SS Rajamouli reveals why RRR has done so well in the west: ‘The whole world started looking into…’

SS Rajamouli’s RRR has been a revelation for the west. The film was released in theatres in India back in March but it wasn’t until a few months later that the western world woke up to it. It began with the digital release on Netflix and soon snowballed into the film developing a cult following in US and beyond. In a recent interview, the filmmaker himself opened up on why that is the case. (Also Read | RRR wins best international film at Saturn Awards 2022, SS Rajamouli says: ‘We are super elated’)

Ever since its Netflix release, RRR has garnered praise from Hollywood elite like James Gunn and Danny DeVito as well as common fans all around the globe. Its special screenings in the US and Canada have been sold out, and there is an Oscars campaign underway after several publications named the film a favourite for categories like Best Picture.

Talking about the massive hype, SS Rajamouli told Empire magazine, “I myself am surprised. India has a huge diaspora around the world, and I thought the film would do good wherever Indian audiences were. But then the reception started coming from Westerners. I didn’t expect any of this.”

The filmmaker does add that Covid-19 may have played a role in the film’s popularity. “When everything got shut down, the whole world started looking into different cultures, absorbing content from different countries, in different languages,” Rajamouli added. He also attributed the success “RRR’s unapologetic action sequences; its unapologetic heroism” as a factor in its success in the West.

RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, is a fictionalised account of the early lives of two Indian revolutionaries – Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. The film is one of the most successful Indian movies of all time with a global gross of over ₹1100 crore and counting.

RRR has been particularly successful overseas, earning $25 million (over ₹200 crore) from outside India. This includes a gross of $14.5 million in the US alone and just under $4 million from the Middle East.

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