After poking fun at Karan Johar and his genre of cinema, Ramu is ready with Sarkar, which he describes as his take on Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, of course in his own style.

"Contrary to popular perception, Sarkar isn't a film about crime and gangsters. It's my most family-oriented film to date. It's all about family ties and obligations. It's got well-dressed traditional women doing pooja and aarti," he scowls.

"God, it's my first film where women actually cry. I hate to see women cry. To me it's a very embarrassing sight."

Before you can digest that, here comes another shocker from the unconventional filmmaker. "D is my first overseas success since Rangeela. We had released only ten prints outside India. To our surprise, it opened to 80 percent collections.

Not even Company got that kind of response outside India. Traditionally, Indian crime films are considered non-saleable overseas. I wonder what NRIs saw in D!"

Back home, everyone is wondering why Ramu bothered to make one more gangster flick when he had done it all with Satya and Company. Ramu gets ‘D-fensive'.

"Why should a third gangster film from my company be a problem when there are production houses that have been following the same formula for decades? I don't think Vishram Sawant should be punished if D looks like my film.

He is a part of my company and his sensibilities as a director are bound to be like mine. However, I don't think D is anything like Satya or Company. It's like saying Prizzi's Honour or Scarface are like The Godfather."

Ramu insists D is a profitable venture. "It'll make more money than Ab Tak Chappan, and that too without a single known face in the cast except Chunky Pandey."

For those who constantly crib that Ram Gopal Varma picks and dumps his discoveries at the drop of a hat, here's news. The D star Randeep Hooda is here to stay in Ramu's black book.

"What you saw of Randeep Hooda in D wasn't even ten percent of his talent. He gave only that much of himself in the film because that was all it required. But now, I'm making a crime thriller called Shock to be directed by J G Philips. That will bring out more of Randeep's talent."

Between his two new Haryanvi discoveries Randeep Hooda and Mohit Ahlawat, which one has more potential? "Mohit is more like a well-rounded star who can do everything. Randeep is an actor who is capable of starting a whole new genre of heroism. He's a true actor," says Ramu.