Hear Them Roar!

As the world awaits the release of RRR, Analita Seth chats with megastars Ram Charan and Jr NTR about their magnum opus directed by SS Rajamouli

- Analita Seth

Rise, Roar, Revolt... RRR by SS Rajamouli is one of the most awaited pan-India epic. The film picks two historical figures, Komaram Bheem played by Jr NTR and Alluri Sitarama Raju played by Ram Charan from the Indian Independence movement and tells a fictional story about the revolutionaries. The film also stars Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Shriya Saran in pivotal cameos. As this epic pre-partition drama faces several rounds of delays because of the pandemic, the eager cast of the film waits with bated breaths for the grand theatrical release. The strenuous shooting, long post-production hours and this extended period of promotion has given the actors a lot of time to reflect on their film. Known as the megastar and power star across India, Jr NTR and Ram Charan carry an air of calm and humility with them despite their crazy fan following and the impeccable body of work. Here they take us through the mindscape of their director SS Rajamouli and the effortless camaraderie they share on and off the screen. Excerpts...

HOW IS MUMBAI TREATING YOU?

Ram Charan: Fabulous.

NTR: Fabulous indeed. Mumbai has never been an alien space for us. We come here quite a bit. Mumbai is fantastic.

WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE SET OF A RAJAMOULI FILM, DO YOU HAVE SOME SENSE OF INHIBITION OR IS IT GAME FACE FROM SHOT ONE?

N: It’s game on from shot one.

R: Shot one, we’re at home. We walk onto the sets and we know everybody.

N: (Laughs) Yeah, we’re on a marathon run from the beginning and there are no inhibitions. Rajamouli makes sure there are no inhibitions. Everything is laid out crystal clear for the actor. No inhibitions at all.