The pre-release hype and bonhomie over the Bollywood's most awaited film, 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag', disappeared in thin air, as the movie considered to be inspired form 1970's cult classic 'Sholay' disappointed the cinegoers.

"It's really bad, really bad...please don't watch it," said Aditya, a viewer, who had booked the ticket in advance for the first show of the movie on Friday.

Audience left theatres cold and disappointed.

Boasting of a big star cast, the movie failed to create the magic that original blockbuster 'Sholay' weaved on its audiences and still wields its magic.

"It's okay, only Amitabh Bachchan's role is good, otherwise the movie is not worth it," added Gaurav.

'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' was in the news from the day it was announced but mostly for the wrong reasons.

After film critics and researchers denounced the attempt at tinkering with classics, the producer got into trouble for trying to use the original title since it was earlier titled as 'Ram Gopal Verma Ki Sholay'.

The Sippy family, who made the classic 'Sholay' took Verma to court, where the former won the case, prohibiting the latter to use the title Sholay in the film.

Verma then had to change the title to 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'.

Varma, who made his directorial debut in 1989 and has 27 films to his credit, denied the allegation of plagiarism, saying 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' is not a take-off on the original blockbuster but, admits to it being loosely 'inspired' from it.

"Theme of 'Aag' is the same as 'Sholay'. In terms of revenge-drama of a cop wanting to take revenge against a dacoit or a gangster. But, my intention is not to do one-upmanship on it when I can do something better," he says in his defence.

"So, this is just a kind of tribute, homage to what it encompasses. It's not the scenes, it's not the story," he adds.

Such was the success of 'Sholay', a film about two reformed crooks who saved a village from a neurotic, foul-mouthed bandit, that it ran in theatres for years and arguably became the greatest Bollywood film ever made.

'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' is also about two crooks, just out of jail who come to Mumbai with big dreams but end up working for a gangster, and how they help the police to round off a dreaded criminal 'Babban'.

The film sees some of the seasoned actors of Indian film industry playing key roles along with some new comers.

Ram Gopal Varma, who reversed roles of some of the characters in his remake and added his own to the story, stunned Bollywood by casting Amitabh Bachchan in the iconoclastic role of Gabbar Singh, the merciless villain, while in the original version he was one of the two heroes.

The legendary actor, who plays the role of 'Babban'- the dreaded criminal in the film, seemed really upbeat about the role reversal.

"It's been a great pleasure to be in this film. Having worked in the original in an entirely different role and now to be challenged to do perhaps one of the most different experiences that I have had," said Amitabh Bachchan.

The film is also being dubbed in Tamil language, to cater to the regional audience.

After Varma's disastrous attempt at a remake of the classic, next in line is a 100-million-dollar project to make four versions of 'Sholay'- a remake, a prequel, a sequel and an animated version, by Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) an upcoming Bollywood studio.

The deal signed between PNC and Sippy family is one of the biggest in the industry, which operates on low profit margins and spends an average of 1-2 million dollars on a film.