EVEN IN DEFEAT VARMA DOESN'T SHED HIS ARROGANCE: I HAVE HIT AN ALL-TIME LOW, I CAN ONLY MOVE UP NOW, HE SAYS

Ram Gopal Varma's remake of a cult classic is a box office flop, and Varma has drawn flak for Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, his ambitious remake of the 1975 film Sholay which nosedived at the box-office. The films tell the story of two reformed crooks who save a village from a bloodthirsty bandit.

"Every flaw the film is being criticised for is mine," said Varma. "I take full responsibility for my film. It is my vision that faltered from the script to the music to the songs."

The maverick director said he had hit rock bottom with the film's failure.

He also said he now believes his project was doomed to failure, as it ran into legal problems. Many critics also labelled his attempt at rehashing a blockbuster classic as stupidity.

"Everybody told me not to go ahead with it. The film then went into legal tangles. Characters needed to be changed, the title needed to be changed, and even the script to some extent.

"Now I think it was not wise for me to go ahead," he said.

Varma, known for his gangster movies and horror flicks, said he could only improve from now on. "I have hit an all-time low. I can only move up now," he said.

Varma's next film Sarkar Raj, a sequel to the hit 2005 film Sarkar about a megalomaniac politician, is scheduled to be released in December this year.

RAMGOPAL VARMA GETS READY TO COMMENCE SHOOTING OF SARKAR RAJ IN HYDERABAD, BUSY WITH FINALISING THE DATES AND LOCATIONS

All eyes are on Sarkar Raj, the sequel to Sarkar, which is getting ready to go on the floors. Ramgopal Varma is already in Hyderabad scouting for the right locations. And, we hear, that he has zeroed in on Ramoji Film City to shoot some of the crucial scenes in the film. There is a lot of curiosity about the film as the Bachchan family -- Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya (Rai) -- will be acting together for the first time after Aishwarya became the family bahu. Also, the fact that Aishwarya will not be acting as Abhishek's wife, but as another character in the film is another interesting thing about the film.

The film will commence soon in Hyderabad, as Varma wants to finish the film and release it by the year end.

IS SARKAR RAJ A REMAKE OF GODFATHER 2? MAYBE GIVEN THE FACT THAT SARKAR HAS SHADES OF GODFATHER

Sarkar 2 has a title now: Sarkar Raj. This has been confirmed by none other than varma's spokesperson Ravi Prakash. The film is virtually a coup of sorts for Ramgopal Varma, as it has the entire Bachchan clan -- Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and even Aishwarya Bachchan. While Sarkar has become a box-office hit, and Amitabh Bachchan has received encomiums for his superlative performance in the film, the second film too is likely to bring in some good acclaim for Abhishek Bachchan a la Al Pacino in Godfather 2. And considering the fact that Sarkar is loosely based on Godfather, it will be not be an understatement to say that Sarkar Raj will be on the lines of Godfather 2. Must say Al Pacino worked wonders in the second edition, which has received more accolades that even the first. Will Abhishek too do an Al Pacino in Sarkar Raj?