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RRR – NTR, Ram Charan, Rajamouli = Box Office Bonanza
A Movie You Can Watch Again And Again
[dropcap] A[/dropcap]fter a tough day of deadlines, I decided to turn on Netflix for some brief diversion. Usually a big movie buff, I’ve recently turned into a picky watcher who tends to window-shop rather than watch a full movie, losing my patience quickly with films which don’t hold my interest. I look at all the titles of Hindi movies being streamed and then switch the set off, unless it happens to star Anshumann Khurana or Rajkumar Rao or seems like a movie with meat on the bones. Imagine my surprise when I turned on RRR and found myself frozen in place, actually standing where I was for the first 15 minutes – so riveting was every scene.
I don’t want to spoil your fun by describing any of the knockout action or storyline but I’ll say this: RRR takes you back to when you were a kid and movies were the real deal, a magic potion where you were held totally captive by action, high drama, enchantment and raw emotions. There are scenes in RRR which you could never have imagined in your wildest dreams.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he story follows two hunky patriots Komaram Bheem (NT Rama Rao Jr) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) – but each with a very different life story and you see how the arc of destiny brings them together against the common enemy, wicked British colonialism. Both NTR and Ram Charan are huuuge in the South and now we get to see why. The introductory scene of each, one singlehandedly battling a tiger, and the other a massive mob just takes your breath away. Each of them is so charismatic that when they are both on screen, you don’t know where to look. It is a sheer pleasure to enter their worlds and see all that cinema can be.
RRR is a movie which will draw a lot of different people, because it’s got so many different threads to it. It is pan-Indian and every Indian from any part of the country will see themselves in it. If you’ve seen it once, you can see it twice and you can even see it three times. Because there’s just so much action going on that there are many things you missed the first time and you catch them the second time. And there are some breathtaking scenes, which you wonder how they even thought of putting those together, how their minds worked, and how they got it all in that one frame.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nd it really is like a magic box where you enter and get lost in different rabbit holes. The action in RRR is just crazy – with a maniacal British Raj, wild-eyed tigers, blazing fires and mayhem and our two heroes are the entire Marvel Universe combined but add to that their smoldering, magnetic eyes, high drama, desi friendship and the not to be underestimated power of desi song and dance. The lyrics are in Kannada which I don’t understand and in Hindi but the English translations in the subtitles and the beautiful music will blow you away.
A lot has to do with the grand wizard S.S. Rajamouli – he as director of the Baahubali megahits – I remember seeing the original film in-flight somewhere over England – and I was totally mesmerized watching that unbelievable film unfold on the tiny flight gadget – it still had the ability to totally engage you and take you into a very different world.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he same with RRR – it’s got a powerful story, charismatic stars and the wow factor where anything can and does happen. It is way, way over the top – and does not take itself too seriously. So you have three hours chock a block with drama, action, humor – and in spite of all the gore, it’s a feel-good movie where you’re rooting for the good guys – and there are plenty of them in a movie which also has a lot of bad guys.
The leads are both magnetic – and Ajay Devgn in a powerful cameo role is also a stunner. Alia Bhatt has a small role but she brings honesty, freshness and a gentle strength to the role of Seetha.
A lot has to be said for the computer-generated tigers and other wildlife and those scenes are some of the most mesmerizing. Every frame has so much action that if you watch it a second time or even a third you’re bound to catch details you missed the first time around.
There are shades of Sholay in the bromance of Bheem and Raju and so much positivity that if you’re feeling low or high, happy or sad catch RRR – it will get rid of your funk, and if you were already happy, it will simply make you happier
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he film draws its strengths from varied worlds of Mahabharata, Ramayana and pop culture superheroes – Nothing looks corny or out of place – you just sit back and relax and you know these two larger-than-life guys will take care of everything. Even in the light-hearted dance-off against the British Raj, the two heroes leave audiences thrilled and open-mouthed with delight. Patriotism has never been so much fun. This is particularly soothing in our rough times when we are hobbled by two-and-a-half years of COVID pandemic, and so much grief in all parts of the world. We certainly could use a few real-life Rajus and Bheems. .
The Masala Entertainer Also Makes Big Bucks
“Made on a budget of ₹550 crore (US$72 million), RRR is the most expensive Indian film at the time of it’s release. The film was initially scheduled for theatrical release on 30 July 2020, which has been deferred multiple times due to production delays and followed by the pandemic. RRR was released theatrically on 25 March 2022, and opened to positive reviews from the critics with praise for the performances, particularly Rama Rao and Charan, and screenplay by Rajamouli. With ₹240 crore (US$31 million) worldwide on its first day, RRR broke the record for the highest opening-day collection earned by an Indian film. The film grossed over ₹1,150 crore (US$150 million) worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, including the second highest-grossing film in India and the third highest-grossing Indian film until it was surpassed by K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) during its theatrical run.” (Variety)
Here are some additional reviews of RRR to whet your appetite.
RRR Review: A Hero (or Two) Shall Rise
It’s not long in “RRR” before a tiger and a wolf collide midair during a brawl with one of the film’s two musclebound heroes. Scenes of glorious excess make the screen hum with energy in the latest feature from S.S. Rajamouli, the director of the “Baahubali” blockbusters.
RRR Is A Jaw-Dropping Marriage Of History And Fantasy
“With most fantasy epics and superhero movies, the actual drama is rooted in emotions. The scale and action sequences are expected. As a viewer, there’s always the sense that these are divine beings doing their thing. So the painstakingly choreographed spectacles tend to be less gratifying than the quiet conflicts and platonic bonds. The smaller moments – where God-like figures behave like mortal humans – stand out. In an S.S. Rajamouli movie, though, the template is reversed. The fantasy of these films are just about tethered to reality.”
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