Overview
RRR (an initialism for Rise Roar Revolt) is an Indian Telugu-language epic action drama film directed by S. S. Rajamouli and released in March 2022. Produced by D. V. V. Danayya under the banner DVV Entertainment, the film presents a fictionalised account of the early lives of two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, imagining a friendship between them during a period when both were absent from recorded history. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan in the lead roles, with Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson and Olivia Morris in supporting parts.
RRR became one of the highest-grossing Indian films and received international recognition, most notably the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Naatu Naatu" at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023.
Key facts
| Title | RRR |
|---|---|
| Director | S. S. Rajamouli |
| Producer | D. V. V. Danayya |
| Production company | DVV Entertainment |
| Writer (story) | K. V. Vijayendra Prasad |
| Screenplay | S. S. Rajamouli |
| Music | M. M. Keeravani |
| Cinematography | K. K. Senthil Kumar |
| Editing | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Lead cast | N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt |
| Original language | Telugu |
| Theatrical release | 25 March 2022 |
| Country | India |
Plot and setting
Set in the 1920s during the British Raj, RRR offers a fictionalised reimagining of the lives of two real-life Indian revolutionaries: Alluri Sitarama Raju, who led a tribal uprising in the Eastern Ghats region of present-day Andhra Pradesh, and Komaram Bheem, who fought against the Asaf Jahi dynasty for the rights of the Gond tribal community in the forested regions of present-day Telangana. The film constructs an imagined meeting and friendship between the two men during the period in which their actual movements have not been historically documented.
Production
The film was officially announced in 2018 with the working title RRR. Filming was carried out in several locations across India, including Hyderabad, and was affected by delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was produced on a large budget, among the highest for an Indian production at the time of its release. The visual effects, action choreography and large-scale set pieces drew on the team Rajamouli had previously assembled for the Baahubali films.
The soundtrack was composed by M. M. Keeravani. The song "Naatu Naatu", with lyrics by Chandrabose, became a global hit on the strength of its choreography by Prem Rakshith and its central dance sequence performed by N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan.
Release
RRR was released theatrically on 25 March 2022 in Telugu, with simultaneous dubbed releases in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. The film opened to large audiences across India and in international markets including North America, Japan and parts of Europe. It later became available worldwide through Netflix and the Telugu version through ZEE5.
Reception
The film was a critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised the direction, performances of the two leads, the action sequences, the musical score and the visual scale. RRR ranks among the highest-grossing Indian films, with global earnings widely reported in excess of ₹1,000 crore.
Internationally, the film attracted unusually wide attention for an Indian-language production, generating significant followings in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan. It received favourable reviews from international critics and was screened at film festivals and award programmes outside India.
Awards and recognition
- Academy Awards (2023): "Naatu Naatu" won the Oscar for Best Original Song, becoming the first song from an Indian film production to win in this category.
- Golden Globe Awards (2023): "Naatu Naatu" won Best Original Song – Motion Picture.
- Critics' Choice Awards (2023): The film won Best Foreign Language Film, and "Naatu Naatu" won Best Song.
- National Film Awards (India): The film won several honours, including in music and technical categories.
- It also received nominations and awards at numerous Indian and international ceremonies.
Significance
RRR is widely viewed as a landmark in Indian cinema's international reach, particularly for Telugu cinema. Along with the success of films such as Baahubali and Pushpa, it contributed to the growing global visibility of South Indian films and to the broader phenomenon of pan-Indian releases dubbed simultaneously in multiple languages. The Oscar win for "Naatu Naatu" was viewed in India as a historic milestone in the recognition of Indian film music at the Academy Awards.
The film also drew academic and critical discussion regarding its blending of historical figures with fictional narrative, its visual style, and its political and cultural themes.
Related topics
- S. S. Rajamouli
- N. T. Rama Rao Jr.
- Ram Charan
- M. M. Keeravani
- Alluri Sitarama Raju
- Komaram Bheem
- Baahubali (film series)
- Telugu cinema
- Naatu Naatu
- 95th Academy Awards
References
- Official film credits and production information from DVV Entertainment.
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 95th Academy Awards results.
- Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 80th Golden Globe Awards results.
- National Film Development Corporation of India and Directorate of Film Festivals records on the National Film Awards.