SS Rajamouli says RRR’s success is ‘unbelievable’

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR, which is one of India’s highest-grossing films ever and continues its solid run currently in Japan, is still trying to find out why the film is being celebrated by the foreign audience, especially in the West, even months after its theatrical release. Calling it ‘unbelievable’, SS Rajamouli has said that he feels RRR’s run is ‘unstoppable’.

Released in cinemas early this year in March, RRR is a fictional story set in the 1920s pre-independent era and is based on the lives of two real heroes and well-known revolutionaries – Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. While Ram Charan played Ram, Jr NTR was seen as Bheem. RRR is currently having a solid run in Japan where it is now the second highest-grossing Indian film of all time after Rajinikanth’s Muthu.

In an interview to Screen Daily, SS Rajamouli opened up about the mega success of RRR and its extended run. “It’s unbelievable. Usually when we release a film, everything is over in a month, but with RRR it’s different. It seems unstoppable,” SS Rajamouli said.

He added, “I’m trying to find out why westerners like the film so much. From what I’ve read on social media, it’s a mix of the unapologetic super-heroism and the unexpected movement from action to romance, comedy, dance and action. But this is how we tell stories in India. There’s something for everyone.”

Recently the film was showcased at TCL Chinese Theatre and was received with great response from the audience. A Deadline report confirmed that the 932 seats in the theatre were sold out in 20 minutes. From the single show, the film minted $21,000, taking its cumulative box-office earnings from re-release to $221,156.

In recent months, RRR has earned praise from Hollywood heavyweights like Danny DeVito, Edgar Wright, Russo Brothers, James Gunn, and Scott Derrickson, among others. Speaking to India Today about the film in a recent interview, Hollywood veteran Danny Devito said, “A few days back, I watched RRR… it was really good!”