He may have been his mentor and collaborator once, but filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is now all set for a box office clash with former friend Anurag Kashyap.
Varma's comeback film will release on May 27, the same day as Kashyap's drama-thriller "Raman Raghav".
Interestingly, while RGV's film traces the life of sandalwood smuggler and bandit 'Veerappan', the "Bombay Velvet" director's next focuses on a serial-killer.
When asked if "Veerappan" will clash with Kashyap's film, Varma told reporters here, "Yes that's what I was told. His film is coming, 'Raman Raghav', that is a biopic on a killer, our film is also a biopic on a killer, so may the best killer win."
Kashyap had worked with Varma in many films including the cult "Satya" but they later fell out.
When asked about his cold war with Kashyap, Varma said, "I never have cold war, I have only hot war... We have a bond. I love him, he hates me."
Incidentally, when Kashyap's "Bombay Velvet" tanked at the box-office last year, Varma called it the "Aag" of Kashyap's career, a self-deprecating taunt.
When prodded further about what kind of relationship RGV shares with the "Ugly" director, Varma said, "We both are not making any films together. He hates all my films and I like some of his. Beyond this there is no connection at all."
The filmmaker said he had liked the first instalment of Kashyap's "Gangs of Wasseypur" a lot.
"Veerappan" is the Hindi remake of the Kannada film which was also helmed by Varma.
The film is produced by Sachiin Joshi, who also stars in the film along with Sandeep Bharwaj, Lisa Ray and Usha Jadhav.
