Mumbai, August 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma marked India’s 80th Independence Day with one of his characteristic provocative remarks, saying his “greatest independence” has been his liberation from marriage.
Taking to X on Saturday, Varma wrote: “The GREATEST INDEPENDENCE I have ever had is from MARRIAGE #HappyIndependenceDay”.
Varma was married to Ratna Varma. The couple later separated and eventually divorced, with their divorce reportedly finalised in January 2022. They have a daughter, Revathi Varma, who pursued medical studies and became a doctor.
Revathi got engaged to fellow doctor Pranav in January 2013 and married him on August 15, 2013, in a private traditional South Indian ceremony at a hotel in Hyderabad. The wedding was attended by around 250 people, primarily family members and close friends. Ratna was also present and helped with the arrangements.
Varma had earlier sparked discussion with another post on X, this time questioning the relevance of conventional education in the age of artificial intelligence.
He argued that the traditional model of memorising information, passing examinations, earning degrees and securing jobs needs to be reconsidered, particularly in fields such as medicine.
The filmmaker pointed to the years required to complete MBBS, postgraduate studies and specialisation, arguing that AI can increasingly perform tasks such as analysing medical data and assisting with diagnosis much faster.
Citing AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton’s warnings about the technology’s growing capabilities, Varma claimed that AI could take over many functions currently performed by doctors within the next one or two years.
He questioned why students continue preparing for NEET and pursuing lengthy medical courses when diagnosis is becoming increasingly algorithmic and surgical procedures are becoming more automated.
Varma also criticised the conventional approach to education, arguing that students are often encouraged to follow established paths because they are prescribed in syllabi or because others are doing the same.
“The youngster who dares to ask ‘Why am I memorising what my phone already knows?’ is treated like a radical instead of the only sane person,” he wrote.
Varma’s Independence Day post, like many of his observations on social issues and popular culture, drew attention for its unconventional take on a subject normally associated with national freedom.
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