Rachel Dwyer called Rajamouli "India's most significant director today".[2] His films are typically characterized by their epic grandeur, unbridled heroism and larger-than-life characters. His films have themes and characters inspired from ancient Indianepics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata 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 his personality or worldview. His films also have a liberal dose of violence, often orchestrated in stylised action set-pieces.
Rajamouli's films mostly follow the three-act structure where every major plot point ends on a high note with the film having a clap-worthy moment every 10 to 15 minutes. Several of his films also feature flashback episodes. His recent films focus heavily on visual storytelling. They are primarily made in Telugu and then dubbed into various other Indian and foreign languages. His works are typically visual effects-heavy, and he is one of the pioneering filmmakers in India in integrating computer-generated imagery (CGI) with live action. He prefers practical effects over CGI and likes to capture as much footage as possible in-camera. With his Baahubali films, he has pioneered the pan-Indian film movement.
When I start writing a story, for me, it is the emotion I should be moved by. I might be agnostic, but when I see a good film, like for example, Annamayya, a Telugu film which is about a devotee of Lord 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.
— Rajamouli on emotions and themes in his films.[3]
A penchant for "larger-than-life" filmmaking,[4][5][6][7] combined with a fascination for historical and mythological themes; abound with forts, battles, kings and their tales had Rajamouli helm films like Yamadonga, Magadheera and the Baahubali duology.[8][9]
Rajamouli has cited ancient Indian narrative epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata to be inspirational sources for his storytelling.[10][11][12] He revisits the Amar Chitra Katha comics and keeps reading different versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata from time to time.[9] 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 very sub-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."[13]
A scene in Simhadri had the protagonist impale a rapist on spikes overhead and bathe in his blood, who is then given a abhisheka by the priests for his deed. Baahubali series had elements resembling narratives from Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Devasena-Bhallaladeva scenes mirror the Sita-Ravana interactions in the Ramayana. The Baahubali-Bhallaladeva conflict parallels the Pandava-Kaurava conflict in the Mahabharata. Magadheera and Eega had the concept of reincarnation in its central plot.[14]
Piyush Roy, a critic and film historian, attributed the success of Rajamouli to his ability to integrate the essential lessons and emotions in stories of Indian epics with visual grandeur. He noted that "aspects such as constant duel between good and evil, women as strong characters, presence of mother figures like Kunti and Gandhari are recurrent themes of his narratives."[15]
Rajamouli frequently mentions that his films are not a reflection of his personality or worldview.[3][16][17] He stated that the mythological and religious themes in his films are storytelling elements intended to create strong emotional impact on the viewers.[18][3] 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."[19][20]
Devarsi Ghosh of India Today observed that "the themes of an orphaned hero, a secret backstory, a separated family and a protagonist in search of his/her origins are prominent in Rajamouli's films."[21] Themes centered around Jealous siblings, and adopted sons who strive to prove their loyalty featured prominently in Simhadri, Chatrapathi, and Baahubali.[14][20] His films also have elements of tragedy which is not typical for commercial Telugu cinema—the death of Vikram Rathore during the central set-piece in Vikramarkudu, Kaala Bhairava jumping off the cliff in Magadheera, the self-immolation of the fly in the climax of Eega, the betrayal and death of Amarendra Baahubali in Baahubali films.[14]
Rajamouli's films feature strong, principled heroes. Piyush Roy noted that the Veera rasa (heroism), amongst the navarasas, is the most prominent in the characters of Rajamoulis protagonists who make the film very engaging.[22][23] The antagonists in his films are irredeemable with no moral compass.[7][24] His protagonists have graduated from pure brawn in Simhadri, Chatrapathi, and Vikramarkudu to thinking, intelligent heroes who overthink their antagonists in Maryada Ramanna, Eega, and Baahubali. Rajamouli also experimented in Maryada Ramanna with a protagonist who is not hypermasculine or courageous–traits that are typical of his leads.[14]
Revenge is a theme that regularly features in his films.[7][25] When asked why this is so, in an interview with filmmaker Sandeep 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."[26] His films generally use a wide range of animals and Rajamouli attributes this to his love of animals.[27]
Rajamouli's films also have a liberal dose of violence, often orchestrated in stylised action set-pieces.[28] 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.[14] His films also feature protagonists wielding ornate weapons.[29]
Method
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.[17] His films mostly follow the three-act structure where every major plot 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.[30]
Several of Rajamouli's films feature flashback episodes where the protagonist's backstory is revealed, typically in the second half of the film. This narrative style is used in Simhadri, Vikramarkudu, Magadheera, Baahubali: The Beginning, and RRR.[30] The high point of Rajamouli's narrative style is considered to be the pre-interval scene—the scene immediately prior to the intermission. 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.[20] Examples include the Godavari Pushkaralu fight scene in Simhadri, the pre-interval fight scene in Vikramarkudu, and the 100 soldier fight scene in Magadheera.[30][14]
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”,[32] 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.[33][34] "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.[27]
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”.[35]
Rajamouli regrets not working for a longer time as an assistant director. “When I made my first film Student No: 1, I didn’t know how to use a crane because I never used a crane while I was doing my TV serial." He mentions basic shotmaking 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.[36][37]
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.[38][37]
Beginning with the Baahubali films, Rajamouli started conducting workshops with the major cast members and writing everything about a character — the complete backstory of the character including traits and events that aren't present in the final film — prior to the commencement of principal photography.[38][37]
Rajamouli's films typically, are visual effects-heavy and he is one of the pioneering filmmakers in India in integrating computer-generated imagery (CGI) with live action. He mentions his preference for practical effects over CGI and likes to capture as much footage as possible in-camera.[27] Rajamouli's craft in CGI has improved with time. The CGI in the underwater shark-fighting sequence in Chatrapathi was considered ambitious, but choppy. The CGI sequences in Magadheera, Eega, Baahubali, and RRR are more polished with each film improving upon the previous one.[14]
Visual storytelling
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.[40][3][41] 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.”[7]
“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.”[31]
Multi-lingual films
Rajamouli's films starting from Eega have been made in Telugu language and then dubbed into various Indian and foreign languages.[42][43][44][45] 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."[46]
Influences
Mayabazar (left) and Ben-Hur (right), two of Rajamouli's most favourite and influential films.
Rajamouli has cited Mel Gibson as his favourite filmmaker and as the biggest influence on his filmmaking style.[51] He mentioned that he considers Gibson to be his guru. He also compared himself with Ekalavya to Gibson's Drona. He regularly pays homage to Gibson in his films.[53] 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."[27][54]
He is also deeply fascinated by the films of Vijaya Productions like Pathala Bhairavi (1951), Jagadeka 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."[56][57]
Rajamouli attributes his sense of drama to his father Vijayendra Prasad under whom he worked as an assistant early in his career.[27] He is deeply influenced by the novels of Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy and Yandamuri Veerendranath.[58] He also expressed his fondness for the works of Wilbur Smith.[59] He generally dislikes horror films, especially ones that involve jump 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 as The Omen (1976) and Paranormal Activity (2007).[60][61]
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 for RRR, which was edited by A. Sreekar Prasad.[69]K. K. Senthil Kumar served as the cinematographer on eight of his films.[70][71] Among art directors or production designers, he worked with Anand Sai for Simhadri, Sye, and Yamadonga; S. Ravinder worked with him in five of his films till Eega; the acclaimed Sabu Cyril worked with him on the Baahubali duology and RRR.[72][73][74][75][76][77] M. Ratnam worked as a dialogue writer for all six of Rajamouli's films starting from Simhadri till Magadheera.[72][73][78][79][80] Among action choreographers, he collaborated with Peter Hein in five films —Student No.1, Chatrapathi, Magadheera, Maryada Ramanna, and Baahubali: The Beginning;[81][82]Ram-Lakshman worked with him in three films —Sye, Vikramarkudu, and Magadheera;[73][83][84] King Solomon worked as the action choreographer for Baahubali and RRR;[85][86] Lee Whittaker worked as an action director / stunt coordinator for both the Baahubali films.[87]
Rajamouli and Pete Draper of Makuta VFX on the sets of Eega
R. C. Kamalakannan served as the visual effects supervisor for five of his films —Yamadonga, Magadheera, Maryada Ramanna, Eega, and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.[88][89]V. Srinivas Mohan worked as the visual effects supervisor for Baahubali: The Beginning, and RRR.[90] Iranian citizen Adel Adili, who previously worked on Yamadonga,[91] Englishman Pete Draper, and R. C. Kamalakannan founded Makuta VFX based out of Hyderabad.[92] Makuta has extensively collaborated with Rajamouli in all his films from Magadheera till RRR.[93][94][95]
Rajamouli regularly collaborates with many members of his extended family.[105][106] His cousin M. M. Keeravani has worked as the music composer for all of his films.[107][108] His father Vijayendra Prasad provided the story for nine of his films.[109][110][14] His wife, Rama Rajamouli, worked as a costume designer or stylist for all of his films starting from Sye.[111] His sister-in-law M. M. Srivalli, wife of Keeravani, served as a Line Producer on four of his films.[112][113][105] His cousin S. S. Kanchi collaborated with him on four[114][115] films in the writing department including as a story writer for Maryada Ramanna.[81][116]
His uncle Siva Shakthi Datta, brother of Vijayendra Prasad and father of Keeravani, worked as a lyricist in five of his films.[117][118][119][120][121] Another uncle of his, Koduri Ramakrishna, was the co-lyricist for Saahore Baahubali along with Datta.[106][105] Rajamouli's cousin Kalyani Malik works as a sound supervisor for his films.[122][123][124]Raja Koduri, another cousin of his, contributed to Baahubali series in technical departments through AMD Radeon.[125][126][127] Rajabali, another cousin of his, worked as a VFX Assistant for Baahubali.[105] His nephew Kaala Bhairava, elder son of Keeravani, worked as a playback singer in Baahubali series and RRR.[128][129]Sri Simha, younger son of Keeravani, worked as a child actor in Yamadonga and Maryada Ramanna, along with minor roles in Eega and Baahubali: The Beginning.[130][131][132] In addition, Rajamouli's step-son S. S. Karthikeya also works in the production or direction department of his films.[133][134][105] His adopted daughter Mayookha along with Keeravani's daughter acted in the song Saahore Baahubali of Baahubali 2.[135][105] Kalyani Malik's son Mayur lent his voice in some parts at the end of Baahubali 2.[105][106] As many as fifteen members of his extended family had worked on Baahubali 2.[105]
Rajamouli has worked with some actors frequently in his career. Jr. NTR starred in four of his films including Rajamouli's debut film Student No.1.[136]Prabhas has starred in three of his films —Chatrapathi and Baahubali series.[137]Ram Charan collaborated with him on Magadheera and RRR.[138]Ravi Teja starred in Vikramarkudu[139] and provided the voice for bicycle in Maryada Ramanna.[140]Sunil starred in Maryada Ramanna and played a supporting role in Magadheeera.[80][81]Sudeep played the antagonist in Eega and had a cameo in Baahubali: The Beginning.[141]
Anushka Shetty played the female lead in Vikramarkudu and the Baahubali series.[142]Shriya Saran played the female lead in Chatrapathi and was also cast in RRR in a supporting role.[143]Ramya Krishna appeared in an item song in Simhadri and later played one of the central character, Sivagami Devi, in Baahubali films.[144][145]Saloni had a cameo in Magadheera and later played the female lead in Maryada Ramanna.[146]Mumaith Khan appeared in item songs in Chatrapathi and Magadheera.[147][80]
Kota Srinivasa Rao worked with him in three films.[148][78][72]Nassar acted in Simhadri, Sye, and the Baahubali series.[149]Pradeep Rawat was introduced to Telugu film industry by Rajamouli as the antagonist Bikshu Yadav in Sye which won him fame.[150] He later worked in Chatrapathi as the villain Ras Bihari.[151][152]Narendra Jha was cast as the antagonist Baji Rao in Chatrapathi and later also acted in Yamadonga.[153][154][155]Supreeth worked in three films of Rajamouli as a goon or henchman of the main antagonist.[81][76] Rajamouli gave Prabhakar his first full-fledged role in Maryada Ramanna which became his breakthrough role.[156] Prabhakar named his son after Rajamouli as gratitude towards him.[157][158][159] He later played the Kalakeya leader Inkoshi in Baahubali: The Beginning. After the film's success, he came to be popularly referred to as 'Kalakeya Prabhakar'.[160][159][161]
Rajamouli is of the view that watching films in a movie 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 of Streaming media, he said "[a] movie theater is like a temple. The other day, I went to the Music 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 over streaming services, like reintroduction of intermission– as it provides an opportunity for the audience to refresh themselves. He also opined that movie stars play a big role in bringing audiences to theaters.[167]
Pan-Indian films
Rajamouli is considered as the pioneer of Pan-Indian films wherein an Indian film is made in a way that it appeals to the linguistically and culturally diverse audience across India.[168][30][169] He emphasized that making a pan-Indian film doesn't necessarily mean getting actors from different Indian film industries, but instead its about having a story and emotion that connects to everyone irrespective of the language. He said 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.[7]
Chatrapathi is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language action film co-written & directed by S. S. Rajamouli and produced by B. V. S. N. Prasad. The film stars Prabhas and Shriya Saran, alongside Shafi, Bhanupriya, and Pradeep Rawat play supporting roles. M. M. Keeravani composed the music, while Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao and K. K. Senthil Kumar handled the cinematography and editing.
Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli is an Indian film director and screenwriter who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his action, fantasy, and epic genre films. He is the highest grossing Indian director of all time, as well as the highest-paid director in India. He is a recipient of various national and international honours including a New York Film Critics Circle award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, two Saturn Awards, and four National Film Awards. In 2016, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, for his contributions in the field of art. In 2023, he was included on the Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Saloni Aswani is an Indian actress and model who appears in Telugu and Kannada films. After finishing her education, Saloni ventured into modelling, appearing in various television advertisements. She went on to pursue a career in acting, debuting in the Hindi film Dil Pardesi Ho Gayaa (2003), following which she starred in several Telugu films, failing to achieve notable commercial success. She gained notice through her performances in Buddhivantha and S. S. Rajamouli's Maryada Ramanna (2010), leading to roles in further major Telugu productions.
Indukuri Sunil Varma, known mononymously as Sunil, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Telugu films, and has also featured in a few Tamil films. Noted for his comic roles, Sunil has appeared in over 180 films in his career, including a few lead roles. He has won three state Nandi Awards and two Filmfare Awards South. He was widely considered as one of Tollywood's finest comedians during his peak in the 2000s, most known for his distinct laugh and delivery of jokes.
Anuj Gurwara is a playback singer, master of ceremonies, actor, voice artist, radio jockey and television show host, who has won a Filmfare Award for his singing in the film Magadheera (2009).
Magadheera is a 2009 Indian Telugu-language fantasy romantic action film directed by S. S. Rajamouli and produced by Allu Aravind's Geetha Arts, on a story by V. Vijayendra Prasad. The film stars Ram Charan Konidela, Srihari, Kajal Aggarwal and Dev Gill. It is themed on reincarnation and eternal love.
Maryada Ramanna is a 2010 Indian Telugu-language action comedy drama film co-written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film is produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni under Arka Media Works. The film stars Sunil, Saloni and Nagineedu. It has music composed by M. M. Keeravani with cinematography and editing performed by Ram Prasad and Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao respectively. It is based on the 1923 silent movie Our Hospitality which had earlier been adapted in Kannada in 2002 as Balagaalittu Olage Baa.
K. K. Senthil Kumar is an Indian cinematographer who works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his frequent collaborations with S.S. Rajamouli. He graduated with a degree in cinematography from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He made his debut as a cinematographer with the sitcom TV series Amrutham. He made his film debut with Aithe (2003) which brought him recognition.
Eega is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati's Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of ₹30–40 crore. It was filmed simultaneously in Tamil language with the title Naan Ee. The film stars Nani, Sudeepa, and Samantha. M. M. Keeravani composed the songs and the background score while K. K. Senthil Kumar was the director of photography. Janardhana Maharshi and Crazy Mohan wrote the dialogue for the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.
Koduri Viswa Vijayendra Prasad is an Indian screenwriter and film director who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He also worked in a few Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil films. His filmography consists of more than twenty five films as a screenwriter, most of which were commercially successful.
Makuta is an Indian visual effects and animation company based in Santa Clara, CA with branches in Hyderabad, India and Universal City, CA. The company received the prestigious National Film Award for Best Special Effects, from the Indian government, in 2010 and 2012, for Magadheera and Eega, respectively.
Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni are an Indian film producer duo. They founded Arka Media Works, a film production company known for its works in Telugu cinema and Telugu Television Programs and Shows. Their notable productions include Vedam (2010), Maryada Ramanna (2010), the Baahubali film series (2015–2017) and Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (2020). Yarlagadda and Devineni have together garnered two National Film Awards, two state Nandi Awards, three Filmfare South Awards, two SIIMA awards, one Zee Cine Awards Telugu and a Saturn Award.
Prabhakar, also known as Kalakeya Prabhakar, is an Indian actor who predominently works in Telugu films along with Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam films. He is best known for his role as the king of the Kalakeyas in Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). His other notable films include Maryada Ramanna (2010), Dongaata (2015), Jai Simha (2018), Akhanda (2021). As of July 2022, he has acted in over 120 films in five languages.
RRR is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic period action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the film with V. Vijayendra Prasad. It was produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan alongside an ensemble cast with Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, and Olivia Morris playing supporting roles. This marks the Telugu film debuts of Devgn, Bhatt, Stevenson, Doody and Morris. It revolves around the fictional versions of two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem, their friendship, and their fight against the British Raj.
Chandra Sekhar, known professionally as Chatrapathi Sekhar, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu films. He is known for his frequent collaborations with S. S. Rajamouli.
Rama Rajamouli is an Indian costume designer and film stylist, who primarily works in Telugu cinema. Rama made her debut with the 2001 film Student No: 1. She is known for her work in the films Magadheera (2009), Eega (2012), Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) and RRR (2022).
Pan-Indianfilm is a term related to Indian cinema that originated with Telugu cinema as a mainstream commercial cinema appealing to audiences across the country with a spread to world markets. S. S. Rajamouli pioneered the pan-Indian films movement with duology of epic action films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), that changed the face of Indian cinema. The term "pan-Indian film" is used for a film that is simultaneously marketed and released in multiple languages across India – Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. Such films make an attempt to appeal to the audiences across the country, cutting across the linguistic, regional and cultural barriers.
Koduri Siva Shakthi Datta is an Indian lyricist, screenwriter, and painter who works in Telugu cinema. He is known for writing Sanskrit-based song lyrics in Telugu films. He is the elder brother of screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad, father of music director M. M. Keeravani and the uncle of director S. S. Rajamouli.
1 2 "Q&A: Director Rajamouli on the making of 'Bahubali'". Reuters. 13 April 2017. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022. 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.
↑ Kumar, Anuj (18 October 2012). "Flight of imagination". The Hindu. ISSN0971-751X. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2022. I like larger-than-life ideas. I take an impossible situation and then make the audience believe in it.
↑ Cain, Rob (27 August 2015). "An Interview With 'Baahubali' Director SS Rajamouli: The Beginning". Forbes. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022. 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.
↑ Adivi, Sashidhar (3 August 2017). "SS Rajamouli's epic inspiration". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2021. 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 have narratives inspired by mythology: S S Rajamouli". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022. 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.
↑ "SS Rajamouli on Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, being an atheist and his love for cinema". Firstpost. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022. 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.
↑ Naidu, Rajesh. "S S Rajamouli: The Epic Storyteller". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022. Piyush Roy, a film historian with University of Edinburgh says, "All of Rajamouli's films have well-rounded action plots. Among the Navarasas, 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."
↑ S., Vidya; Lidhoo, Prerna (22 July 2022). "How Movies From the South Conquered Bollywood". Business Today. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022. 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.
↑ Tetali, Sagar (22 March 2022). "SS Rajamouli, Maker of Myths". Film Companion. Retrieved 16 July 2022. But there is another dimension to mythology that is central to Rajamouli's filmography, long unexplored in Indian cinema — that of violence.
↑ Shanmugam, Kavitha (9 April 2022). "I make big-scale movies driven by emotions: Rajamouli". The Federal. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022. "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".
↑ Bhopatkar, Tejashree (30 December 2021). "SS Rajamouli: My family members are ruthless critics; they show no mercy in ripping apart my films if they don't like anything". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022. 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.
↑ Jain, Gautam (25 March 2022). "The original Pan India filmmaker". Ormax Media. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022. 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.
↑ Ghosh, Sankhayan. "A Song of Fire and Water: SS Rajamouli's Cinema of Miracles". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023– via Ghostarchive. 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)
↑ "How the Telugu classic, Mayabazar, set a trend". The Hindu. 18 November 2021. ISSN0971-751X. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022. 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."
↑ Naidu, Rajesh. "S S Rajamouli: The Epic Storyteller". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022. 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.
1 2 Kumar, Hemanth (27 April 2017). "SS Rajamouli on Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, being an atheist and his love for cinema". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022. 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.
↑ Rajamani, Radhika (21 August 2007). "The Rajmouli-NTR Jr winning combination". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022. I am fascinated by the films made by Vijaya films, which was the primary source of inspiration, and started the creative juices in me.
↑ Singh, Suhani (17 December 2021). "S.S. Rajamouli: The return of the king". India Today. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022. "I have read all of his books. I love his sense of largeness. The adventure and emotions are mass-y by themselves," says Rajamouli.
↑ "Number Seventh Blockbuster of the year 2001 – Student No.1". Idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022. 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.
↑ "Whose Baahubali is it now?". Deccan Chronicle. 15 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022. 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.
↑ Hooli, Shekhar H. (24 April 2020). "Baahubali musician Keeravani opens up on his dislikes about RRR director SS Rajamouli". International Business Times India. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022. 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.
↑ "SS Rajamouli about Maryada Ramanna interview". Idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2022. 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.
↑ "Interview with Kalyan Koduri about awards – Telugu cinema music composer". Idlebrain.com. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022. 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.
↑ "Did you know Baahubali's 'Devasena' Anushka Shetty was rejected after her first audition? See her first photoshoot". The Indian Express. 16 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022. 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.
↑ "I owe a lot to the Tollywood, says Pradeep Rawat". Ap7am. 23 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022. 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.
↑ Vyas (16 May 2019). "Kalakeya bags a biggie". The Hans India. Retrieved 14 April 2023. 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!
↑ "Rajamouli: రాజమౌళి ప్రతి సినిమాలో చత్రపతి శేఖర్ ఎందుకు ఉంటాడో తెలుసా?.. కారణమదే."TV9 Telugu (in Telugu). 7 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023. 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.
↑ Bamzai, Kaveree (1 April 2022). "Cinema's Biggest Mythmaker". Open Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022. He is perhaps singlehandedly responsible for the rise of the pan-Indian film.
↑ Srinivasan, Latha (30 March 2022). "Inside the mind of SS Rajamouli: Decoding how the RRR director lends scale to his storytelling". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022. 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."
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