RRR
RRR is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic period action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the screenplay with V. Vijayendra Prasad. Produced by D. V. V. Danayya under DVV Entertainment, the film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan as fictionalised versions of Indian revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju, respectively. It also features Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody and Olivia Morris in supporting roles. It marks the Telugu film debuts of Devgn, Bhatt, Stevenson, Doody and Morris. The film is a fictionalised tale of two historical freedom fighters, set in the Indian pre-independence era.
Rajamouli conceptualised the film by reimagining the lives of Sitarama Raju and Bheem, envisioning their meeting in 1920s Delhi as two formidable forces uniting to battle British colonial rule. The film was officially announced in March 2018, and principal photography began in November 2018 in Hyderabad. The production faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concluded in August 2021. RRR was shot extensively across India, with additional sequences filmed in Ukraine and Bulgaria. The film's songs and background score were composed by M. M. Keeravani, with cinematography by K. K. Senthil Kumar and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad. Sabu Cyril served as the production designer, and V. Srinivas Mohan supervised the visual effects.
Made on a budget of ₹550 crore, RRR was the most expensive Indian film at the time of its release. The film was released theatrically on 25 March 2022 and became the first Indian film to be released in Dolby Cinema format. It received universal critical acclaim for its direction, screenwriting, cast performances, cinematography, soundtrack, action sequences and VFX. With ₹223 crore worldwide on its first day, RRR recorded the highest opening-day earned by an Indian film at the time. It emerged as the highest-grossing film in its home market of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, grossing over ₹406 crore. The film grossed ₹1,300–1,387 crore worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, becoming the fifth highest-grossing Indian film, the third highest-grossing Telugu film and the highest grossing Indian film of 2022 worldwide.
RRR was considered one of the ten best films of the year by the National Board of Review, making it only the second non-English language film ever to make it to the list. The song "Naatu Naatu" won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards, making it the first song from an Asian film to win in this category. The win made RRR the first and only Indian feature film to win an Academy Award. The film became the third Indian film and first Telugu film to receive nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film, and won Best Original Song for "Naatu Naatu", making it the first Indian nominee to win the award. RRR also won the awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Song at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards. At the 69th National Film Awards, the film won six awards, including Best Popular Feature Film, Best Music Direction and Best Male Playback Singer. RRR also fetched the state Telangana Gaddar Film Award for Best Feature Film.
Plot
During the British Raj in 1920, the oppressive Governor Scott Buxton and his wife Catherine, visit a forest in Adilabad, where they abduct Malli, an artistically talented girl from the Gond tribe. The tribe's guardian, Komaram Bheem, embarks for Delhi to rescue her, disguising himself as a Muslim named Akhtar. The Nizamate of Hyderabad warns Buxton office of the impending danger and advises them to return the child. Undeterred, Catherine enlists Alluri Sitarama "Ram" Raju, an ambitious Indian Imperial Police officer, to quell the threat, promising a promotion should he capture Bheem alive or a bounty otherwise.Ram and his uncle Venkateswarulu attend a pro-independence gathering in disguise, where Bheem's aide Lachhu attempts to recruit them into Bheem's plot. On the way to Bheem's hideout, Lachhu discerns Ram's identity and flees. Shortly afterward, Ram and Bheem witness a child getting trapped by a train wreck and work together to rescue him. Unaware of their opposing allegiances, they form a close friendship.
With Ram's help, Bheem courts an Englishwoman named Jenny, discovering that she is staying with the Buxtons. Following a party where Ram and Bheem out-dance the pompous English attendees, Jenny invites Bheem to her residence, where he finds Malli and promises to free her soon after. Meanwhile, Ram locates Lachhu and apprehends him. While being interrogated, Lachhu sets a banded krait onto Ram and warns him of his imminent death, since the British have no antidote for its venom and that the antidote is only known to the Gonds. Bheem finds Ram, saves his life, and divulges his tribal identity and mission, unaware of Ram's true identity.
That night, at an event to honour Governor Buxton, Bheem's men barge into his residence with a truck filled with wildlife; they maul Buxton's guards, creating havoc among the guests. Ram arrives and fights Bheem; Bheem is forced to stand down when Buxton holds Malli at gunpoint. Bheem is arrested and Ram is promoted.
A flashback reveals that Ram's father Alluri Venkatarama Raju was a revolutionary who hoped to arm his village with British rifles, but was killed by British soldiers before he got the chance. Ram, who had promised his dying father that he would get guns to arm his village, subsequently left his village and his fiancée Sita to become a mole within the police - his promotion for having captured Bheem finally giving him access to the gun shipments. At Bheem's public flogging, Ram attempts to persuade him to recant his actions; Bheem chooses flogging instead. Bheem sings in defiance of his injuries, inciting the assembled crowd into rebellion, and further enlightening Ram, who realizes that Bheem's courage inspires people in a way that mere weapons cannot. He persuades Buxton to execute Bheem in secrecy in front of Malli while preparing an ambush to rescue both of them, but Buxton deduces the plan, and Ram is injured while rescuing Malli. Bheem, who mistakes Ram as trying to hurt Malli, bludgeons Ram and escapes with Malli. Ram is arrested for treason and imprisoned in solitary confinement.
Months later, Bheem, who is hiding with his group and Malli in Hathras, is cornered by the colonial authorities. Sita, who had arrived there to collect Ram's body after his hanging, rescues them by claiming that the people there had smallpox, which deters the British officers. Unaware of Bheem's identity, she reveals Ram's anti-colonial objectives and his impending execution. Realising his folly, Bheem vows to save him.
With Jenny's assistance, Bheem infiltrates the barracks where Ram is detained and frees him. The pair retreat to a nearby forest, where they defeat soldiers with a longbow taken from a Rama shrine and a spear. Taking the fight to Buxton, they hurl a flaming motorcycle into the barracks' magazines, setting it afire. Bheem steals a cache of guns for Ram before the barracks explode, killing many soldiers and Catherine. Cornering a wounded Buxton, Ram has Bheem execute Buxton with a British rifle, fulfilling their respective objectives. Ram is reunited with Sita, and Bheem and Malli are reunited with their group. To mark the mission's successful completion, Ram asks Bheem to make a wish he can grant; Bheem asks Ram to provide education for him and his community. Raju and Sita return to their village with a cache of guns salvaged from the ruins of the barracks, and Bheem and his group return to Adilabad, where Malli is reunited with her mother.
Cast
Production
Development
In October 2017, in an interview with Variety, S. S. Rajamouli announced two projects after Baahubali 2: The Conclusion with producers D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment and K. L. Narayana. Rajamouli prioritised his work on the former, which was touted to be a social drama film, and which would be followed by Narayana's production with actor Mahesh Babu. In November 2017, Rajamouli shared a picture with N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan through his social media handles, hinting their inclusion in the film.Rajamouli came across real-life stories about the lives of Rama Raju and Bheem and connected the coincidences between them, imagining what would have happened had they met, and been friends.
The film was announced in March 2018, with the tentative title RRR, an abbreviation for Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and Rama Rao. The tentative title RRR was later confirmed to be the film's official title as Rajamouli felt that a universal title across the languages was essential for a film of such scale. Principal photography of the film began in November 2018 in Hyderabad and continued until August 2021, owing to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was filmed extensively across India, with a few sequences filmed in Ukraine and Bulgaria.
Rajamouli's father V. Vijayendra Prasad gave the original story and Rajamouli scripted the film, which he worked on for six months. In September 2018, writer Sai Madhav Burra was signed for the dialogues for the film in the primary language, whereas dialogues in other versions were written by Madhan Karky, Varadaraj Chikkaballapura, Mamkombu Gopalakrishnan, and Riya Mukherjee. Rajamouli retained several technicians from his previous projects. The crew consists of M. M. Keeravani as the music director, K. K. Senthil Kumar as the director of photography, A. Sreekar Prasad as the film editor, Sabu Cyril as the production designer, V. Srinivas Mohan handling the visual effects supervision, and Rama Rajamouli as the costume designer. Nick Powell was the stunt director for the film, and handled the choreography for the climax action sequences in the film. Prior to the start of film production, both Rama Rao and Charan had attended a special workshop in mid-November 2018, in order to train physically and intensively for their roles in the film.
RRR is an entirely fictitious story incorporating the lives of two real-life Indian revolutionaries, namely Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, who fought against the British Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad respectively. Charan plays Rama Raju while Rama Rao plays Komaram Bheem. The plot explores their stay in Delhi of the 1920s before they begin the fight for their country. Rajamouli stated that there had been a coincidence between the two Telugu tribal leaders and the events surrounding over them.