PremiumCelebrating 21 years of horror! Enduring legacy of Bhoot and Ram Gopal Varma-Urmila Matondkar collaboration
Celebrating the cinematic journey of RGV and Urmila Matondkar, from Rangeela to Bhoot.
Last Updated: 04.35 PM, May 30, 2024
Ram Gopal Varma and Urmila Matondkar worked together for nearly ten years on a string of landmark films that forever changed the face of Indian cinema. Their collaboration resulted in a wide range of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, including the emotionally engaging Rangeela, the nail-biting Kaun? and the spine-tingling Bhoot.
A tribute to their creative synergy and ability to push the frontiers of storytelling, Bhoot has left an enduring legacy in the annals of Indian filmmaking, and it is celebrating 21 years since its premiere.
Ram Gopal Varma films starring Urmila Matondkar
Rangeela (JioCinema and Prime Video)
Ram Gopal Varma co-wrote, directed, and produced the 1995 romantic comedy film Rangeela. Jackie Shroff, Urmila Matondkar, and Aamir Khan are the main actors. A. R. Rahman had only released dubbed versions of his films in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu in Hindi before this one, so this was the first of his films in Hindi with an original score and soundtrack. At the box office, Rangeela was a huge hit. Upon its debut, the film was a huge success, with Matondkar receiving praise for her acting and the score in particular.
Urmila Matondkar plays the role of a young actress named Mili who aspires to star in Bollywood. Aamir Khan's Munna, her childhood buddy, encourages her to follow her heart. After spotting her on the beach, superstar Raj Kamal (Jackie Shroff) asks the director to cast her alongside him. Munna, on the other hand, realises he loves Mili but is too afraid she will reject him to disclose his feelings. Since she treats him more like a friend than a celebrity, Raj Kamal finds her fascinating. Munna makes the decision to depart town on the day of her debut.
Daud (JioCinema and ZEE5 [OTTplay Premium])
Ram Gopal Varma wrote and directed the 1997 road adventure comedy film Daud, which starred Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar and featured music by A. R. Rahman. The 1991 cult classic Kshana Kshanam, directed by RGV and starring Venkatesh, Sridevi, and Paresh Rawal, served as the inspiration for the film.
Pinky (Rawal), a notorious gangster, hires the minor burglar Nandu (Dutt) to steal a cargo valued at more than one crore rupees. However, Nandu stubbornly refuses to return the item even after learning that its value exceeds his costs. Finding Nandu, the package, and then killing him is what an irate Pinky orders his men to do. Defying the criminals, Nandu flees the scene. The police begin a manhunt while the suspect is evading capture. Instead of cash or gold, Nandu is transporting a nuclear weapon that is about to detonate.
Satya (SonyLIV [OTTplay Premium])
Anurag Kashyap and Saurabh Shukla wrote, while Ram Gopal Varma directed the 1998 crime film Satya. Manoj Bajpayee, J. D. Chakravarthy, Urmila Matondkar, Aditya Shrivastava, and Paresh Rawal are among the leading cast members. It is the first installment of Varma's Gangster trilogy concerning Indian organised crime. The protagonist, Satya (Chakravarthy), is an immigrant looking for work in Mumbai. He befriends Bhiku Mhatre (Bajpayee) and becomes caught up in the city's criminal underbelly.
The film's realistic depiction of the Indian underworld, as well as Bajpayee's performance, garnered widespread critical praise upon its premiere. In addition to launching the careers of many actors (Kashyap and Bajpayee in particular), it was commercially successful. Satya is considered by many Indian film experts to be both a cult classic and one of the all-time greats.
Kaun (YouTube)
Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sushant Singh star in Kaun? a 1999 Ram Gopal Varma-written-and-directed psychological suspense thriller. Production wrapped up in just fifteen days.
As a woman watches the news on a rainy night about a serial killer, her bell rings. Before opening the door, she hesitates. Repeatedly, the man rings the bell, claiming to be Sameer A. Purnavale, who is looking for Mr. Malhotra. The woman informs him that Mr. Gupta is the rightful owner of the house. She threatens him by saying her husband is asleep on the other floor. However, she quickly dashes outside to find Puranavale, who assures her that he is there to shield her from harm. She orders him to leave when she sees no one else there, but a second man, posing as Inspector Qureshi, shows up at the door brandishing a gun. She doesn't know which of the two men to trust since she can't make out their identities and worries that one of them is the murderer.
Mast (YouTube)
Ram Gopal Varma directed the 1999 romantic musical Mast. Urmila Matondkar was the leading lady, while Aftab Shivdasani made his acting debut in this film. The bungalow of the illustrious actress Mallika, played by Urmila Matondkar, is directly across from the café where Krishnakant Mathur (Aftab Shivdasani), also known as "Kittu," works. Even though Kittu is just a fan, he is completely enamoured with Mallika.
Jungle (YouTube)
Ram Gopal Varma produced and directed Jungle, a survival thriller, in 2000. In this film, a forest brigand named Durga Narayan Chaudhary (Sushant Singh) and his band of bandits kidnap a number of visitors. The film features Suniel Shetty as the police chief Shivraj, Urmila Matondkar as hostage Anu Malhotra, and Fardeen Khan as Anu's romantic interest Siddhu. The ensemble-cast film was well-received and financially successful upon its debut.
Siddharth Sharma and Anu Malhotra are deeply in love with each other and aspire to be married. Anu, on the verge of revealing her future life partner to her parents, embarks on a group safari, only to have their plans derailed. Siddhu also opts to remain anonymous. During their close encounters with nature, the gang also faces Durga Narayan Chaudhary and his terrifying thugs, who abduct them and demand ransom until an associate manages to escape.
Bhoot (Prime Video and ShemarooMe [OTTplay Premium])
Ram Gopal Varma directed the 2003 supernatural horror thriller Bhoot, starring Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha, Fardeen Khan, and Tanuja. It was Ram Gopal Verma's second horror film, following Raat. In contrast to other Hindi films, it did not feature any musical numbers. Bhoot was profitable at the box office. Urmila received several plaudits and awards for her portrayal of the possessed woman.
A series of unexplained incidents push the wife (Urmila) to the brink of madness when the married couple moves into a haunted flat. The only way for a husband (Ajay) to keep their marriage together is to defend his wife.