Movie buffs across the country have been waiting too long for the release of SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR (Roudram Ranam Rudhiram). The film was originally scheduled to hit the screens on June 30, 2020, but it was delayed multiple times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, the period drama is hitting theatres on March 25 in 6,000 screens.
Interestingly, a portion of RRR was filmed in war-torn Ukraine. Rajamouli and his lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are in constant touch with their friends over there and are hoping that peace will be restored soon. “We had a great time filming Naatu...Naatu song in Ukraine. We never faced any difficulty shooting there and had absolutely no idea of their political situation. However, I never saw war in Ukraine coming. After the war began, NTR, Charan and I spoke to our friends there to know about their well-being. I feel distressed seeing the plight of Ukrainians and I hope that the war ends soon,” avers Rajamouli.
NTR revealed that the people of Ukraine are amicable and welcoming. “Ukrainians, especially the dancers who worked with us in RRR, are so friendly and warm. They have had the enthusiasm to learn new things. The dance movements in Naatu...Naatu are desi, but these dancers had learnt it quickly with great interest and danced with perfection. I was quite fond of their food, culture and professionalism,” says NTR.
Ram Charan stated that he had reached out to his security in-charge in Ukraine after the war broke out. “I spoke to my security personnel in Ukraine and understood that his father, at 80, is holding a gun and serving in the Ukrainian Army. I realised that the least I could do is lend a helping hand. I hope that the situation returns to normalcy soon,” says Charan.
Ram Charan and NTR shower each other with words of praise during the interaction. “Tarak was always energetic on the sets. I was surprised with the amount of dedication he exhibited during the shoot,” says Charan. NTR was more than gracious to return the favour by praising Charan. “Ram Charan is a great human. I am lucky to have him as my close friend,” he says.
The Janatha Garage actor believes that RRR will become a trendsetter for more multi-starrer films in Telugu. “Gone are the days when our directors would think of balancing screen time or the image of two actors. I believe that there are no such notions and what everyone wants to see is a good film in our combination,” explains NTR.
Terming that RRR is not a biopic of revolutionary freedom fighters Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem, Rajamouli shares, “RRR cannot be construed as a real story. It is a dramatised version of a fictitious story. Both NTR and Charan followed the script rather than prodding over history. Usually, I don’t predict the outcome of my films, but I am confident that RRR will be bigger than Baahubali.”
The maverick director agrees that the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns have certainly disrupted their plans and also made film shootings more expensive. “The three waves of the pandemic have certainly delayed the proceedings and it was really disappointing. However, we took these opportunities to fine-tune the script and post-production works. After the third wave, we have improvised the 3D version and I am excited that the audience will get to see NTR and Charan in a new format,” opines Rajamouli.
Asked if there would be a sequel to RRR, Rajamouli says, “There won’t be a sequel to RRR and I have no plans to make it a franchise.”Produced by DVV Danayya, RRR also features Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani and Alia Bhatt in prominent roles.