SS Rajamouli responds to criticism about the portrayal of the British in RRR

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Film director SS Rajamouli, known for blockbusters – Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion and RRR, has gained worldwide critical acclaim for the latter.

Starring South Indian cinema superstars Jr NTR and Ram Charan as revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitaraman respectively, RRR is set in the 1920s when India was under the British rule. The plot of the movie revolves around the various brutalities that the British subjected Indians to.

Released earlier this year, the cinematic masterpiece earned millions at the box office. However, it was after its release on Netflix that the world started taking note of the movie with several Hollywood writers and filmmakers appreciating SS Rajamouli’s genius work.

Despite the huge success, many British moviegoers complained that the movie portrayed the British in an unfavourable and villainous light.

During a Q&A session after a screening of RRR in the US, Rajamouli spoke about the film and addressed the criticism, “At the beginning of the film, you see the disclaimer card. Even if you miss it, it’s not a history lesson. It’s a story. The audience in general understands it. If a British is playing the villain, they understand that I am not saying all the Britishers are villains. If my heroes are Indians, they understand that all Indians are heroes.”

He continued, “In this film, a particular guy is a villain and a particular guy is a hero. They automatically understand. They may not be knowledgeable about everything but their emotional intelligence is very high. Once we understand that as a storyteller, we don’t have to worry about other peripheral things.” According to reports, it is possible that RRR might be nominated in a few categories at the upcoming Oscars. SS Rajamouli is also currently working on his upcoming project starring Mahesh Babu, a film that many are looking forward to watch in the theatres.