Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) has once again come under the scanner of controversy. This time the reason is not his films, but a post made on social media. On the occasion of Teachers’ Day on September 5, Varma shared the names of the people who inspired him in his life and shaped his creative journey. Initially, he paid tribute to legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Steven Spielberg, Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee and Sridevi, but by adding the name of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to this list, he created a ruckus on the Internet. People called this an insult to the spirit of Teachers’ Day and started criticizing Varma strongly.
Ram Gopal Varma’s post on Dawood Ibrahim
Ram Gopal Varma wrote on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), “My salute to the great people including Amitabh Bachchan, Steven Spielberg, Ayn Rand, Bruce Lee, Sridevi and Dawood Ibrahim, who made me what I am and inspired me to make the films that I make. Happy Teachers’ Day.” As soon as Dawood Ibrahim’s name appeared in this list, a wave of anger ran on social media. People started accusing Verma of calling a criminal a source of inspiration on Teacher’s Day, while this day is to honor the real gurus.
Here’s a BIG SALUTE to all the GREATS who inspired me to become whatever I became and to make whatever films I made, starting from AMITABH BACHCHAN, STEVEN SPIELBERG , AYN RAND ,BRUCE LEE, SRIDEVI and DAWOOD IBRAHIM 🙏🙏🙏 HAPPY TEACERS DAY 💐💐💐
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) September 5, 2025
People’s anger on social media
On seeing this post of Ram Gopal Varma, there was a flood of reactions on social media. One user taunted, “Dawood’s teacher should be really proud because teachers not only teach to reach the top of the world, but sometimes also show the way to the underworld.” At the same time, another user directly asked, “What did you learn from Dawood Ibrahim?” The third user said sarcastically, “Add Osama bin Laden’s name to the list as well… By calling Dawood a guru, you are making a mockery of inspiration.” These reactions made it clear that the general public does not agree with Verma’s thinking at all.
Association of Dawood Ibrahim and Verma
This is not the first time that Ram Gopal Varma’s name has been associated with Dawood Ibrahim. In the year 2021, he made a film named ‘D Company’, which was inspired by the Mumbai underworld and Dawood Ibrahim’s empire. On several occasions before this, he has shown interest in Dawood’s life and his underworld empire. In an interview, he said, “I am grateful to Dawood Ibrahim because I made my career because of gangster films. I have always been attracted to the dark side of humans.” However, this time his social media post has proved to be more controversial because people feel that citing criminals as inspiration on Teacher’s Day is a wrong message for the society.
