Considering the local and international success of the “Baahubali” duology, S.S. Rajamouli's next film was much anticipated, with the question of if he would be able to continue with the same level of entertainment he offered with the two, being a rather prevalent one. Thankfully, the Indian blockbuster master does not disappoint once more, with “RRR”, the most expensive local film to date becoming the second highest-grossing film in India and the third highest-grossing Indian film until it was surpassed by “K.G.F: Chapter 2”
The fictional story revolves around two men, Raju and Bheem, and is set in 1920, when tyrannical governor Scott Buxton and his sadistic wife Catherine are exploiting locals left and right, essentially considering them animals, an opinion that is permeating the whole Raj at the time. As the movie begins, the two visit a forest in Adilabad and forcefully take away Malli, a young girl with a gift for singing, from the Gond tribe.
The tribe's protector Komaram Bheem heads off to Delhi in search of the missing girl. The Nizamate of Hyderabad warns Scott's office about Bheem's mission. Officer A. Rama Raju, who has previously proven his tenacity and sense of duty during an violence protest, volunteers to catch Bheem in order to get a promotion. Surprisingly, and as his search intensifies, and after a series of coincidences, he ends up being Bheem's best friend, even helping him to woo an English lady that seems to like him. Eventually, though, the true purpose of both is revealed and the clash is inevitable. Raju, however, also harbors a secret agenda regarding his actions.
The mashup of absurd action, preposterous characters, intense music and dancing, and hate for British colonialism Rajamouli presents here is as entertaining as it sounds, with the almost complete lack of political correctness resulting in a movie that offers complete and utter fun from beginning to end. As such, the epic fairytale approach results in the protagonists fighting tigers, getting wrapped around flags to avoid getting burned, winning in dancing competitions against the British (in a sequence that yells “Bridgerton” from beginning to end) but also fighting each other with killing intent, and torturing and getting tortured in scenes that could be described as exploitative.
Add to all that the impressive cinematography by K. K. Senthil Kumar, which highlights the forests, the rivers, the mountains, and in general, both the rural and the urban setting in the best fashion, the excellently shot sniper scenes, and A. Sreekar Prasad's frantic editing that results in a frenetic pace, and you have the backbone of a movie that aims to entertain and succeeds in all aspects.
At the same time, the arrogance and the overall racism of the colonialists, the concept of brotherly love, dedication to one's people, and some slight romantic notions which is where the always captivating Alia Bhatt also makes her appearance, cement the overall prowess of the movie. It is also a testament to Rajamouli's direction, and the big budget the film had, that he manages to include all these aspects in the movie with room to spare, in a title that even in three hours, is quite easy to watch.
Lastly, the antithesis of the two protagonists, with Ram Charan as Raju being an intellect, westernly dressed, English fluent and N. T. Rama Rao Jr. as Komaram Bheem an uneducated brute who soars, though, with passion, works excellently here, highlighting the acting of both actors in the best fashion.
We critics occasionally forget that one of the main purposes of cinema is to entertain, impress, and have the audience simply have fun watching. “RRR” reminds us just that.
