S. S. Rajamouli is an Indian filmmaker who primarily works inTelugu cinema and is known for hisaction,fantasy, andepic genre films.Rachel Dwyer called Rajamouli "India's most significant director today".[1] His films are typically characterised by their epic grandeur, unbridledheroism and larger-than-life characters. His films have themes and characters inspired fromancient Indian epics such asRamayana andMahabharata and are noted for their integration of the essential lessons and emotions in those ancient epics with visual grandeur. He frequently mentions that the mythological themes in his films are storytelling elements intended to create strong emotional impact on the viewers and are not a reflection of hispersonality orworldview. His films also have a liberal dose of violence, often orchestrated in stylised action set-pieces.
Rajamouli's films mostly follow thethree-act structure where every majorplot point ends on a high note with the film having a clap-worthy moment every 10 to 15 minutes. Several of his films also featureflashback episodes. His recent films focus heavily on visual storytelling. They are primarily made inTelugu and then dubbed into various other Indian and foreign languages. His works are typicallyvisual effects-heavy, and he is one of the pioneering filmmakers in India in integratingcomputer-generated imagery (CGI) withlive action. He preferspractical effects over CGI and likes to capture as much footage as possiblein-camera. With hisBaahubali films, he has pioneered thePan-Indian film movement.
M. M. Keeravani, his cousin, has worked as the music composer for all of his films. Rajamouli has co-written several of his films with his father,Vijayendra Prasad. Rajamouli's wife,Rama worked as a costume designer or stylist for all of his films starting fromSye. Other frequent collaborators include editorKotagiri Venkateswara Rao, cinematographerK. K. Senthil Kumar, production designersSabu Cyril and S. Ravinder, action choreographersPeter Hein,Ram-Lakshman, and King Solomon. His films feature many recurring actors, notablyPrabhas,Ram Charan,Jr. NTR, andAnushka Shetty, who appeared inlead roles in several films.
When I start writing a story, for me, it is the emotion I should be moved by. I might beagnostic, but when I see a good film, like for example,Annamayya, a Telugu film which is about a devotee ofLord Venkateswara, and when I see the climax, I cry. It is a conversation between God and man, his disciple. I might not believe in God, but I connect to the emotion of a devotee and a God. And, I connect to the emotion that drives masses: devotion and submission to a greater self. I understand the power of that emotion, the power of a mass emotion, and I too feel that emotion. I might not believe in God, but I believe in the emotion, and if it moves me, I write it.
A penchant for "larger-than-life" filmmaking,[3][4][5][6] combined with a fascination for historical and mythological themes; abound with forts, battles, kings and their tales had Rajamouli helm films likeYamadonga,Magadheera and theBaahubali duology.[7][8]
Rajamouli has citedancient Indian narrativeepics such asRamayana andMahabharata to be inspirational sources for his storytelling.[9][10][11] He revisits theAmar Chitra Katha comics and keeps reading different versions of theRamayana andMahabharata from time to time.[8] About the presence of mythological elements in his films, Rajamouli spoke thus:
"I am deeply influenced by mythology. Including it in my projects has always been a verysub-conscious decision because I grew up listening to the stories of mythology from my grandparents. It is completely embedded in my blood. Whatever goes in, comes out. I have so much input of mythology, it comes out in my stories in different forms. I feel very proud of it."[12]
A scene inSimhadri had the protagonist impale a rapist on spikes overhead and bathe in his blood, who is then given aabhisheka by the priests for his deed.Baahubali series had elements resembling narratives fromMahabharata andRamayana. The Devasena-Bhallaladeva scenes mirror theSita-Ravana interactions in theRamayana. The Baahubali-Bhallaladeva conflict parallels thePandava-Kaurava conflict in theMahabharata.Magadheera andEega had the concept ofreincarnation in its central plot.[13]
Piyush Roy, a critic and film historian, attributed the success of Rajamouli to his ability to integrate the essential lessons and emotions in stories ofIndian epics with visual grandeur. He noted that "aspects such as constant duel betweengood and evil, women as strong characters, presence of mother figures likeKunti andGandhari are recurrent themes of his narratives."[14]
Rajamouli frequently mentions that his films are not a reflection of his personality or worldview.[2][15][16] He stated that the mythological and religious themes in his films are storytelling elements intended to create strong emotional impact on the viewers.[17][2] He is also inclined to make films that transcend beyond language. Regarding that he says, "I learned that if I make my story based on basic human emotions, you can translate beyond the language. I have a chance to connect with more people."[18][19]
Devarsi Ghosh ofIndia Today observed that "the themes of anorphaned hero, a secret backstory, a separated family and a protagonist in search of his/her origins are prominent in Rajamouli's films."[20] Themes centered around Jealous siblings, and adopted sons who strive to prove their loyalty featured prominently inSimhadri,Chatrapathi, andBaahubali.[13][19] His films also have elements oftragedy which is not typical for commercial Telugu cinema—the death of Vikram Rathore during the central set-piece inVikramarkudu, Kaala Bhairava jumping off the cliff inMagadheera, the self-immolation of the fly in the climax ofEega, the betrayal and death of Amarendra Baahubali inBaahubali films.[13]
Rajamouli's films feature strong, principledheroes. Piyush Roy noted that the Veera rasa (heroism), amongst thenavarasas, is the most prominent in the characters of Rajamoulis protagonists who make the film very engaging.[21][22] The antagonists in his films are irredeemable with nomoral compass.[6][23] His protagonists have graduated from pure brawn inSimhadri,Chatrapathi, andVikramarkudu to thinking, intelligent heroes who overthink their antagonists inMaryada Ramanna,Eega, andBaahubali. Rajamouli also experimented inMaryada Ramanna with a protagonist who is not hypermasculine or courageous–traits that are typical of his leads.[13]
Revenge is a theme that regularly features in his films.[6][24] When asked why this is so, in an interview with filmmakerSandeep Vanga, Rajamouli said, "I believe revenge is the strongest emotion. I don't set out to make a revenge drama in particular. Revenge is an emotion that strongly and easily resonates with the audience. So, most of the time it's revenge."[25] His films generally use a wide range of animals and Rajamouli attributes this to his love of animals.[26]
Rajamouli's films also have a liberal dose of violence, often orchestrated in stylised action set-pieces.[27] He cited the violence in Indian epics as an important factor that shaped up India, and as a filmmaker he doesn't think anyone in India would tone it down if not for the censorship. The violent scenes are often employed to induce awe in the viewer.[13] His films also feature protagonists wielding ornate weapons.[28]
Maintaining that his storytelling style has remained the same since he was in class two, Rajamouli prefers to set his films in an unrealistic and a fantasy world so that people can come out of their world into his. "I like people to be awe struck by my films," he said.[16] His films mostly follow thethree-act structure where every majorplot point has a setup, confrontation, and resolution; resulting in a screenplay where every plot point ends on a high note with the film having a clap-worthy moment every 10 to 15 minutes.[29]
Several of Rajamouli's films featureflashback episodes where the protagonist's backstory is revealed, typically in the second half of the film. This narrative style is used inSimhadri,Vikramarkudu,Magadheera,Baahubali: The Beginning, andRRR.[29] The high point of Rajamouli's narrative style is considered to be the pre-interval scene—the scene immediately prior to theintermission. His pre-interval action scenes rev up the emotions of the audience creating a high point that increases the interest for the second half of the film.[19] Examples include theGodavari Pushkaralu fight scene inSimhadri, the pre-interval fight scene inVikramarkudu, and the 100 soldier fight scene inMagadheera.[29][13]
I’m very loyal to my action sequences. I just won’t put them in for the sake of it. I believe that human endurance and physical capabilities are unimaginable when they are emotionally charged. There are things that real people have achieved that we can’t imagine, but they happen once in a lifetime … The only thing is they happen quite a number of times in my films.
Describing his films as “big-scale action movies driven by hard-core emotion”,[31] Rajamouli considers himself to be a magnifying glass that enhances the various emotions of the characters on screen, and sees the presence of violent action as an integral factor that engages the viewer with on screen proceedings.[32][33] "For me, the character being emotionally charged up at that moment to go into that action sequence is very, very important," said Rajamouli about action sequences in his films.[26]
Rajamouli's initial films have comedic sub-plots and songs that are not integral to the main plot of the film. He noted, “Initially, I used to add a lot of scenes for the sake of comedy, songs because I used to fear how people would react if they aren't there. Once I got a lot of confidence as a story-teller, I no longer see the necessity to do all that”.[34]
Rajamouli regrets not working for a longer time as an assistant director. “When I made my first filmStudent No: 1, I didn't know how to use acrane because I never used a crane while I was doing my TV serial." He mentions basicshotmaking as his biggest shortcoming as a director. “I still don't know which shot exactly gives me what I need. I get so many doubts whether I should keep the camera standard, whether I should move the track-in slowly, how close should I really get — close to the eyes, close to the face, whether I should go a little bit to the top. There are thousands of options that run through my mind and I don't know which is the right thing to do. That is my shortcoming. I can't decide which is the right camera angle," he noted in an interaction in June 2022.[35][36]
In the beginning of his career, Rajamouli used to act and show the actors how to perform or enact the character and was very adamant on the minutiae of their performances. "Slowly I realised that all my actors are looking the same. All my actors were imitating what I was doing. Then I thought, why do I go to a particular actor? (It is) because he has a specific ability. Then I started hammering the emotion into the actor and let them perform accordingly," he noted.[37][36]
Beginning with theBaahubali films, Rajamouli started conducting workshops with the major cast members and writing everything about a character — the completebackstory of the character including traits and events that aren't present in the final film — prior to the commencement ofprincipal photography.[37][36]
Rajamouli's films typically, arevisual effects-heavy and he is one of the pioneering filmmakers in India in integratingcomputer-generated imagery (CGI) withlive action. He mentions his preference forpractical effects over CGI and likes to capture as much footage as possiblein-camera.[26] Rajamouli's craft in CGI has improved with time. The CGI in the underwater shark-fighting sequence inChatrapathi was considered ambitious, but choppy. The CGI sequences inMagadheera,Eega,Baahubali, andRRR are more polished with each film improving upon the previous one.[13]
For me, whether it is subtitling or the (original) language, it's just a medium of communication. Those are not important for me. I would rather want my audience to get the story through the visuals, the way actors are performing or how the background score is. That is what I would prefer as a filmmaker.
Rajamouli's later films focus heavily on visual storytelling.[39][2][40] He noted in an interview, "While creating a story, I think 'If I switch off this dialogue portion, will the audience still connect to my movie?' Many times, the answer is a yes.”[6]
“I try to tell my story through visuals. I try to put in as little dialogue as possible, but the dialogues we do put in ... my writers take excruciating care, writing version after version so that nuance does not get lost in translation.”[30]
Rajamouli's films starting fromEega have been made inTelugu language and then dubbed into various Indian and foreign languages.[41][42][43][44] He described the process of making a multi-lingual film in this way.
"My thinking is in Telugu, the script is in Telugu first. But even before I go to shoot, I send the script to other language writers so they also get into the clue of what the film is about. Those dialogues may not be the final ones I am going to use in the film, but they read the script and if there is anything that complements my story, I change the Telugu version. It's an elaborate process because they write, but have to check with the lip-sync. You can't have a 20 word sentence in place of a six word sentence. We get the lip-sync right, but we don't compromise on the quality."[45]
Action andadventure films are Rajamouli's favourite genre.[46] Rajamouli frequently mentionsMayabazar (1957),Ben-Hur (1959) andBraveheart (1995)[47][48][49] as his most favourite and influential films.[50][51][52][26][53][4] His other favourite films includeMissamma (1955),The Last of the Mohicans (1992),The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966),Terminator 2 (1991),Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989),City Lights (1931),Apocalypto (2006),Kung Fu Panda (2008),The Lion King (1994),Aladdin (1992),Sherlock Holmes (2009),Forrest Gump (1994), andDjango Unchained (2012).[46][52][50] He expressed his liking for the films ofJames Cameron,Steven Spielberg,Quentin Tarantino andJohn Woo.[51][52] The chariot race scene inBen-Hur was a strong influence on him since his childhood.[52] His 2009 directorialMagadheera featured scenes with horses and chariots that Rajamouli acknowledged as an inspiration fromBen-Hur .[26][54]
Rajamouli has citedMel Gibson as his favourite filmmaker and the biggest influence on his filmmaking style.[50] He mentioned that he considers Gibson to be hisguru, and also compared himself withEkalavya to Gibson'sDrona. Regularly payinghomage to Gibson in his films,[52] he noted in an interview:
"Many of Mel Gibson's films have a very, very big influence on me. The way he blends the action with the drama, how he slows down, how he switches the dramatic moment before the action explodes, I really, really love it. I get really inspired by his action a lot. That's one thing that really comes to my mind when I talk about action films. It's what inspired me to do action films."[26][53]
He is also deeply fascinated by the films ofVijaya Productions likePathala Bhairavi (1951) andJagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961). He noted, "Those films stirred the creative juices in my childhood itself. The artistes, their body language, dialogue delivery are all etched into my memory permanently."[55][56]
Rajamouli attributes his sense of drama to his father Vijayendra Prasad under whom he worked as an assistant early in his career.[26] He is deeply influenced by the novels ofMalladi Venkata Krishna Murthy andYandamuri Veerendranath.[57] He also expressed his fondness for the works ofWilbur Smith.[58] He generally dislikeshorror films, especially ones that involvejump scares. He is more receptive to films that scare the viewer with their theme or story. He mentioned his favourite films in the horror genre asThe Omen (1976) andParanormal Activity (2007).[59][60]
Among Indian directors, Rajamouli citesK. V. Reddy as his biggest influence;[49][51][61]Ram Gopal Varma andRaj Kapoor being others.[61] Among his contemporaries inTelugu cinema, he expressed his admiration for the works ofSukumar andTrivikram Srinivas.[62] He also praised the work and cinematic style ofRajkumar Hirani andAnurag Kashyap.[63]
ForBaahubali, Rajamouli was inspired by the tales ofAmar Chitra Katha andChandamama along with the Sanskrit epicsMahabharata andRamayana.[64][65] ForRRR, he mentionedThe Motorcycle Diaries (2004) andInglourious Basterds (2009) as his inspirations.[66][67]
Rajamouli frequently collaborates with a set of crew members and technicians.Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao, under whom he started his film career as an assistant, has edited all of his films except forRRR, which was edited byA. Sreekar Prasad.[68]K. K. Senthil Kumar served as the cinematographer on eight of his films.[69][70] Among art directors orproduction designers, he worked withAnand Sai forSimhadri,Sye, andYamadonga; S. Ravinder worked with him in five of his films tillEega; the acclaimedSabu Cyril worked with him on theBaahubali duology andRRR.[71][72][73][74][75][76] M. Ratnam worked as a dialogue writer for all six of Rajamouli's films starting fromSimhadri tillMagadheera.[71][72][77][78][79] Amongaction choreographers, he collaborated withPeter Hein in five films —Student No.1,Chatrapathi,Magadheera,Maryada Ramanna, andBaahubali: The Beginning;[80][81]Ram-Lakshman worked with him in three films —Sye,Vikramarkudu, andMagadheera;[72][82][83] King Solomon worked as the action choreographer forBaahubali andRRR;[84][85] Lee Whittaker worked as an action director / stunt coordinator for both theBaahubali films.[86]
R. C. Kamalakannan served as thevisual effects supervisor for five of his films —Yamadonga,Magadheera,Maryada Ramanna,Eega, andBaahubali 2: The Conclusion.[87][88]V. Srinivas Mohan worked as the visual effects supervisor forBaahubali: The Beginning, andRRR.[89] Iranian citizen Adel Adili, who previously worked onYamadonga,[90] Englishman Pete Draper, and R. C. Kamalakannan foundedMakuta VFX based out ofHyderabad.[91] Makuta has extensively collaborated with Rajamouli in all his films fromMagadheera tillRRR.[92][93][94]
K. Raghavendra Rao produced his debut filmStudent No: 1 and presented theBaahubali films.[95][96]Cherry (Chiranjeevi Pedamallu) was the executive producer forChatrapathi,Vikramarkudu and later producedYamadonga.[97][98][99]B. V. S. N. Prasad producedChatrapathi and was the executive producer forMagadheera.[100][101]Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni producedMaryada Ramanna and theBaahubali duology.[102][103]Sai Korrapati andPrasad V. Potluri produced hisEega;D. V. V. Danayya produced his magnum opus,RRR.
Rajamouli regularly collaborates with many members of his extended family.[104][105] His cousinM. M. Keeravani has worked as the music composer for all of his films.[106][107] His fatherVijayendra Prasad provided the story for nine of his films.[108][109][13] His wife,Rama Rajamouli, worked as a costume designer or stylist for all of his films starting fromSye.[110] His sister-in-law M. M. Srivalli, wife of Keeravani, served as a Line Producer on four of his films.[111][112][104] His cousin S. S. Kanchi collaborated with him on four[113][114] films in the writing department including as a story writer forMaryada Ramanna.[80][115]
His uncleSiva Shakthi Datta, brother of Vijayendra Prasad and father of Keeravani, worked as a lyricist in five of his films.[116][117][118][119][120] Another uncle of his, Koduri Ramakrishna, was the co-lyricist forSaahore Baahubali along with Datta.[105][104] Rajamouli's cousinKalyani Malik works as a sound supervisor for his films.[121][122][123]Raja Koduri, another cousin of his, contributed toBaahubali series in technical departments throughAMD Radeon.[124][125][126] Rajabali, another cousin of his, worked as a VFX Assistant forBaahubali.[104] His nephewKaala Bhairava, elder son of Keeravani, worked as aplayback singer inBaahubali series andRRR.[127][128]Sri Simha, younger son of Keeravani, worked as a child actor inYamadonga andMaryada Ramanna, along with minor roles inEega andBaahubali: The Beginning.[129][130][131] In addition, Rajamouli's step-son S. S. Karthikeya also works in the production or direction department of his films.[132][133][104] His adopted daughter Mayookha along with Keeravani's daughter acted in the songSaahore Baahubali ofBaahubali 2.[134][104] Kalyani Malik's son Mayur lent his voice in some parts at the end ofBaahubali 2.[104][105] As many as fifteen members of his extended family had worked onBaahubali 2.[104]
Work Collaborator | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student No:1 (2001) | Simhadri (2003) | Sye (2004) | Chatrapathi (2005) | Vikramarkudu (2006) | Yamadonga (2007) | Magadheera (2009) | Maryada Ramanna (2010) | Eega (2012) | Baahubali (2015, 2017) | RRR (2022) | Total | |
| M. M. Keeravani |  | | | | | | | | | | | 11 |
| V. Vijayendra Prasad | | | | | | | | | 8 | |||
| K. K. Senthil Kumar | | | | | | | | 7 | ||||
| Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | |
| Rama Rajamouli | | | | | | | | | | 9 | ||
| M. Ratnam | | | | | | | 6 | |||||
| Peter Hein | | | | | | 5 | ||||||
| Ram-Lakshman | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Vijayan | | | 2 | |||||||||
| King Solomon | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Anand Sai | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| S. Ravinder | | | | | | 5 | ||||||
| Sabu Syril | | | 2 | |||||||||
| R. C. Kamalakannan | | | | | | 5 | ||||||
| V. Srinivas Mohan | | | 2 | |||||||||
| S. S. Kanchi | | | | | 4 | |||||||
| M. M. Srivalli | | | | | 4 | |||||||
| Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni | | | 2 | |||||||||
| K. Raghavendra Rao | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Cherry | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| B. V. S. N. Prasad | | | 2 |
Rajamouli has worked with some actors frequently in his career.Jr. NTR starred in four of his films including Rajamouli's debut filmStudent No.1.[135]Prabhas has starred in three of his films —Chatrapathi andBaahubali series.[136]Ram Charan collaborated with him onMagadheera andRRR.[137]Ravi Teja starred inVikramarkudu[138] and provided the voice for bicycle inMaryada Ramanna.[139]Sunil starred inMaryada Ramanna and played a supporting role inMagadheeera.[79][80]Sudeep played the antagonist inEega and had a cameo inBaahubali: The Beginning.[140]
Anushka Shetty played the female lead inVikramarkudu and theBaahubali series.[141]Shriya Saran played the female lead inChatrapathi and was also cast inRRR in a supporting role.[142]Ramya Krishna appeared in anitem song inSimhadri and later played one of the central character, Sivagami Devi, inBaahubali films.[143][144]Saloni had a cameo inMagadheera and later played the female lead inMaryada Ramanna.[145]Mumaith Khan appeared initem songs inChatrapathi andMagadheera.[146][79]
Kota Srinivasa Rao worked with him in three films.[147][77][71]Nassar acted inSimhadri,Sye, and theBaahubali series.[148]Pradeep Rawat was introduced toTelugu film industry by Rajamouli as theantagonist Bikshu Yadav inSye which won him fame.[149] He later worked inChatrapathi as the villain Ras Bihari.[150][151]Narendra Jha was cast as the antagonist Baji Rao inChatrapathi and later also acted inYamadonga.[152][153][154]Supreeth worked in three films of Rajamouli as a goon or henchman of the main antagonist.[80][75] Rajamouli gavePrabhakar his first full-fledged role inMaryada Ramanna which became hisbreakthrough role.[155] Prabhakar named his son after Rajamouli as gratitude towards him.[156][157][158] He later played the Kalakeya leader Inkoshi inBaahubali: The Beginning. After the film's success, he came to be popularly referred to as 'Kalakeya Prabhakar'.[159][158][160]
Rajamouli also regularly collaborates withRajeev Kanakala andChatrapathi Sekhar who appeared in six and nine of his films respectively.[161][162][163][152][164] Rajamouli also worked with the comic actorsBrahmanandam,M. S. Narayana,Venu Madhav,Ali,L. B. Sriram,Raghu Babu,Srinivasa Reddy,Sivannarayana Naripeddi, andHema in multiple films.[71][72][77][82][153][79]Tanikella Bharani acted inStudent No.1,Sye, andBaahubali.[165][149]Sameer,Ajay,Jaya Prakash Reddy,Rao Ramesh,Subbaraya Sarma,Surya, andPreeti Nigam acted in supporting roles in many of his films.[71][72][77][82][153][79] His cousin S. S. Kanchi acted in his films apart from working in the writing department.[80][113] His nephewSri Simha, younger son of Keeravani, worked as a child actor inYamadonga andMaryada Ramanna,[129][130] along with minor roles inEega andBaahubali: The Beginning.[131][130]
Work Collaborator | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student No: 1 (2001) | Simhadri (2003) | Sye (2004) | Chatrapathi (2005) | Vikramarkudu (2006) | Yamadonga (2007) | Magadheera (2009) | Maryada Ramanna (2010) | Eega (2012) | Baahubali (2015, 2017) | RRR (2022) | Total | |
| Jr. NTR | | | | | 4 | |||||||
| Prabhas | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Ram Charan | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Sunil | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Ravi Teja | | Voice role | 2 | |||||||||
| Sudeep | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Anushka Shetty | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Shriya Saran | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Ramya Krishna | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Saloni | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Mumaith Khan | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Nassar | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Kota Srinivasa Rao | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Pradeep Rawat | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Ajay | | | | | | 5 | ||||||
| Jaya Prakash Reddy | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Supreeth | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Prabhakar | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Narendra Jha | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Rajeev Kanakala | | | | | | | 6 | |||||
| Chatrapathi Sekhar | | | | | | | | | | 9 | ||
| Sameer | | | | | 4 | |||||||
| Tanikella Bharani | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Rao Ramesh | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Subbaraya Sharma | | | | | | | | 7 | ||||
| Surya | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Prabhas Sreenu | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Preeti Nigam | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Brahmanandam | | | | | | 5 | ||||||
| M. S. Narayana | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Venu Madhav | | | | 3 | ||||||||
| Ali | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Srinivasa Reddy | | | | | 4 | |||||||
| Sivannarayana Naripeddi | | | | | | | 6 | |||||
| L. B. Sriram | | | 2 | |||||||||
| Raghubabu | | | 2 | |||||||||
| S. S. Kanchi | | | | | 4 | |||||||
| Hema | | | 2 |
Rajamouli is of the view that watching films in amovie theatre is the best way to experience them as theatres provide the unique communal experience in seeing how other people feel the emotions of the characters on screen. He said there's a kind of synergy that one experiences in a theater which doesn't come in a home or on a personal device, the experience can't be replicated. Being optimistic that theaters would thrive and prosper in the age ofStreaming media, he said "[a] movie theater is like a temple. The other day, I went to theMusic Box Theatre in Chicago, and I almost had tears. It was such a great feeling." In an interview with American media, he suggested various measures to make people prefer theatres overstreaming services, like reintroduction ofintermission – as it provides an opportunity for the audience to refresh themselves. He also opined thatmovie stars play a big role in bringing audiences to theaters.[166]
Rajamouli is credited with pioneering the pan-Indian films movement with his duology of epic action filmsBaahubali: The Beginning (2015) andBaahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), that changed the face of Indian cinema.[167][29][168] He emphasised that making a pan-Indian film doesn't necessarily mean getting actors from differentIndian film industries, but instead its about having a story and emotion that connects to everyone irrespective of the language. He stated that while creating a story, he often thinks whether the audience would be able to connect to his movie if the dialogue is turned off and many a times he feels in the affirmative.[6]
SS Rajamouli is perhaps India's most significant director today. He can make a film in a south Indian language that, when dubbed, becomes a pan-Indian film that can also be enjoyed overseas.
'I generally like larger-than-life, pushing-the-boundaries sort of canvases,' he says.
The vision was not just in 2012 - it kept building over a period of years, right from my childhood. I had this penchant for bigger films, larger-than-life characters.
I like larger-than-life ideas. I take an impossible situation and then make the audience believe in it.
[f]rom a young age, I had this vivid imagination. When my father started working, he would tell us scenes he had developed, and I would amp them up in my own way.
I was fascinated by the forts, the battles, the kings, I not only used to read those stories but I kept telling those stories to my friends in my own way.[...] I experimented a bit with two of my earlier films Yamadonga and Magadheera which had a bit of folklore and mythology in them.
All my films are inspired by Mahabharata and Ramayana because I was raised with these epics. I have a deep emotional connect with them.
My films will always have narratives that are inspired by mythology. I am deeply influenced by the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. They somehow come out in various forms. But it isn't deliberate. [...] I don't think there is any emotion that hasn't been written in the Mahabharata or Ramayana.
mostly my stories are drawn from the epics of India
However, I must add that my personality and my films are poles apart.
For me, Bhakti, in terms of subservience to a higher power, is a very strong emotion. I use it as a storytelling element in my movies. As a director, it's my job to bring out such strong emotions for a big impact on the viewers.
All languages are of value, but it has been proven even before Baahubali, if the film is based on human emotions you can translate beyond the language.
Piyush Roy, a film historian with University of Edinburgh says, "All of Rajamouli's films have well-rounded action plots. Among theNavarasas, it is the Veera rasa that make his narrative very engaging. His plots have all elements of exploits of a hero and heroism. His heroes are not only mentally upright but also physically strong. He invests in characterisation. Even his supporting characters are well-established."
Says Rajamouli, an agnostic whose tales are replete with mythological themes of reincarnation and revenge, brought to life using heavy doses of modern-day technologies.
But there is another dimension to mythology that is central to Rajamouli's filmography, long unexplored in Indian cinema — that of violence.
"When humans are under the grip of emotion, they tend to behave in a superhuman way and are pushed to do anything and that is what I tap," he said, describing his films as being "big scale action movies driven by hard-core emotion".
Yes, violence is part of my storytelling but not in a negative way. Each and everything, whether it is violence, softness, or any kind of emotion, I like to call myself a magnifying glass. I like to enhance my emotions. And I feel the same kind of emotion will enhance much more if you have action, if it has something just running around, It will just explode. It gives a larger-than-life effect. So that is my way of storytelling. That is how I like to see films, that is how I like to make films.
Instead of relying on action to only drive an adrenaline rush, SS Rajamouli uses action to drive various emotions. This leads to higher engagement with the proceedings on screen during action set-pieces.
Rajamouli has perfected his skills as a visual storyteller over the years, gravitating towards fantasy.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)S.S. Rajamouli calls Mayabazar "the greatest classic and absolute influence of all times, not only on me and my generation of filmmakers, but the entire Telugu film industry."
It is no wonder that Rajamouli cites K V Reddy's 1957 bi-lingual (Telugu and Tamil) film Mayabazaar as one of the films that has influenced him a lot.
I was 7–8 years old when I first saw it as a kid, I loved it immensely. Later, when I came to the film industry, I kept thinking about how KV Reddy and his team made the film back in those days. I was mesmerised by the visual effects in that film. Later, while making Yamadonga, my VFX supervisor and I spent two days just to figure out how KV Reddy had pulled off such amazing special effects back then. The more I explored the world of Mayabazaar, my respect for KV Reddy kept growing.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)I am fascinated by the films made by Vijaya films, which was the primary source of inspiration, and started the creative juices in me.
"I have read all of his books. I love his sense of largeness. The adventure and emotions are mass-y by themselves," says Rajamouli.
The film marks their first collaboration, Rajamouli having previously only worked with editor Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao.
K Raghavendra selected Raja Mouli, his assistant director of 'Santhi Nivasam' Tele serial, as the director. Incidentally Raja Mouli is the son of Samarasimha Reddy's storywriter Vijayendra Prasad and the cousin of music director Keeravani.
K. Raghavendra Rao is said to be one of the stakeholders. He was the film's presenter and was instrumental in obtaining the permission (venue) for the first part's music launch in Tirupati, apart from clearing a few decks during the production.
Music director Keeravani who scores music for all Rajamouli's movies says ....
It is known that ace music director MM Keeravani shares a great bonding with his brother SS Rajamouli. The proof for it is that he has composed the music for all the movies of the director.
Though my father gave stories to all my earlier movies, Kanchi's contribution in story department for those movies was notable. Kanchi has been working in story department of my films since Chatrapati. I used to be like monarch in our story discussions and I dominate everybody. Kanchi is the only guy who doesn't succumb to my domination. He gave very good story for Maryada Ramanna.
I have been given credit for 'Sound Supervision' in Baahubali. I have worked for Simhadri, Chatrapati, Sye and Magadheera as sound supervisor. But I am being recognized in Baahubali because of the magnitude of the film.
Kalyan Koduri, who works as sound supervisor for all of Rajamouli films .....
But her major breakthrough came in 2006 film, Vikramarkudu, which was helmed by her Baahubali director SS Rajamouli. Hence, began a long association between the actor and the director, and their latest Baahubali: The Conclusion is only a testimony of their successful bond. She is the first female star to work with Rajamouli thrice.
Although it's a cameo appearance, it felt great to work with SS Rajamouli again after Chatrapathi (2005).
Among these, Rajamouli had brought Pradeep Rawat to the Telugu film industry. He attracted the audiences with his performance in Sye and Chatrapati. Pradeep Rawat treats Rajamouli as his Godfather.
Actor Prabhakar has been working in the industry for over a decade but got a break with S.S. Rajamouli's comedy-thriller 'Maryada Ramanna'. Immediately, he was roped in to play the role of 'Kalakeya' in the epic project 'Baahubali: The Beginning' and the recognition and response was huge!
రాజమౌళి మొదటి చిత్రం స్టూడెంట్ నెంబర్ 1 సినిమా మొదలుకొని.. సింహాద్రి, సై, చత్రపతి, విక్రమార్కుడు, మగధీర, మర్యాద రామన్న, ఈగ, ఆర్ఆర్ఆర్ వంటి చిత్రాల్లో కనిపించాడు శేఖర్. ఇప్పటివరకు జక్కన్న మొత్తం 12 చిత్రాలు తెరకెక్కించగా.. 9 సినిమాల్లో ఉన్నాడు శేఖర్.
He is perhaps singlehandedly responsible for the rise of the pan-Indian film.
Producer G Dhananjayan says, "Rajamouli has redefined the reach of regional cinema consistently through his films, starting with Eega [2012] to the Baahubali series, and now with RRR. The entire concept of pan-Indian films came from him when he succeeded with Eega across many Indian languages. This opened up this concept. Thanks to his vision, today, a lot of films are able to be made on a bigger budget targeted at a pan-Indian audience. Rajamouli stands tall among all Indian filmmakers for his vision, innovation, and expansion of the regional language market at a global level."