"That gave me an idea," he says. "I knew so much about movies that I thought I should open a video library that would be different." He didn't go to Nigeria, and thank God for that. At his new video store, he stocked movies that few had seen. He described them to his customers and soon he had a fan club. If he happened not to be at his store, customers would leave and return only when he was back.

In 1990, at the age of 28, Varma finally found someone who understood him: Nagarjuna, a star of Andhra Pradesh cinema. The actor loved his story for "Shiva" and decided to give him a break. RGV wrote and directed the film, despite lacking any prior experience behind the camera. "I have always believed direction is about visualizing," he says. "A director is the one who has to use the talents of the cameraman, the dialogue writer, the music director, etc., and amalgamate all the talents into a cohesive whole."

"Shiva," which was about student violence on university campuses and the nexus between the local Mafia and student bodies, broke all box office records in Andhra Pradesh. Nagarjuna's faith in Varma was justified, as the actor was catapulted to superstar status.

When Varma made it to Bollywood in the mid-'90s, people in the industry knew about him already. For his first full-fledged Hindi film, "Rangeela" (1995), he managed to cast big-name stars like Aamir Khan and Jackie Shroff. (Khan, incidentally, later became the producer of "Lagaan," the Bollywood film that was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2001.) "Rangeela" was a smash. Urmila Matondkar, the heroine, until then only known for her lousy hairstyles, horrific dress sense and dubious acting skills, became movie-mad India's sex symbol. Maxim magazine featured her as one of the world's sexiest women. RGV was responsible for this mind-blowing makeover.

His next directorial outing will be a big-budget international film, shot mostly in America with an American crew, and featuring Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Did RGV feel he needed to prove he could do a big-budget extravaganza? He denies it. "This movie demands a big budget. I don't sit here and say, 'Now I want to make a big-budget film.' I don't work like that." This one too is sure to be different.

"He experiments like nobody does," says analyst Amod Mehra. "In the process he has had his share of flops, but that doesn't deter him. His style is more Hollywood than Bollywood."

One of RGV's young acolytes, 31-year-old director Chandan Arora, talks about how gutsy he is. "There are no prefixed rules or norms with him. Most people want to be safe but he wants to explore new things. He involves everyone in his project. I may be editing the film, but I have the creative space to suggest anything. Anyone working on the set can make a suggestion. As a result everyone gets involved and interested in the project."

No wonder intelligent young writers, editors and aspiring directors go to great lengths to track him down. RGV's office receives dozens of phone calls every day from newcomers wanting to pitch him ideas. Word has gotten around that he's open to suggestions from anyone in his crew, including grips, electricians, lighting technicians. Six of his seven upcoming projects as a producer are being directed by first-timers. In patronage-ridden Bollywood, Varma is the only person who gives a chance to such raw aspirants.

"Here you have to have a father, grandfather or uncle in the business to make it," says film critic Deepa Mehta. "It's great that he gives newcomers a chance."

RGV scoffs at any suggestion that he's being altruistic. "This is a mutually beneficial relationship," he says. "In fact, I can say I'm exploiting them. They are pure, uncorrupted by the industry and have passion." Varma once famously said that he is to Bollywood what al-Qaida is to America. "I was joking," he stresses. "But the point I was trying to make is that I am raising an army to put a dent in the system that makes movies like 'K3G.'"

Ramu's band of outsiders knows that and loves him for it. While I dine with some of his crew at Rain, an upscale new bar in Bombay's Juhu district frequented by Bollywood stars, a Varma Corp. executive producer comes bounding up to us with his latest tale. He claims he had RGV frothing at the mouth by suggesting he make a garish family drama like "K3G." Everyone at the table looked aghast. One said, "How could you even suggest something like that?"

The story was false, an elaborate joke. The producer guffawed into his beer for the rest of the evening. But the incident is a testament to how well RGV's 20- and 30-something protégés understand him. If he is huffy, they respond indulgently, as they would to a beloved uncle. They imitate his quirks -- like his habit of saying, "Correct, correct," if he agrees with something -- and they laugh at his paranoia when he says, "Now you can all go and sit in Barista [India's version of Starbucks] and talk about me."

He's right, of course. Nobody in Ramu's circle talks about much else.

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