Photo: DVV Entertainment
RRRhas garneredglobal success overnightupon its release on Netflix.
While the Tollywood epic has been a smash hit on the streamer since its release in May 2022 (having made history asthe only film to trend globallyin English and non-English categories inNetflix’s Top 10 for 14 consecutive weeks),RRRhas recently gained critical acclaim withits award wins.
The international success of the critically acclaimed film — which has already generated Oscar buzz — exceeded audience expectations worldwide, including director S.S. Rajamouli’s.
“Yes, I was surprised with the reception from the West,” Rajamouli toldEntertainment Weeklyof bridging the cinematic gap with the East. “A good story is a good story for everyone, but I didn’t think I could make films for Western sensibilities.”
As the popularity ofRRR— whose name is an acronym for Rise, Roar, Revolt — continues to increase, here’s everything to know about the film (before committing to its 3 hours and seven-minute runtime).
What isRRRabout?
DVV Entertainment
The officialRRRsynopsis reads: “A tale of two legendary revolutionaries and their journey far away from home. After their journey they return home to start fighting back against British colonialists in the 1920s.”
Starring Ram Charan as Alluri Sitarama Raju and Jr NTR (aka, N. T. Rama Rao Jr) as Komaram Bheem, the film follows the saga of two Indian revolutionary men — who after being once philosophically opposed, join forces to save a kidnapped girl from British colonial rule.
While that’s the general plot atRRR’s core, it’s the action-packed madness throughout the film that’s caused a stir on social media — prompting countless memes and the creation of numerous reaction videos since the trailer first dropped in December 2021.
In particular, it’s the scenes filled with over-the-top sequences that defy all rules of physics (and logic, for that matter) that have managed to capture viewers' attention for its three-hour-plus duration, perhaps with some even wanting more.
What scenes exactly? Oh, just Jr NTR’s flipping of a full-sized motorcycle with a single kick, characters' leaping humanly impossible distances through the air and the outrunning of tigers and other wild animals upon their unleashing. Did we mention there’s fire? (And lots of it!)
Moreover,RRRis jam-packed with stunt work, choreography, pyrotechnics and VFX.
Who stars inRRR?
RRR’s two leads are Charan and Rao, bona fide actors who have established themselves as A-listers in India long before their work on this film. While they play friends on screen, they are longtime pals in real life.
In fact, the actors' respective familial backgrounds have been known for their arch-rivals in politics — but despite the generational feuding, the dynamic had onlyfueled a bond between Charan and Rao.
“The whole concept of having a rivalry brought us together,” Charan explained to theLos Angeles Times. “The only path we could take was friendship because we were bored of [the] news of rivalry for more than three decades.”
Meanwhile, Rao further detailed his camaraderie with his costar. “Opposite poles attract,” he began to tell the outlet. “We look up to each other. It’s a support system. We complement each other, and we can share a few secrets that will never get out.”
What languages isRRRavailable in?
RRRis a Telugu-language blockbuster but has been subtitled into 15 different languages. Furthermore, both actors dubbed their own voices for several versions ofRRRin the most prominent Indian languages. In addition to Telugu, they include Hindi, Tamil and Kannada.
“We have started calling it the Indian film industry, as opposed to dividing it into Bollywood, Tollywood or Kollywood,” Rao told theLA Times. “[Rajamouli] burned the ‘woods,” Charan added. “And just made it one big united Indian film industry.”
When didRRRgarner attention in the United States?
RRR’s filming timeline was hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic but spans its principal photography in 2018 to its production wrap in 2021.More than 270 days were spent shooting, with a single sequence — in which the two friends fight it out amid wild animals and fiery explosions — occupying a total of 65 nights.
The film first premiered in India in March 2022, drawing crowds upon its release. It was also screened in select locations in North America at that time, prior to its official theatrical release.
Two months later, aHindi-language version made for the Bollywood marketwas made available to Netflix subscribers in May — which was among the streamer’s Top 10 most-watched titles in America for nine consecutive weeks.
Most recently, TCL’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles held a screening in January and thetickets sold out in 98 seconds! “What makes us very proud is that a small industry from South India, Tollywood, and one movie calledRRRcould open the gates to global cinema and bring us here,” Rao told theLA Times.
Which awards hasRRRwon?
RRRnabbed the win for best original song atthe 2023 Golden Globe Awards, receiving the honor for “Naatu Naatu” (Telugu for “Native Native”), the famedmusical number that sees Charan and Rao burst into songand break into synced-up choreography. It also earned a nod for best motion picture – non-english language, though lost toArgentina, 1985.
It also took home two Critics Choice awards: best foreign language film and best song for “Naatu Naatu.” Most recently,RRRmade history when the aforementioned song becamethe first number from a fully homegrown Indian filmto receive an Oscar nod in the Best Original Song category when the2023 Academy Award nominations were announcedon Jan. 24.
source: people.com
