How RRR broke the 1000 crore mark without falling for the China and OTT trap

Four years after releasing his magnum opus Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, director SS Rajamouli returned with his much-anticipated movie RRR (Roudram Ranam Rudhiram) starring Jr. NTR, Ram Charan and Ajay Devgn. The movie was touted to earn big bucks from the get-go but the mind-blowing collection pace has astounded everyone. Reportedly, RRR has crossed Rs 1000 crores worldwide just as it entered its week 3. On its 16th day at the box office, the film collected over 20 crore rupees at the box office, thereby taking the total collection to 1003.35 crore rupees.

Announcing RRR‘s latest big news, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted on Sunday, “‘RRR’ GROSSES 1000 crores WORLDWIDE… #SSRajamouli does it again… Brings back the glory of #Indian cinema… #RRR Gross BOC: ₹ 1000 cr [Worldwide]… #JrNTR and #RamCharan debut in ₹ 1000 cr Club… #Xclusiv”

RRR enters the 1000-crore club without the China crutch

With the 1000-crores barrier breached, RRR has joined movies like Dangal and Bahubali in the exclusive club. However, RRR simply stands out from the Aamir Khan movie because it didn’t rely on China to inflate the numbers. Dangal’s nearly half of the collection (Rs 1200 crore) came from China. 

China and its humongous population is the second-largest movie market in the world after the USA. However, the makers did not even attempt to take the movie there. RRR simply took upon the challenge head-on and has emerged highly successful, all whilst setting example for future movies that they do not need validation from the Chinese box office to pump up the numbers. 

Overcoming Covid delays and the OTT conundrum

Moreover, RRR had to face multiple delays due to the Covid waves and the cinema halls across the country and the world being shut or operating at reduced capacities. The movie was initially slated to release in January but a couple of delays meant it only arrived in the cinema halls in the last week of March. 

Several so-called experts had suggested Rajamouli take the OTT route and release the movie on one of the platforms in lieu of a decent paycheck. However, the producers and the director persevered and the end result is for everyone to witness. 

It’s difficult to gauge the success of a movie when it takes the OTT route and a movie like RRR needed to be taken to the masses which OTT platforms, despite their ubiquitous nature are not able to achieve. 

Read More: RRR’s new teaser comes across as a refreshing change, after years of Bollywood’s secular stench

RRR – a movie that set left-liberal posteriors on fire 

In a day and age where woke liberals and social justice warriors dominate the cinema space and churn out only formulaic and bland movies that have nothing but Hindu hatred at their core – RRR comes across as a breath of fresh air. 

It plays to its strengths of pure-adrenaline action. Pays homage to the freedom fighters and keeps the Hindu flag flying high. At the centre of the film are the stories of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, which have been given a touch of ‘fantasy’ along with Rajamouli’s artistic creativity. 

While Alluri Sitarama Raju led the Rampa revolution in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam regions, Komaram Bheem led the Gond community and united the tribals against the British Empire and Nizams.

Showing Lala Lajpat Rai in his true glory 

Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the biggest leaders of his era. It was, in fact, his gruesome murder by the British that mobilized national sentiment in a big way and led to the resurgence of revolutionary sentiment against the British Raj. However, the so-called historians and intelligentsia never discussed his importance in the freedom struggle in the true context. 

However, RRR makes a departure from the deep-rooted ignorance against Lala Lajpat Rai. Rajamouli’s RRR actually starts from a huge crowd scene with protesters showing their anger against the arrest of Lala Lajpat Rai by the British authorities. 

 So, the movie succeeded in putting Lala Lajpat Rai at the centre of its plot despite a history of the left-liberal ecosystem’s attempts to whitewash him from India’s history. 

Read More: If ‘The Kashmir Files’ gave liberals the wounds, RRR is the one rubbing the salt

Jr NTR, who plays the character of Bheem in the movie has already rolled the dice for a future sequel to tie all the loose ends of the movie. In an interview with PTI, the actor said, “I’m pretty sure that if he doesn’t make (a sequel), you’re going to kill him for sure. He needs to make RRR 2, there needs to be a conclusion to this also! I was speaking to a journalist and I don’t know how but I said RRR franchise. So, hopefully it becomes true. He should make RRR 2,”

Read More: Tollywood is becoming what Bollywood could have become

RRR has been a phenomenon. After ‘The Kashmir Files’, Indians have shown that if the content is true to the source material without any paint job by the left-liberals, the masses will lap it up left, right and centre. Hopefully, this is the template that future filmmakers follow and it starts the end of the Urduwood as we know.