RRR is helmed by SS Rajamouli.Director SS Rajamouli, actors Ram Charan, Jr NTR and producer DVV Danayya addressed the media on Thursday in Hyderabad for the first time since RRR was announced almost a year ago. Rajamouli set the ball rolling by underlining the agenda of the discussion: end rumours about the film’s plot.
“I believe that the audience should be rightly informed about what to expect from a film,” Rajamouli said.
The Baahubali director also noted that he has the practice of sharing basic details of his films even before he begins to shoot them. But, this time he wasn’t able to follow his regular protocol due to some reasons.
RRR is set in the backdrop of the pre-independence era and it follows the rebellion of two tribal leaders against British Raj. The film is inspired by the times and struggles of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. “I was surprised when I found out that there were some uncanny similarities in the stories of these heroes,” Rajamouli said.
The director pointed out that Alluri Sitarama Raju was well-versed in English, history, Vedas, Puranas and yogasana. And in his youth, he left his home and nobody knew about his whereabouts for about two years. When he returned to his village, he started his rebellion including guerilla warfare for the welfare of tribal people.
“On the other hand, Komaram Bheem had no formal education and he also left his village in his youth for a few years. But, he came back as an educated person,” he added. “He also fought against the Nizam rule for tribal rights. He also employed guerilla warfare and later died at the hands of the British.”
SS Rajamouli noted that it was an interesting coincidence that two Telugu tribal leaders of different regions, who were born in the same period, disappeared for few years from their native villages, and took up arms for the rights of their people when they returned and later attained martyrdom under British rule.
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The thought of what could have been the course of history had Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem become friends during their formative years, inspired Rajamouli to make this film.
“My film will not dwell on the stories of their rebellion that we already know. But, it will focus on what would have happened if they had met during their self-imposed exile and became friends,” he added.
The director was thrilled to explore the blind spot in the history of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem for a cinematic spectacle. He claimed that since there were no records about what happened in the lives of these freedom fighters when they were away from their homes, it has given him a lot of creative freedom. “This film may be inspired by real-life heroes, but it is completely a work of fiction,” he clarified.
Rajamouli recalled that he got the idea of making such a film while watching, The Motorcycle Diaries. “All the stories we know about these heroes begin with their freedom struggle. But, my film ends with their return to their villages,” he said.
While Ram Charan is playing Alluri Sitarama Raju, Jr NTR is essaying the role of Komaram Bheem. The filmmakers have also roped in Ajay Devan and Alia Bhatt for important roles.
Set in the 1920s, RRR is being made at an estimated budget of Rs 350 crore. It will hit screens worldwide in multiple languages on July 30, 2020.
