SS Rajamouli reacts to criticism of ‘RRR’: ‘Sometimes Muslims had objections, sometimes Hindus’

• The director also elaborated that his father V. Vijayendra Prasad has written a script about the R.S.S. which made him cry several times
• ‘RRR’ created history last month when it became the first Indian film to be nominated in the Best Original Song category at the Oscar Awards
• Released on March 24, the film features Ram Charan and Jr Ntr in key roles

SS Rajamouli directorial RRR has been going viral since its release. Not only did the film do well at the box office, it also became the first Indian film to be nominated in the Best Original Song category at the prestigious Oscars. However, the film was also mired in controversy and received a lot of flak for its fictional retelling of characters from Hindu mythology.

In a recent interview, SS Rajamouli spoke candidly about the criticism he faced. When asked if he was pressured by anti-Muslim or pro-nationalists from various political parties regarding any decision regarding RRR, he clarified that no one had ever approached him directly to make an agenda for the film. Apart from facing criticism from many in the Hindu and Muslim communities, the film also faced criticism from several other sections of society, the Bahubali director said.

Talking about the audience for his films, Rajamouli said, “When I say audience, I imagine people who come to theaters and pay some money to be entertained. Entertainment is what I provide. There may also be people in the audience who have some extreme views. But just because they're part of my audience doesn't mean I'm going to accommodate these extreme notions. I distance myself from either Hindu or pseudo-liberal propaganda. I know that in my audience there are audience members from these extreme groups. Furthermore, I know, but I don't hang out with them. I'm just catering to the audience's emotional needs."

RRR follows a fictional pre-independence story woven around two real-life Indian revolutionaries - Alluri Sitaram Raju and Komaram Bheem - in the 1920s. The film stars Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn in lead roles. RRR, which was released in theaters last March, has reportedly earned over Rs 1,200 crore at the global box office.