Varma on nagging wives and harassed husbands

Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says he conceived the story of "My Wife's Murder" before he was married but thinks it is perfectly natural for husbands to wish now and then that they were not married.

"Forget about killing one's wife, one does wish many times that one weren't married. It's to do with being nagged, incessantly told what to do and what not to do. No one likes that," Varma told IANS in an interview.

About casting Suchitra Krishnamurthy in the film, he says: "I remember she had called me after 'Daud' and said it was a horrible film. That's when I decided I'd one day take revenge on her by casting her in one of my films."

The release of "My Wife's Murder" along with "Barsaat" does not rattle Varma either.

"I don't think two films or even three affect the box office. I like to see women getting drenched in the rain. So to that extent I like 'Barsaat'. But if the women in rain are accompanied by a family drama then, sorry, that isn't my scene."

Excerpts from the interview:

Do you think there would be protests against the film's theme of spousal killing?

The Telugu version did spark off protests. But the difference between the Telugu and Hindi versions is that in the former the husband purposely planned his wife's death. The whole tagline - 'Ever wished your wife was dead?' - got the moralists uptight. The Hindi version is very different. Here the husband accidentally kills the wife.

You had earlier planned to release two versions of the same story.

"Ghalti Se" and "Jaan Boojh Ke" were like two sides of the coin. I thought two endings for the same story was an idea that had never been done before. But finally we abandoned it. The idea of doing the film is to show the whole traumatic emotional journey the husband goes through after he kills his wife.

It looks like yet another film from your 'factory'.

Don't be so hasty in dismissing it just because I haven't directed "My Wife's Murder". I feel it's worthy of enormous eyeballing as my own "Sarkar". It's the first production where the story idea is my own.

Did you ever get murderous thoughts about your wife?

That was too long ago. When I conceived the story, I wasn't married. So the idea was completely original. Forget about killing one's wife, one does wish many times that one weren't married. It's to do with being nagged, incessantly told what to do and what not to do. No one likes that.

Anil Kapoor is your partner in producing "My Wife's Murder".

When I first went to meet him to narrate the story, he immediately wanted to produce it. We plan to produce more films together.

"My Wife's Murder" is being pitched against Suneel Darshan's "Barsaat".

I know nothing about "Barsaat". I don't think two films or even three affect the box office. But I like to see women getting drenched in the rain. So to that extent I like "Barsaat". But if the women in rain are accompanied by a family drama then, sorry, that isn't my scene.

Does "My Wife's Murder" have women in the rain?

It isn't that kind of a film. It's got a different feel and flavour. It's a film that goes beyond sex and the bed... straight into the head.

Why did you cast Suchitra and Nandana Sen in the lead?

Because they looked like the characters to me. I met Suchitra through her husband Shekhar Kapur who's a close friend of mine. I saw she had a strong personality. I remember she had called me after "Daud" and said it was a horrible film. That's when I decided I'd one day take revenge on her by casting her in one of my films. Nandana was my director Jijy Philip's choice. I think he saw her in a commercial.

Where does Jijy come from?

He assisted me in "Bhoot". He used to work in a TV channel. He came to interview me, joined me as an assistant and never went back to his work. One day I narrated my story idea and he decided to work on it for three months.

Why would I want to see a small thriller from your production house after seeing the big "Sarkar"?

I don't think cinema is big or small. It's just good or bad. I feel the emotional hook-line of "My Wife's Murder" and the sudden eruption of violence between a married couple are things everyone would identify with. And the way Jijy has shot the film is truly international.

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My Wife's Murder