S. S. Rajamouli

S. S. Rajamouli
Rajamouli in September 2021
Born
Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli

(1973-10-10) 10 October 1973 (age 51)
Hire Kotnekal, Mysore State, India
Other namesJakkanna, Raja, Nandi
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Works
Spouse
​
(m. 2001)​
Children2
FatherV. Vijayendra Prasad
RelativesM. M. Keeravani (cousin)
Kalyani Malik (cousin)
M. M. Srilekha (cousin)
Raja Koduri (cousin)
FamilySee Koduri family
AwardsFull list
HonoursPadma Shri (2016)[1]

Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli (/ˈrɑːdʒəmaʊlɪ/ RAH-juh-mow-li; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian filmmaker who primarily works in Telugu cinema. Known for his epic, action and fantasy genre films, he is the highest grossing Indian director of all time,[2] as well as the highest-paid director in Indian cinema.[3] Rajamouli is a recipient of various national and international honours including a New York Film Critics Circle award,[4] a Critics' Choice Movie Award,[5] two Saturn Awards, five Filmfare Awards, and four National Film Awards. In 2016, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, for his contributions in the field of art. In 2023, he was included on the Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[6]

Rajamouli has been described by film trade analyst Komal Nahta as "the biggest Indian film director ever".[7] Rachel Dwyer, professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, called him "India's most significant director today".[8] He has directed twelve feature films so far, and all of them have been successful at the box office.[7][9] Three of his films—Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), and RRR (2022)—are among the top ten highest grossing-films in India to date. All three films were also the most expensive Indian films ever made at the time of their release. Baahubali 2 is currently the highest grossing film in India, and sold over 10 crore (100 million) tickets during its box office run; the highest estimated admissions for any film in India since Sholay (1975).[10][11]

The 2009 fantasy action film, Magadheera was the highest-grossing Telugu film ever at the time of its release.[12][13] Eega (2012) won nine awards at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, including the Most Original Film. Baahubali films have received six Saturn Award nominations with Baahubali 2 winning the Best International Film. RRR received various international accolades including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the song "Naatu Naatu", and a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Rajamouli's films are typically characterized by their epic grandeur, stylized action sequences, unbridled heroism and larger-than-life characters with historical and mythological references. His films have been noted for their integration of CGI with practical effects. With his Baahubali films, he has pioneered the pan-Indian film movement.[14] He is also credited for expanding the market of Telugu cinema and South Indian cinema into North India and international markets.[15]

  1. ^ Goyal, Divya (26 January 2016). "Baahubali Director Rajamouli Says he 'Doesn't Deserve' Padma Shri". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Ahead of Oscars 2023, revisiting SS Rajamouli's RRR -the records it broke, legacy it created, glory it brought". Pinkvilla. 11 March 2023. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023. He's the highest grossing Indian director and also the director to secure the highest theatrical share.
  3. ^
  4. ^ Davis, Clayton (2 December 2022). "'Tár' Leads New York Film Critics Circle, 'RRR' and Keke Palmer Surprise (Full Winners List)". Variety. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  5. ^ Kaushal, Sweta. "SS Rajamouli's 'RRR' Bags Two Critics' Choice Awards". Forbes. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ "TIME100: The Most Influential People of 2023". Time. 13 April 2023. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Sharma-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Dwyer, Rachel (1 April 2022). "Director's Roar – The globalisation of South Indian cinema began with Rajamouli". Open Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022. SS Rajamouli is perhaps India's most significant director today. He can make a film in a south Indian language that, when dubbed, becomes a pan-Indian film that can also be enjoyed overseas.
  9. ^ Tetali, Sagar (22 March 2022). "SS Rajamouli, Maker of Myths". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023. And he has never failed — he has not had a film which was unprofitable at the box office, and ...... At what he has set out to do — whether or not it's to the taste of the art film aficionado or the film critic — he has never yet failed.
  10. ^ "Bahubali 2 Is The Biggest Hindi Blockbuster This Century". Box Office India. 8 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  11. ^ Acharya, Sandeep (10 July 2017). "Baahubali 2 is the first Indian film with over 10 crore footfalls". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  12. ^ Srinivasan, Madhumitha (7 June 2015). "'I sell oranges'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2022. After Magadheera, which became the highest-grossing Telugu film of all time, .....
  13. ^ "Postmortem – Magadheera by SS Rajamouli". Idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2022. And his latest movie Magadheera became industry hit in all areas across India and overseas by breaking previous records by miles.
  14. ^
    • Bamzai, Kaveree (1 April 2022). "Cinema's Biggest Mythmaker". Open Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022. He is perhaps singlehandedly responsible for the rise of the pan-Indian film.
    • Jain, Gautam (25 March 2022). "The original Pan India filmmaker". Ormax Media. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022. Before the release of Bahubali: The Beginning (2015), the term 'Pan India film' did not exist in film media or audience lingo.
    • Srinivasan, Latha (30 March 2022). "Inside the mind of SS Rajamouli: Decoding how the RRR director lends scale to his storytelling". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022. Producer G Dhananjayan says, "Rajamouli has redefined the reach of regional cinema consistently through his films, starting with Eega [2012] to the Baahubali series, and now with RRR. The entire concept of pan-Indian films came from him when he succeeded with Eega across many Indian languages. This opened up this concept. Thanks to his vision, today, a lot of films are able to be made on a bigger budget targeted at a pan-Indian audience. Rajamouli stands tall among all Indian filmmakers for his vision, innovation, and expansion of the regional language market at a global level."
  15. ^
    • S., Vidya; Lidhoo, Prerna (22 July 2022). "How Movies From the South Conquered Bollywood". Business Today. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022. As audiences lapped up 'Why did Katappa kill Baahubali?', a market was not just created in the North for theatrical releases of Hindi-dubbed south Indian films, but it also paved the way for them to hammer Hindi films in their home turf. Clearly, Rajamouli has sown the seeds of south Indian cinema's dominance of Indian movie theatres across the country, with others following in his footsteps.
    • Dwyer, Rachel (1 April 2022). "Director's Roar – The globalisation of South Indian cinema began with Rajamouli". Open Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022. SS Rajamouli is perhaps India's most significant director today. He can make a film in a south Indian language that, when dubbed, becomes a pan-Indian film that can also be enjoyed overseas. SS Rajamouli is now widely regarded as one of India's greatest directors. Rajamouli's impact on Indian cinema is yet to be assessed, but he is perhaps primarily responsible for galvanising the interest in south Indian cinema that is now being watched all over India.
    • Kannan, Indira (9 September 2022). "Changing perception of Indian Cinema: How Bollywood is no more favourite for overseas cinegoers". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Rajamouli and his last film RRR may have single-handedly prompted not just Indian audiences but also cinephiles worldwide to look beyond Bollywood while seeking entertaining Indian blockbusters.