SS Rajamouli, Jr NTR, Ram Charan combine old-school charm and epic scale in a package that screams big-screen entertainment

Movie: RRR
RRR Cast: Jr. NTR, Ram Charan, Ray Stevenson, Olivia Morris, Alison Doody, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Samuthirakani
RRR Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Where to Watch: In Theatres
Review by: Russel D’Silva
When a Director is coming off one of the biggest blockbusters ever, the expectations will no doubt be very high. But, when one is returning after delivering literally the bigger hit of all time in the history of Indian cinema, then that filmmaker is indubitably riding a tsunami of expectations, pressure, anticipation and everything else that you can think of. Surfing thay that wave like a boss, Director S.S. Rajamouli arrives after Baahubali 2 with RRR, starring Jr. NTR and Ram Charan, with Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn in extended cameos, and blows every expectation out of the water, making the multiple delays due to two lockdowns well worth the wait. Also Read – Debina Bonnerjee glows in her Bengali Saadh ceremony; Tina Datta, Kushal Tandon, Shweta Gulati send wishes to the mom-to-be [VIEW PICS]

So, are you excited about what to watch this weekend or what to watch this week and wondering whether RRR is worth your time? Scroll down for my full RRR movie review… Also Read – BL Awards 2022 LIVE: Sidharth Shukla’s last release, Kartik Aaryan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anupamaa, Bade Acche Lagte Hain 2 and more WIN BIG – Watch NOW

What’s it about

RRR takes us through the makings of Komaram Bheem (Jr. NTR) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), charting the initial chapters of their freedom struggle against a fictitious backdrop. Also Read – The Kashmir Files box office collection Day 14: Vivek Agnihotri’s film slows down right before Jr NTR-Ram Charan RRR hits screens

Watch the RRR trailer below:

What’s hot

The best thing about RRR is how Director SS Rajamouli intersperses minor aspects of old-school cinematic tropes withing the look and feel of a large-scale, booming canvas. Bheem and Raju personify the kind of friendship we used to witness in days of yore through Bollywood movies like Sholay, Yaarana, Dostana, Dost and more – one possessing the smarts, the other a naive simpleton with a heart of gold, each going all our to help and sacrifice for one another. Of course, toi expect nothing the but the best in terms of big-screen entertainment and brilliant performances when you have a trip like Rajamouli, NTR and Charan joining forces, and they more than live up to that promise. RRR is a blueprint in how to give the audience its money’s worth in terms of one big-screen moment after the next – every shot is an event, every frame a occasion to savour – while the two leading men are ingeniously handed equal chance to shine, and boy, do they shine with both their talent and charisma.

Six glorious moments in RRR – Bheem’s introductory sequence, the river-rescue scene, the Naacho Naacho song, the pre-interval block (the biggest highlight of all) Ajay Devgn’s cameo and finally, the climax in the fores – are alone worth the price of admission even if you don’t pay attention to anything else. Truth be told, the story is pretty straightforward and nothing to write home about, but it’s here where great Directors like Rajamouli rise above the screenplay to flourish the narrative with their masterstrokes. It also pays that the supporting cast, including some respectable foreign actors, are in full form, especially veteran Ray Stevenson, who brings in all his experience across Hollywood and British cinema to chew the scenery as a vicious antagonist.

SS Rajamouli also remind us how smart a filmmaker he is to go with being a very good filmmaker as he cleverly plays out the Ramayan in the final part of the movie while also paying rich tribute to several of India’s greatest freedom fighters in the end-credits song. A word about the technicalities, too, with A. Sreekar Prasad’s editing, K. K. Senthil Kumar’s cinematography, M. M. Keeravani’s songs plus background score and the VFX being as perfect as one could hope for. Also, do stick around for end-credits song to witness that sterling tribute I mentioned before besides a special guest appearance. And kudos to the commendable job both Jr NTR and Ram Charan do with their Hindi dubbing.

What’s not

RRR has just two negative points – first, a slightly ludicrous, extremely over-the-top jail-break sequence that sticks out like a sore thumb, and second, an abrupt ending just when you feel something more is about to come. Also, you wonder whatever was Makrand Deshpande doing in the film. Alia Bhatt’s cameo is also slightly underwhelming on account of the way it’s been sketched.

BL Verdict

S.S. Rajamouli lives for big-screen entertainment and the big screen was created for filmmakers like him. RRR is a perfect, blockbuster, rip-roaring combo of old-school cinematic charm married to an epic canvas, with state-of-the-art VFX. Heck, if nothing else, just go for the pre-interval and climax sequences that are alone your money’s worth. I’m going with 4 out of 5 stars.

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