No change in film-making style, says Ram Gopal Varma

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Box-office success has eluded Ram Gopal Varma in recent years and critics have panned his offerings but the film-maker says his style and sensibility remains the same.

Varma, 50, has been plagued by failure in the last five years, especially after "Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag" -- a 2007 remake of the Bollywood classic "Sholay" -- which bombed at the box office.

"I haven't changed, I have the same sensibility as I did when I made ‘Satya' or ‘Bhoot,'" Varma said in an interview. "I don't know why people have stopped liking it."

Known for his hard-hitting themes and provocative camera work, Varma shot into the limelight in the 90s, with the romance "Rangeela" and gangster film "Satya". He went on to make horror films, ("Bhoot", "Kaun") and one based on a real-life murder ("Not a Love Story").

Varma returns to his favourite genre in his upcoming film "Department", which explores the classic tussle between police and the mafia, and stars Sanjay Dutt and Amitabh Bachchan.

Varma, who has directed at least one film a year since 2002, says he approached film-making like a manufacturer would approach a product.

"Ultimately, a film is about manufacturing -- the creative process is in the mind of the film-maker, but you have to approach it and market it like you would any product," he said.