By Koa Davidson
Last week, at the 80th annual Golden Globes Awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the winner for best original song went to the track ‘Naatu Naatu’ from a movie named “RRR.” This is not a first as Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite” won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director in 2020, but “RRR” is distinct from “Parasite.” Whereas “Parasite” had the universal theme of classism, “RRR” features marquee Indian actors, is about a unique time in Indian history, and was made with an Indian audience in mind.
The movie features arguably the two biggest actors in India: Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. It is directed by S.S. Rajamouli: the creator of India’s most successful film series “Bahubali.” The film is a work of historical fiction which follows a tribal hunter who moonlights as a bicycle repair man and his quest to rescue a girl who was kidnapped by a tyrannical British Imperial Governor. The film is a mix between India’s most popular cinematic styles: colloquially called Bollywood and Tollywood. Bollywood originates from Mumbai and tends to feature tales of romance and family, often featuring musical numbers. Tollywood originates from Hyderabad and often features tales of near invincible action heroes who defeat hordes of attackers with ease. All this is to say, “RRR” is a unique cinematic experience which one would have trouble finding in the west.
The movie is three hours and seven minutes long, however there is rarely a moment that goes by without an action sequence that entices audiences back in. However, the movie is more than just its show of violence, with scenes of romance, political drama, and buddy comedy peppered throughout; all of which are executed perfectly.
The biggest hurdle for the movie is the cultural difference that comes off as alien to an American audience. These include but are not limited to: the language barrier, the frequent long musical sequences, and certain customs present in the story which the average American viewer would not be familiar with.
With this being said, “RRR” is a charming look into one of the most important times of Indian history told from a perspective which is not often heard in the United States. With its music, cinematography, star-power, and stunts, “RRR” was able to coast its way to becoming the third highest grossing movie in Indian history and was able to become an international sensation through Netflix. The 2020s as a whole seem to be shaping to be a great decade for global cinema, with the aforementioned “Parasite” winning the Oscar for Best Picture three years ago. In 2021 China produced its highest grossing movie with “The Battle at Lake Changjin” making $200 million within three days of release. Recently, the Russian movie “Cheburashka” made 3.2 billion rubles in nine days. It seems that “RRR” is a model of things to come, and the usher into a new age of foreign block busters.
