema to watch an Indian movie, cos I simply do not watch Indian movies and channels. But yes, I do wish and intend watching Waar in cinema. By the way, who's Ram Gopal Varma? Who cares about his opinion and authenticity of his Twitter account. Our own critics' views are sufficient to tell us what this movie is like.
RGV is not being sarcastic, but some of the comments smells of awe/envy, disguised as sarcasm/satire. Amazing film...a waar on mediocrity.
When a master film maker pays tribute to an up and coming filmmaker, it only shows the greatness and caliber of the master.
@Khawar: it's a verified account.
I do agree with Shehryar
Oh, come on people. He is not being sarcastic. You might get that impression from the first tweet when he says "I want to leave direction and assist Bilal Lashari". But rest of the tweets more than dispel any doubts. For instance, he wouldn't talk about the movie's record breaking opening if he was being sarcastic. And for those who think it might be a fake account, there is a big, blue tick-mark next to his name.
He want to come to Pakistan to assist Bilal Lashari to teach him how to shoot films where a hero can throw 5 villains into the air with a single punch or where hero can survive after receiving 100 bullets. lolz. Pathetic Indian films.
RGV's twitter account is a verified account. Just pay a visit to his handle.
Reading the comments is so sad here. People outside the country can praise Waar but our Pakistanis have to come up with a conspiracy in everything :)
@Khawar: Do you not see the 'verified' sign?
Verma's account is real for sure. It's been verified by Twitter. But his tweets could very well be sarcasm. And he's known for it.
@DLX Area 1: he is probly impressed by the film cinematography which i can honestly claim is way beyond any and i mean it ANY bollywwod film ever made with a budget a quarter of a high end bollwood film!
It could be a fake twitter account.
Are you sure this account is real and authentic? Because only after that I would like to tease those writers a bit who were calling it an ISPR production lol ;-)
Way to go pakistan
LoL. Someone at ET took RGV's tweets too seriously and confused his sarcasm with praise. He used this attention-grabbing technique of sarcasm masqueraded as praise many times against Karan Johar, Telugu Super Star Chiranjeevi, and Chiranjeevi's brother Pawan Kalyan, and many others. Come on, RGV is a master of film-making and he being floored by Waar? For God's sake, he made Satya, Company and Sarkar.
Im sorry Tribune but you still cant be sure if he's being sarcastic or really praised the film. It could still very well be sarcasm.
I'm sorry Tribune, but you still can't be sure if he's really praising it or is being sarcastic. It could very well be sarcasm.