Ram Gopal Varma Exclusive Interview: 'Without slow motion, I don’t know if Rajinikanth can exist'

In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Ram Gopal Varma opened up about the difference between an actor and a star.

By Anjali Choudhury

Published on Feb 12, 2025 | 01:20 PM IST | 7.8K

RGV Exclusive Interview: 'Without slow motion, I don’t know if Rajinikanth can exist' (PC: Pinkvilla)

Popular filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recently engaged in a candid and exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla. During the interview, he weighed in on the difference between a ‘star’ and an ‘actor’. The filmmaker stated that acting is about portraying a character while being a star is about delivering a performance.

The filmmaker’s remarks were focused on superstar Rajnikanth, whom he went on to question if he could ‘exist without slow motion’ during the conversation.

Expressing uncertainty about whether Rajinikanth is a ‘good actor’, RGV doubted his ability to play a role like Bhikhu Mhatre. However, he noted that audiences prefer to see him in his signature style.

"Acting is about a character, star is about a performance. And there is a lot of difference between the two. Is Rajinikanth a good actor? I don’t know. I don’t think Rajinikanth can do a Bhikhu Mhatre. But Rajinikanth, you want to see him only like that. Without slow motion, I don’t know if Rajinikanth can exist," Ram Gopal Varma said.

He went on to say, "At the time of Charlie Chaplin, the 24-frames-per-second camera had existed during Charlie Chaplin’s time, he might never have become a star because he worked only in 18 frames."

The host further shared a recent conversation with a Hindi actor. He mentioned that the person felt his star image had become so dominant, despite his eagerness to explore new roles.

Talking about the same, Ram Gopal Varma said, "This is because cinema works for various reasons, not just one. You don’t mind seeing Rajinikanth walking in slow motion for half of the film without doing anything. It is giving you a high. This high does not necessarily come from the depth of a character. When a star plays a regular character, it can be disappointing."

"I remember watching Amitabh Bachchan in a film where he had a scene with a stomach ache. It was much earlier than Piku. I hated that scene because I didn’t want to see Amitabh in such a vulnerable state. People view stars like demigods, and demigods cannot become characters," the Satya director concluded.