Ram Gopal Varma's latest offering Department concerning the nexus between crime, punishment and the law is getting more interesting by the day.
Recently one reported on Sanjay Dutt shooting a promotional song for the film on his own. Now comes the rather jolting report that all of the climax featuring a fight between Sanjay Dutt and Rana Daggubati has very recently been re-shot, and this time with director Ram Gopal Varma's consent.
Says our source, "When Sanju and Ramu saw the climax, Dutt felt something was lacking, not when it comes to technique or grandeur but Sanju felt the merger of drama and action between the 2 encounter cops could go so much further. You see, Dutt and Rana playing two encounter cops who decided to fight it out aren't locked in a Dabangg roughly fight. Rana and Dutt do fight it out man-to-man fist-to-fist. But there's also the most important emotional undercurrent of their climactic conflict. Sanju felt this synthesis of physical and emotional conflict may well be better achieved, if the climax was re-shot."
Apparently, Ramu initially argued against re-shooting. But he finally gave within the. climax was re-shot in utmost secrecy last week. And the consequences were spectacular. Ramu being the primary to confess it.
Says our source, "After seeing the revised climax, Ramu immediately told Sanju that re-shooting was an excellent idea and that the film looks much better."
Interestingly, the climax was not all that was re-shot. We believe the enduring Amitabh Bachchan track 'Thodisi Jo Pi Li Hai' from Namak Halaal (originally composed by Bappi Lahiri, remixed for Department by Bappi's son Bappa) which was filmed on a sozzled Sanjay Dutt and Rana Daggubati, has also been re-shot.
Says a source with reference to the project, "THE THEORY was to make Department look bigger grander more epic in scope than Ramu's other cops-and-gangsters films. Blessedly, Ramu realized the creative revision was for the betterment of the product. So there has been no stress over the changes."
