SS Rajamouli kicks off RRR’s Oscar campaign, talks about film’s unexpected success in the West: ‘Realised something I never knew…’
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli spoke about RRR becoming a word-of-mouth hit in the West, and said that he never expected it.
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli spoke about his latest film RRR transcending borders and becoming a real word-of-mouth hit in the West. He said that despite international interest in him, he hopes to retain his storytelling style and not change it to suit the sensibilities of an international audience. Rajamouli appeared for a chat at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival, as RRR’s Oscar campaign kicks off in earnest.
Described as a ‘pioneer’ by the moderator, Rajamouli smiled and said that he is still in the ‘nascent’ stage of his career as a filmmaker. He said that after the Baahubali films did well in Japan, he thought that he should focus on the Eastern side of the world. “Never, ever did I expect RRR to do well with the Western audiences,” he said.
RRR, a fictionalised account of two freedom fighters crossing paths and joining forces against the British, was a massive theatrical hit in India, but then found an ardent fan-following in particularly the United States following a Netflix release. It also scored endorsements from filmmakers such as Scott Derrickson, Edgar Wright and James Gunn.
“When RRR released, and I started getting responses one by one, I thought, ‘OK, maybe there are a few’. But the few went into hundreds, the hundreds went into thousands… Story writers, directors, critics, people from different fields were talking highly about RRR. I realised something I never knew about my films,” he said. “I thought the sensibilities are different, but I realised that the sensibilities can also be similar. I am still trying to understand, to be very frank.”
RRR — starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan — is expected to attract Oscar buzz during the upcoming awards season, although that would depend on whether it is selected as India’s official entry. It will, however, be eligible to compete in various other categories besides Best International Film regardless.
A recent Los Angeles Times article noted that the film’s awards campaign will start this month. In addition to the TIFF appearance, Rajamouli will also attend a month-long retrospective of his films at LA’s Beyond Fest. While in Los Angeles, Rajamouli will also introduce a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, one of his favourite films.
One can also expect major Hollywood studios to be lining up to arrange meetings with the filmmaker during his time in Hollywood. Rajamouli is now prepping an action-adventure film with Mahesh Babu in the lead.
News Source:- The Indian EXPRESS
