Filmmaker SS Rajamouli has responded to the criticism of Hindu nationalist overtones and casteist, Brahminical narratives in his blockbuster film RRR in an interview with The New Yorker. Rajamouli also talked about his views on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), atheism, caste, the impact of rising nationalist sentiments on cinema in India, his father Vijayendra Prasad writing a film glorifying RSS and many other political matters.
The interview sets the context by noting that Rajamouli belongs to a dominant caste, the Kamma community. While RRR has become a massive success beyond the Telugu states and India and won several awards in the United States, it has been criticised for portraying two real-life revolutionary leaders — Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem — with religious and nationalist tones. Towards the end of the film, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) appears in saffron robes, which many viewers have perceived as the Hindu god Ram from the Ramayana. The portrayal of Komaram Bheem (Junior NTR), a revered Gond tribal leader, was also criticised for his depiction as being humble and deferential towards Alluri Sitarama Raju.
In the interview, when asked about the historical representation in his films being seen as ignoring tensions of Hindutva politics, Rajamouli denied any distortion of history in his films. Referring to accusations that he supports the BJP and its agenda, Rajamouli referred to the incident when BJP MP Bandi Sanjay threatened to burn down theatres screening RRR, after a glimpse from the film ahead of its release showed Jr NTR in the role of Komaram Bheem wearing a skull cap and appearing dressed as a Muslim man. The filmmaker then said that people must decide for themselves based on this incident whether he was a BJP supporter.
The filmmaker said he “hate[s] extremism,” “be it the BJP or Muslim League”. He also claimed that he stays away from making films based on prevailing sentiments in society when asked about the impact of rising anti-Muslim sentiments on Indian films. About his father Vijayendra Prasad’s praise for RSS and his decision to make a film on the organisation, Rajamouli said he was not aware of the organisation’s beliefs. However, he praised his father’s script of the RSS film, saying it made him cry as it was very emotional. However, he said he was unsure about the political implications of such a film.
When asked about the omission of Gandhi and BR Ambedkar from the song ‘Etthara Jenda’ in RRR which featured several other historical figures, Rajamouli said he merely chose the freedom fighters whose stories had moved him. He denied distorting history in RRR, comparing history to mythology by drawing a parallel between RRR and Mayabazar, a Hindu mythological film based on characters from the Mahabharata.
Rajamouli also responded to accusations of upholding Brahminical values in the Baahubali films and RRR, saying he couldn’t understand the criticism of Bheem’s portrayal in RRR, and dismissing the criticism against Baahubali: The Beginning as it is a work of fiction. In 2012, Rajamouli had written a post on Facebook defending the caste system, saying it is based on lifestyle and not birth. He also said in the interview that he was lucky to be born into a family that “hated the caste system,” and that he has learned about caste oppression over the years by reading and speaking to people.