It’s been nine years one last saw megastar Amitabh Bachchan be Sarkar. But director Ram Gopal Varma has good news for the fans. The filmmaker announced on Friday that he is set to return to the franchise with its fourth instalment. During a session at the ongoing Red Lorry Film Festival in the city, Varma opened up about his line-up that includes a thriller, Syndicate, besides Sarkar 4.

“After a long time I came back to Mumbai recently and I took one decision that enough is enough. It might seem a very high handed statement, but I decided I wanted to make a film wash away all my sins and shock everybody. The film is called Syndicate. I am also making Sarkar 4,” he said as the crowd erupted into an applause. 

With his signature dry humour, the filmmaker then said, “You also have to know the old English saying, ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ So whether I do it or not, we will see that at the end of the year,” as the audience laughed. 

Inspired by the Hollywood classic, The Godfather, Sarkar, starring Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Kay Kay Menon, released in 2005. Its sequel, Sarkar Raj, released in 2008. The third part came nine years later. The filmmaker didn’t divulge details on the fourth part though. 

During the session, which was held to assist the screening of Varma’s debut film, Shiva (1989), the filmmaker also heaped praise at the recently released Bollywood blockbuster, Dhurandhar. When asked if there were a film he would have liked to direct, he said, “I don’t know about directing but if there’s one film that I have learnt a lot from, it’s Dhurandhar.”