'Rangeela' stood for aspirations of ordinary people: Ram Gopal Varma on shooting the film in chawls

"Rangeela", starring Urmila Matondkar, Aamir Khan and Jackie Shroff, a major hit of its era, turned thirty on September 8 and is now releasing in theatres.

Mumbai: Ram Gopal Varma says he wanted "Rangeela" and its location to reflect the life of ordinary people who dare to dream larger than life, which is why he swapped exotic locations of romantic Bollywood films for the chawls and mean streets of Mumbai.

The filmmaker said he was so struck by the proximity between the rich and poor in the city that he used similar locations for his next one, the cult classic gangster drama "Satya" in 1998.

“Most love stories before ‘Rangeela’ used to be shot in exotic locations, diffusion filter photography, whereas ‘Rangeela’ was shot in chawls and the mean streets of Mumbai which creates an authentic reality. Interestingly, I shot both ‘Satya’ and ‘Rangeela’ in similar locations,” Varma told PTI in an interview.

“I first visited Mumbai when I was making ‘Rangeela’, and ‘Satya’ happened because of the locations I was trying to search for ‘Rangeela. The people here excited me like two or one-year-old children just about two feet away from the local train track. Then you see rich and poor people living side by side, pavement dwellers and Mercedes Benz cars. That kind of unimaginable contrast, I doubt if it's there in any other city,” he added.

“Rangeela” follows the story of a middle-class young woman Mili (Matondkar), who as a background dancer, dreams of Bollywood fame. She is caught in a love triangle between her childhood friend Khan) and a famous actor (Shroff).

Through the eyes of its three central characters in "Rangeela", the director said he has tried to weave together the aspirations and realities of ordinary people.

“At the time ‘Rangeela’ came, love stories were stuck in melodramatic patterns and music was used more like a filler whereas the depth in ‘Rangeela’ is that it stood for aspiration. Mili was the embodiment of every ordinary person who dares to dream of something larger than life.

"Munna and Kamal were two sides of that journey, the street-smart survivor and the polished star both real, both flawed, and hence very relatable. I believe that a film becomes a classic when each member of the audience can see a little of themselves in the characters on the screen.”

Both “Rangeela” (1995) and “Satya” (1998) revolutionised the way crime and romantic stories were made in Hindi cinema.

Varma said his college friend Ramesh, a street-smart guy, unrequited love for a woman inspired him to make "Rangeela" as he was struck by this rough and tough guy who became vulnerable when it came to love.

“That girl started seeing a very rich good-looking guy, and Ramesh said that she deserved the best. The idea of ‘Rangeela’ took birth at that moment,” the director said.

“Rangeela” marked his third collaboration with Matondkar after “Drohi” and “Gaayam”. However, it was “Rangeela” that catapulted the actress to stardom, establishing her as a glamorous icon in Bollywood.

“Ever since I did a Telugu film ‘Gaayam’ where she played a second lead, I sensed that spark in her and after that she was my first and only choice for ‘Rangeela’,” Varma, who later worked with the actor on numerous films like “Daud”, “Satya”, “Mast”, “Jungle”, “Bhoot” and others, said.

“For her role (in ‘Rangeela’), I told Urmila that if you feel beautiful you will come across beautiful and if you feel that you are doing something bad, then you will come across like that.”

About casting Khan and Shroff, the director said they were the apt choices for the film.

“I loved Aamir in ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’, his innocent boy next door look coupled with his demeanour of a strong and self-respect guy, was such an ideal match for Munna’s character,” he said.

“There is a character in “The Sound of Music” who takes being rejected with such dignity and that really impressed me. I imbibed that in Jackie’s character,” Varma said.

Adding to this cinematic tapestry was the renowned composer AR Rahman, who made his Hindi cinema debut with an original score and soundtrack, making "Rangeela" a musical marvel with hits such as "Tanha Tanha", "Rageela Re", "Kya Karu" and "Yayire", "Magta Hai Kya", "Haye Rama".

“I happened to see Mani Ratnam’s ‘Roja’, which really blew me away and for the first time in my career I wanted to shoot songs as beautifully as I could. The newness in the sound of Rahman’s music blew me away, and I took a vow to match them with visuals. It took us some time to get used to the newness in the sound of 'Rangeela'," he added.

So, what is that lasting memory of “Rangeela” in his mind?

“Seeing Urmila dance to Rahman’s tunes,” he replied.

A 4k restored version of “Rangeela” is set to re-release in the theatres on its 30th anniversary by production banner Ultra Media and Entertainment next month.

"Rangeela’ stood for change. It was what I wanted to see as a viewer, not the kind which was being made. Its tremendous success proved that cinema has no rules except the ones you dare to break,” the filmmaker said.