As RGV-Isms go, this is epic. "I hate to be respected. I am afraid of being respected," he says.

"When K Viswanath garu made 'Shankarabharanam', everybody felicitated him and fell on his feet. By doing this, they finished his career. Their laurels made him a prisoner of their expectations. He was put on a high pedestal. In my case, I don't have that problem. When Mani Ratnam made a flop, (actress) Revathy said, 'I don't know what happened to Mani sir'. When I made a flop, the same person said, 'I want to kick you in the ass'. It's 'Mani sir', but when it comes to me, it's 'Varma gadu'. I always like to be called Varma gadu," Ramu says.

"If by mistake I deliver a hit, I immediately talk about a heroine's thighs. This way, I always remain on a low pedestal," he says.

RGV feels that he is not criticized too much by the media! "Rakeysh Mehra worked on a film for 3 years and made a flop. The critics damned his movie. But in those 3 years, I made 10 films (flops). So, they damned me more often. That's all," he quips.