His last two films may have been trashed for being poor imitations of “Sholay” and “What Lies Beneath”, but Ram Gopal Varma confesses rather defiantly that he copies - “from everywhere”! “I copy from Hollywood films. Not only from Hollywood I also copy from Tollywood, Kollywood… in fact from everywhere. These days I am copying from news channels as I am zapped by their speed,” said the man whose last two films “Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag” and “Darling” were super duds in the box office.

Is there no limit to this guy’s talent? After wowing the audiences with his performances in films such as ‘Company’, ‘Road’, ‘Saathiya’ and ‘Dum’, Vivek Oberoi, claim the gristmills, is all set to produce his own film. And what better company to help him co-produce it than mentor Ramgopal’s ‘Varma Corporation’? However, when we spoke to the actor, he claimed to be too tied up with his current spate of films to even venture in that direction. “I can’t even manage my own dates right now,” he says, in between smoothly jumping from one schedule to another for Ramgopal’s ‘Darna Mana Hai’ and Sameer Karnik’s ‘Kyon Ho Gaya Na’. “I have so many things to do that venturing into production doesn’t look like my cup of tea. But yes, I have been toying with a script. Whether that will turn out into a film or not, is difficult to say.” Well, all we can say is, the opportunity still lies waiting. Go on Vivek, maybe it’s time you took the plunge. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for you!

[ TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

MUMBAI: Devdas, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Rs 50-crore magnum opus about the unrequited love of an alcoholic may not have won an Oscar nomination, but it swept the 48th Manikchand Filmfare awards 2002 ceremony on Friday night.

It won 11 awards, including best film, director (Sanjay Leela Bhansali), actor (Shah Rukh Khan), actress (Aishwarya Rai) and best actress in a supporting role (Madhuri Dixit).

“Everyone asked me why I put in so much money into the story of a loser, but it turned out to be a winner,” said Bhansali.