Ram Gopal Varma's latest film 'Department' saw a 'dismal' opening overseas, according to film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, based on early estimates. Figures of Friday, May 18, suggested that the film received a lukewarm response in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Adarsh tweeted that Department on Friday collected UK £ 4,418 across 12 screens, A$ 5,130 across 13 screens, and NZ$ 1,661 across 7 screens. He termed the opening "Dismal!" In India, Department has been panned by noted film critics. Exploring in his films the dark underbelly of the underworld is what Varma is known for. After making underworld dramas, the filmmaker puts the spotlight on the dark secrets of the police department through his film 'Department'.
'Department' focuses on a group of encounter specialists working with the Mumbai Police force and their different perspective towards the underworld. Concerned about the underworld's increasing terror and other criminal activities, the top cops along with the home secretary and the home minister hold a secret meeting and decide to form a special unit called - The Department.
The team includes inspector Mahadev Bhosle (Sanjay Dutt), leader of the encounter squad, and Shivnarayan (Rana Daggubati), an encounter specialist. Both the cops have different ways of dealing with the gangsters. While Shivnarayan follows principles and ethics, Bhosle is completely opposite. The film shows conflicts of interest and struggle for power among the cops. Apart from Sanjay and Rana, the film also features megastar Amitabh Bachchan as gangster-turned-politician Sarjerao Gaikwad. Anjana Sukhani, Vijay Raaz, Abhimayu Singh and Lakshmi Manchu form the rest of the cast.
The film has been extensively shot with the 5D and 7D cameras, and the filmmaker fondly calls it 'rogue filmmaking'. Varma's films are incomplete without a raunchy number and this time he has roped in Brazilian model of Indian descent Nathalia Kaur to perform on the song "Dan dan Cheeni", which, he says, is a tribute to Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. The song was earlier offered to Sunny Leone, but she couldn't do it.
A new version of Amitabh's iconic song 'Thodi si jo pee li hai' from 1982 release 'Namak Halal' has been used. In this number, Sanjay shakes a leg with the megastar. Also Varma's films are incomplete without controversy. Here too screen-play writer Danish Raza filed a police complaint against the director for allegedly not paying him his dues for the film.
