/> "Why not?" the prolific Ram Gopal Varma shoots back when you ask him why he needed to make one more multiple-plot horror feature after the failure of Darna Manaa Hai.

"Why should that be a deterrent? There're a hundred action films and love stories made each year. If one of them doesn't do well it doesn't mean everyone stops making films in those genres.

To think Darnaa Zaroori Hai is anything like Darnaa Manaa Hai is as misleading as to think Nishabd is Lolita just because my film is about a relationship between an older man and a very young girl.

Nishabd is not Lolita at all...just like Darna Zaroori Hai isn't Darna Manaa Hai Part 2," Ramu speaks in the middle of a hundred jobs. He has just finished shooting Mohit Ahlawat's re-launch Shiva and about to direct Bachchan in the unusual Nishabd.

Ramu says he has rectified all the errors from the earlier six-storied shriek-scraper. "I think Darna Manaa Hai was a very original concept. But there was a confusion about all the stories having one end. Me and the various directors weren't clear about what genres the stories were to be pitched in.

The attempt was to correct the mistakes and make Darnaa Zaroorai Hai. I think the stories weren't scary enough the first time. The stories featuring Aftab Shivdasani and Shilpa Shetty didn't work. This time I've taken care to create constant scare One deterrent in enjoying a horror film is its length.

In hindsight I feel Darna Manaa Hai and Kaun were too long. Kaun would've been just 45 minutes long. I want to make my next release Chekravarthy's situational comedy Darwaza Band Rakho only 90 minutes long."

Ramu admits to being a major horror short-story buff. "I love the horror genre. I used to love the short stories by Hitchcock....The horror genre stretches the imagination. It also stretches the filmmaker's ability to tell a story using optimum technical devices like sound effects.

If you make a horror film within a reasonable budget, it's bound to work. People said Bhoot wouldn't connect with people. But it did. The idea is to make what I want to make, and make it cost-effective."

And then Ramu drops a bomb. "I'm starting my third multiple-story horror film Darna Mangta Hai in July. It will again be something totally different from Darna Manaa Hai and probably Darna Zaroori Hai too if it doesn't work"

Henceforth the various storytellers in the Darna series will be selected through an all-India contest. "I want to make it a kind of series. And I'll need a team to help me select stories. Yes, we'll have a contest to select the stories and directors.

And no it doesn't matter whether Darnaa Zaroori Hai works or not. I'll still do Darnaa Mangta Hai. The idea is to continue making what I want to. My failures and successes are more visible because of my volume of work."

Luckily, all the big stars in Darnaa Zaroori Hai from Amitabh Bachchan to Mallika Sherawat agreed to be part of the film within Ramu's cost-effective plans. "Everyone did it for the love of the project. Money was never a consideration."

Ramu now intends to keep the Darnaa.... series going. "I'll make six stories once or twice a year, depending on how many stories I get. I pick my directors by instinct. It's a fallacy that directors are blessed people. As long as you have a passion for cinema you can direct a film."

Ramu's production house hasn't released a film in the last six months. "I just wanted to get our office The Factory in place. The biggest mistake I made in the past was to force my vision on directors who worked for me. I'd give them a story and ask them to make the film.

For Darnaa Zaroori Hai I asked the directors to come up with the stories. At least forty directors came to me. These included Vivek Shah who had never worked with me. Both are fantastic Sajid Khan who had never directed a film came up with another interesting story.

Manish Gupta the writer of Sarkar has done one. But they've all come up with segments that look as competent as the one I've personally directed featuring Mr Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh.

Everyone from the experienced Ram Gopal Varma to the complete novice Sajid Khan looks equally accomplished. All the directors were given complete autonomy. I was only involved with the final cut.

The audience will have difference of opinion on the content level. But in terms of execution all the stories look equally good. You'll be surprised by how much talent is visible. My favourite in Darnaa Zaroori Hai is the story featuring Randeep Hooda directed by Chekravarthy. You've to see how Randeep has performed as a man possessed."

Speaking of the episode Ramu has directed, he says, "I take a great pride in the story because I thought there was nothing left for Mr Bachchan to perform. But to get him to give expressions that he has never given...I don't remember seeing him express fear on screen. The story is bizarre---they all are.

I'm grateful to Mr Bachchan for not thinking I've gone completely wacko. There're bouts of humour in the storytelling. But half the time you don't know whether to be scared or giggle. None of the stories have titles, by the way. So they've to identified by the actors."

Then the parting shot. "This is our first film in six months. But now we'll be releasing films every month till year-end. After Darna Zaroori Hai it's Darwaza Bandh Rakho, then Shiva....But I've never been prouder of any film as much as Darna Zaroori Hai."