Aishwarya enters the good book of Ramu

Ram Gopal Varma doesn't know who Rebecca Mark is or what Enron is. Rebbeca had resigned from Enron in 2000 after a series of failed infrastructure investments that eventually cost the company more than $2 billion.

Enron's Dabhol project in Maharashtra was the centre of a major controversy and grabbed headlines.

In a chat with Ramu we catch up on what Rebecca Mark means to Ramu and why Ash stunned the filmmaker:

The buzz is that Aishwarya's character in Sarkar Raj is based on Rebecca Mark of Enron.

I have no idea what Enron is. I thought it made pens, because my knowledge of such things is limited. I have no idea what Rebbeca was doing.

Just because Rebecca is a woman in some project it's simpler to put her as some character in Sarkar Raj. In the film we are dealing with a family that deals with politics and rules the state.

Obviously there are going to be strong references to issues that the government deals with like industries, projects, slums - so whatever it is there is bond to be some reference there.

The story is fictional and has nothing to do with anything happening now or what has happened before.

Among the three Bachchans who is the best in the film?
I take both Amitabh and Abhishek for granted so for me, Aishwarya came as a complete shock. I never thought she was a good or bad actress. Her beauty comes so much in the forefront that you don't tend to see beyond it.

I needed someone with her looks for the role and I was sure I could make her act. But I was completely taken aback when I saw her on the sets. She completely fit into the rugged, raw realism of the character, almost like a fish takes to water. I am personally most impressed with her.

Sarkar was based on Godfather. Is SR based on Godfather 2?
No. Sarkar Raj has got nothing to do with Godfather 2. The original Sarkar was definitely influenced by Godfather. Sarkar Raj is about how a man like that, over a period of time, becomes part of so many complex situations.

It's also about incidents that happen and how he deals with them. I would call it the further adventures of the Nagre family. It's like watching an Ekta Kapoor serial where you don't compare episodes - once you get hooked on to the characters you flow with them. The scale of SR is much larger and not so simplistic as the first plot.

Are you nervous about Sarkar Raj?
I never get nervous or excited about any film that I make. My job as a filmmaker is to do it the best way I can. If you keep being sensitive to what all everyone's saying, then it's very difficult to survive or exist. The moment the mixing of the film is over, I don't think about that film - no matter what!