Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has confirmed that filming for Sarkar 4 will begin next month.
He shared the update while speaking on the opening day of the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai.
Varma was present at the festival for a special screening of his cult classic Shiva. Reflecting on the film, he said some of its visual style was influenced by the work of legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. He said several shots in Shiva were inspired by Spielberg’s approach to framing and shot composition.
The director also said the film drew thematic inspiration from The Way of the Dragon, which starred martial arts icon Bruce Lee. According to Varma, the idea behind Shiva involved adapting the core premise of that film into a different setting.
Speaking about his upcoming projects, Varma confirmed that he is also working on another film titled Syndicate. He said the project is particularly important to him, adding that the film would “wash all my sins”.
The director also reflected on his filmmaking process over the years. He said that earlier in his career, he rarely worked with bound scripts and preferred developing scenes during production. According to Varma, his films started performing poorly after he began relying on fully written scripts, as he felt that approach limited the ability to improve emotional elements during filming.
When asked about contemporary films and filmmakers he admires, Varma said he liked Dhurandhar. He also said that while Spielberg remains his all-time favourite filmmaker, he considers Aditya Dhar one of the most promising filmmakers of the current generation.
The Red Lorry Film Festival, curated by BookMyShow, is currently being held at multiple venues across Mumbai.