Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recalls receiving mysterious call over company

MUMBAI: Speaking at the Mumbai International Crime Film Festival, celebrated filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma shared an intriguing anecdote about receiving unexpected feedback on his cinema from an individual claiming to be underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim.

During the session, when asked whether he had ever received film reviews from anyone within the underworld, Varma stated that he once obtained feedback directly from Dawood. Elaborating on the incident, which occurred around 2004 or 2005, the director explained that an acquaintance closely connected to the Mumbai underworld unexpectedly put him on a phone call.

The conversation lasted only about 30 to 40 seconds. According to Varma, the person on the other end spoke a few lines referencing his acclaimed 2002 crime drama Company—a gritty, landmark gangster thriller widely recognized as being loosely inspired by the real-life syndicate operations and eventual fallout between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan—making remarks about Varma’s deep understanding of the subject matter.

Reflecting on the authenticity of the call, Varma admitted that he remained unsure whether the voice genuinely belonged to Dawood or if someone was impersonating him. Because he had never met the elusive figure or heard his actual voice firsthand, Varma noted that it would have been easy for anyone to mimic the persona during the brief exchange.