There is no one in the country right now who does not know of SS Rajamouli and the films he has made. For those who don’t know, SS Rajamouli is the director of the fantastic Bahubali movies, the genre-bending Eega, and the very popular fantasy fiction flicks RRR and Magadheera. Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli is the first episode that was released on 2nd August 2024 on Netflix. Produced by Film Companion Studios headed by Anupama Chopra, their maiden venture is great tool for understanding the visionary Indian directors and other technicians who make movie watching a magical experience.
The documentary is a small but significant one, and in the span of one hour and fourteen minutes, it ends up describing a lot of SS Rajamouli as a person on and off the set. There is a lot to uncover and discover about the man who has delivered back-to-back hits with only a few misses in between. It is interesting to watch the documentary begin with James Cameron talking about SS Rajamouli and his vision. Since the Telugu director is compared to this visionary Hollywood director who has delivered blockbuster movies like Titanic and Avatar, having the same person appreciate this South Indian filmmaker is a big deal. Kudos to the makers of the show for having roped in James Cameron and Jose Russo of the Russo brothers to talk about how Rajamouli stands tall among other directors who present larger-than-life commercial cinema that focuses on grandeur and storytelling.
Besides Rajamouli’s epic filmmaking, which scores of people are fans of, including Karan Johar as well, the documentary does a good job of bringing in actors and technicians that have worked with him over the years and are honest about the kind of work culture they have experienced with him. SS Rajamouli could be one of the most animated directors out there, so says the documentary, because it seems he would go to any level to make sure he gets the right shot. He could be the Sanjay Leela Bhansali of Telugu cinema, but with movies with better storytelling capabilities. The documentary is partly shot in Tokyo during the promotion of RRR in Japan, and partly in Hollywood. All the interviews for the documentary were recorded during the international promotion of RRR, which eventually led to the movie bringing home a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.
Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli has an engaging quality to it, which is a trait found in every movie of this director. The man is a dream guest for any interviewer, because he is able to give proper answers for any question thrown at him. No man is successful without a large team that works tirelessly with him to make his dream a success. Such could be said about SS Rajamouli’s family members. A lot of the technicians he works with are his family, and they show us an interesting side of a man who could be considered ‘crazy,’ in Prabhas’ words. The SS Rajamouli family also does not sugarcoat anything, as they are honest about the man who strives for perfection and expects no less from them. It was interesting to watch the contribution of the women in his life and how he acknowledged them the most. It is a rare sight to come across a supremely talented man who does not talk about himself but credits his family and his team.
Another aspect the documentary captured was the importance given by SS Rajamouli to storytelling and direction. This is the reason he stands out from other filmmakers who only cater to the needs of the superstar, which is a common sight across film industries. It is highly impressive to watch popular actors want to work with SS Rajamouli for his direction, story-telling skills, and his larger-than-life ideas for the lead actor of the film. The fact that he is a fan of Ravana and the grandeur the character represented shows why he believes in larger than life-movies. He could be the example of why sometimes monsters are the people that could set many things straight. Ravana, the king of Lanka, was a rich monarch. The same could be said about Rajamouli, who believed in the grand story and he was able to deliver it as per his vision.
The direction of the documentary is smooth, and there is nothing that Raghav Khanna did not cover through the short span of time. The best way to describe it would be concise. The best portion of the documentary has to be about Rajamouli’s association with atheism and how he described his work as his god even though he is surrounded by men and women who believe in the idea of god and follow a faith. There has been a lot said about SS Rajamouli over the years, but nothing has come close to the deep introspection done through this documentary. Anupama Chopra is a great host, and there is a reason why she is still considered one of the best film journalists apart from Baradwaj Rangan, as they ask the right kind of questions that puts the guest in the spotlight for their work and not their personal life.
Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli is easily one of the best documentaries on the filmmaker. It solely focuses on the impact of big-budget commercial films and its cultural influence not just in India but across the globe. It is exciting to watch a director being put on a pedestal and for the right reasons. Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli is the first of the many episodes about the magic of cinema and how it is put on screen by the directors like SS Rajamouli and many others. The documentary is brilliant, and it is a must-watch just like SS Rajamouli’s films.
