RRR

About the film

RRR is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language epic period action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the screenplay with V. Vijayendra Prasad. The title is an abbreviation for Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and Rama Rao. Produced by D. V. V. Danayya under DVV Entertainment, the film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan as fictionalised versions of Indian revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju, respectively. It also features Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody and Olivia Morris in supporting roles. It marks the Telugu film debuts of Devgn, Bhatt, Stevenson, Doody and Morris. The film is a fictionalised tale of two historical freedom fighters, set in the Indian pre-independence era.

Rajamouli conceptualised the film by reimagining the lives of Sitarama Raju and Bheem, envisioning their meeting in 1920s Delhi as two formidable forces uniting to battle British colonial rule. The film was officially announced in March 2018, and principal photography began in November 2018 in Hyderabad. The production faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concluded in August 2021. RRR was shot extensively across India, with additional sequences filmed in Ukraine and Bulgaria. The film's songs and background score were composed by M. M. Keeravani, with cinematography by K. K. Senthil Kumar and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad. Sabu Cyril served as the production designer, and V. Srinivas Mohan supervised the visual effects.

Plot

In 1920, during the British Raj, the tyrannical Governor Scott Buxton and his cruel wife, Catherine, visit a forest in Adilabad. There, they encounter Malli, an artistically gifted young girl from the Gond tribe, who sings folk songs while applying intricate Mehndi artwork to Catherine's hand. Fascinated by her talent, Catherine abducts Malli and takes her back to Delhi. Enraged by the injustice, the tribe's guardian, Komaram Bheem, travels to Delhi to rescue her, embedding himself in the city under the Muslim pseudonym "Akhtar." The Nizamate of Hyderabad alerts Buxton's office that a dangerous Gond guardian intends to reclaim the child. Undeterred, Catherine enlists Alluri Sitarama "Ram" Raju, an exceptionally ambitious and highly skilled Indian Imperial Police officer, to neutralize the threat. She promises a major promotion if he captures Bheem alive, or a hefty bounty otherwise.

Ram and his uncle, Venkateswarulu, attend a pro-independence gathering in disguise to locate the tribal leader. There, Bheem's close aide, Lachhu, attempts to recruit them into their anti-colonial cell. However, on the way to their hideout, Lachhu uncovers Ram's true identity as a police officer and flees. Shortly afterward, Ram and Bheem independently witness a young boy trapped beneath a burning train wreck. Working in perfect, unspoken synchronization, the two men execute a daring rescue. Unaware of their fiercely opposing allegiances, they develop a profound, brotherly friendship.

With Ram's assistance, Bheem courts Jenny, a compassionate Englishwoman who happens to be Governor Buxton's niece. Following a formal party where Ram and Bheem brilliantly out-dance the elitist British attendees, Jenny invites Bheem to her uncle's fortified residence. Inside, Bheem locates Malli by her singing and promises to liberate her soon. Meanwhile, Ram tracks down and apprehends Lachhu. During a brutal interrogation, Lachhu deliberately unleashes a highly venomous banded krait onto Ram. As he flees, Lachhu warns the officer that his death is imminent, as the British possess no antidote for the venom, which is known only to the Gond people. Bheem discovers a dying Ram and utilizes his tribal knowledge to successfully neutralize the poison. Deeply moved by Ram's vulnerability, Bheem confesses his true identity and his mission to rescue Malli, completely unaware that his best friend is the very officer hunting him.

Production

In October 2017, in an interview with Variety, S. S. Rajamouli announced two projects after Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) with producers D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment and K. L. Narayana. Rajamouli prioritised his work on the former, which was touted to be a social drama film, and which would be followed by Narayana's production with actor Mahesh Babu. In November 2017, Rajamouli shared a picture with N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan through his social media handles, hinting their inclusion in the film.

Rajamouli came across real-life stories about the lives of Rama Raju and Bheem and connected the coincidences between them, imagining what would have happened had they met, and been friends.

The film was announced in March 2018, with the tentative title RRR, an abbreviation for Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and Rama Rao. The tentative title RRR was later confirmed to be the film's official title as Rajamouli felt that a universal title across the languages was essential for a film of such scale. Principal photography of the film began in November 2018 in Hyderabad and continued until August 2021, owing to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was filmed extensively across India, with a few sequences filmed in Ukraine and Bulgaria.

Themes and influences

According to Rajamouli, RRR is about an "imaginary friendship between two superheroes". He has said that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, his home state, also had an impact in the conception of the film. "I had this thought that Komaram Bheem is from the Telangana region and Alluri Sitarama Raju is from the Andhra region. So, if I can bring those two heroes together, it's my way of saying we are one, we are not separate," Rajamouli told Variety following the film's release.

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