SS Rajamouli reveals his motivation behind making larger-than-life movies

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli is creating quite a buzz in Hollywood. His latest film, ‘RRR’, is expected to end the Oscar drought faced by India and bag a few Academy Award nominations. The last Indian film to make it to the Oscar nominations was the Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Lagaan’ in 2001. While Rajamouli seems to be running a high-voltage campaign for ‘RRR’ in Hollywood, he seemingly won’t be bent out of shape, should the film fail to get the nominations.

In a recent interview with ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Rajamouli revealed his main motivation behind making larger-than-life movies. It’s not for the awards but for the box office success.

“I make films for money. I make films for audiences. I don’t make films for critical acclaim. ‘RRR’ is a commercial film and once my film does well commercially, I’m very happy. Awards are an extension of it. It is for the hard work that my unit put in and I’m happy about that,” he said.

Rajamaouli has exceeded expectations when it comes to RRR’s box office performance worldwide. While everyone knew that the film would be a big hit in India, none saw the kind of splash it created in the West. The film’s organic reach in the US is nothing short of phenomenal, as it became a major contender in major award shows in the US and it created history by winning a Golden Globe in the ‘Best Original Song’ category for ‘Naatu Naatu’.

Rajamouli has also been feted by major US publications and shows. The director was a guest on the popular late-night television, ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’. Also, ‘RRR’ presented him with the opportunity to rub shoulders with several Hollywood giants, including James Cameron and Steven Spielberg.

Now all eyes are on the Oscar nominations, which will be announced on January 24.