Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma criticised for calling Dawood Ibrahim his inspiration in Teacher’s Day tribute

Ram Gopal Varma penned Teacher's Day tribute

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has recently found himself entangled in controversy over his latest tweet. The director has shared the names of those who have influenced his creative process in honour of Teachers' Day on September 5.

Although he credited movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Steven Spielberg, Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee, and Sridevi at the beginning of his post, his inclusion of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in the same tweet left internet users furious.

Ram Gopal Varma’s Teacher’s Day tweet reads, “Here’s a BIG SALUTE to all the GREATS who inspired me to become whatever I became and to make whatever films I made, starting from AMITABH BACHCHAN, STEVEN SPIELBERG, AYN RAND, BRUCE LEE, SRIDEVI and DAWOOD IBRAHIM. HAPPY TEACHERS DAY.”

Netizens called out the filmmaker for the mention of Dawood Ibrahim, India's most notorious gangster and wanted terrorist. Several critics also accused the filmmaker of glorifying a criminal on a day that is supposed to honour true gurus.

However, this is not the first time that the filmmaker has mentioned Dawood Ibrahim, crediting him for his work. Previously, Varma claimed that the rise of Mumbai's underworld empire under Dawood served as the inspiration for his 2021 film D Company.

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In a previous interview with SpotboyE, Ram Gopal Varma admitted, “I owe my living to Dawood Ibrahim. I built my career on gangster films because I have always been fascinated by the darker side of human nature.”

He also disclosed that many of his insights came from "straight insiders" of the underworld, and that the fallout between Dawood and his former aide Chhota Rajan served as inspiration for his highly regarded 2002 film Company.