Oscar was to go wild with the RRR : Hyderabad to Hollywood

This is a pleasant story from Indian cinema showcasing how an Indian action icon broke into the Hollywood along with the Oscar race with the ‘RRR’.

The grand welcome by America to his film “RRR,” was something S.S. Rajamouli marvels about, saying “I could not have expected this in my wildest dreams.”

The Bahubali-maker, Rajamouli just anticipated some applause and a few whistles that too from the South Asian viewers he spotted in the crowd in America. It was during the biggest American screening to date of Rajamouli’s hit flick “RRR” which sold out in minutes online, and this was not Hyderabad, but Hollywood.

In late September this year, the historic TCL Chinese Theatre for an IMAX screening of the action epic shocked Rajamauli with delight when a thundering standing ovation greeted him as he introduced the film. And during the movie, so did cheers for actors NT Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan, two Tollywood megastars of India.

Even prior to the intermission, jubilant audience raced to the front of the huge screen to dance along to the viral “Naatu Naatu” musical sequence. Same happened with the closing scene, excited fans were jumping out of the seats for each hero moment.

Rajamouli, taking it all sitting in the middle of the theater, was blown away.

The period drama ‘RRR’ was then in the news again. The pre-Indian Independence fiction maker Rajamouli was determined to make it to the Oscars, no matter what. He refused to be bogged down by the failure to be the official Indian entry for the 95th Academy Awards (‘RRR’ lost out to ‘Chhello Show’, Gujarati film). Rajamouli still  decided to opt for competing for the Academy Awards, this time in the general category. Being the best he did the best for his flick. Peoples gave him away the super-Oscar in their hearts.