Ram Gopal Varma on James Cameron’s Avatar!

We received this blog in our mailbox, with a request to publish it here. So here you go, Ram Gopal Varma’s tribute to James Cameron’s Avatar!

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As I stepped out of Imax last night after watching AVATAR in 3D, I hated James Cameron for in comparison to the ultra futuristic vision of his, he made me feel like a pre-historic being of cinema in every which way. AVATAR in 3D is the most mind-blowing cinematic experience anybody can ever hope to have in their entire lifetime. Nearly 3 decades ago I remember being awestruck with Star Wars and now nearly 30 years later AVATAR to me looked 30 years ahead of its time both in its creative output and also in terms of James Cameron’s sheer imaginative power. 

Some people said that it’s low on the emotional quotient compared to Titanic but if at all, that could be because the visuals and the atmosphere of the film are so breathtaking that it takes you that much more time and effort to connect to its emotional aspect and its story when compared to a normal film with normal people.

I have never believed in God but I think James Cameron is greater than God for the simple reason that he created a far more beautiful, far more fantastic and far more exotic world than what even God can ever hope to create.

And all this he managed to do it in a paltry budget of 1200 Crores. Yes, I say it’s a paltry budget considering we make films like Kambhakt Ishq and London Dreams for budgets nearly touching 80 to 90 crores which is nearly as much as 1/12th of the budget of AVATAR and then every shot of AVATAR looks 12000 times better than our entire so-called 100 crore films.

I honestly feel that it is a crime to give away such a glorious experience as that of watching AVATAR for a mere 100 or 200 Rupee ticket to us common people.

When someone asked me if the special efx of AVATAR will inspire other filmmakers, I said that, on the contrary they might have a reverse effect. What I mean is that we can only aspire to become someone when we can atleast have a belief that we can reach someone’s potential but James Cameron in AVATAR created a bench mark so high that it will take years for us lesser folk even to comprehend it let alone attempt to execute it.

It’s like if you aspire to be a runner and somehow hope to run at a speed of 20km per hour which may be the world record and then when on the track you see a guy running at 200kmph you would rather give up and come back and make family dramas and TV serials and leave the running to James Cameron.

Titanic was fantastic but it did not shake me up inspite of everyone else around me back then saying that James Cameron is God of cinema.

But with his second coming “AVATAR” I have surely turned religious.

I want to pray to him for making “AVATAR”.

I hate him for making all us so-called filmmakers in the world feel like ants. (Read chooths)

I love him for the passion and the patience with which he created new benchmarks in each and every technical aspect of the medium of films.

And lastly, “I thank him for existing”.

P.S: I truly believe “AVATAR” will divide cinema as we knew it so far into a pre “AVATAR” and a post “AVATAR” era.

Don’t see it…. Experience it.