Ram Gopal Varma Doubts If Rajinikanth Is A Good Actor, Says ‘Don’t Think He Can Do A Bhikhu Mhatre’
Bhikhu Mhatre was played by Manoj Bajpayee in Satya. The film revolved around the crime underworld of Mumbai.

Ram Gopal Varma is very vocal about his thoughts. This time once again he has grabbed attention after he expressed his doubt about superstar Rajinikanth‘s acting abilities. The director also mentioned that the superstar will not be able to play the iconic Bhikhu Mhatre role.
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Ram Gopal Varma said, “Acting is about a character; a star is about a performance. And there is a lot of difference between the two. Is Rajinikanth a good actor? I don’t know. I don’t think Rajinikanth can do a Bhikhu Mhatre. But with Rajinikanth, you only want to see him like that. Without slow motion, I don’t know if Rajinikanth can exist. You don’t mind seeing Rajinikanth walking in slow motion for half of the film without doing anything. It gives you a high."
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Bhikhu Mhatre was played by Manoj Bajpayee in Satya. The film revolved around the crime underworld of Mumbai. Released in 1998, the crime drama was the first movie in Ram Gopal Varma’s gangster trilogy. The film has won many awards and has become one of the cult classics. The film, directed by Ram Gopal Verma, was re-released in the theatres on January 17, 2025.
A few days after its re-release, Varma took to X to share an intensely personal reflection on revisiting Satya. As audiences relived the gritty brilliance of Satya, Varma found himself drawn back into the world he had created, watching the film in its entirety for the first time in 27 years.
Taking to X, Varma poured out his heart in a moving confession. He revealed that by the time the film neared its end, he was overwhelmed. “While watching it 2 days back for the 1st time after 27 years, tears were rolling down my cheeks" he admitted. The emotion wasn’t just about the story on-screen. “The tears were not just for the film, but were more for what happened since," he wrote.
On the work front, Rajinikanth will be next seen in Jailer 2. Jailer 2 is the sequel of Jailer, which was released back in 2023. The first film revolved around a jailer named Tiger Muthuvel Pandiyan, who was seeking to apprehend an eccentric drug smuggler. It became the 6th highest-grossing India film of 2023 and the highest in Tamil language. Jailer featured Rajinikanth in the lead role, alongside Vinayakan, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Sunil in supporting roles.
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