S. S. Rajamouli

S. S. Rajamouli
Rajamouli in 2015
Born	Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli (1973-10-10) 10 October 1973 Amareshwara Camp, Mysore State, India
Other names	Jakkanna, Raja
Occupation	Film director screenwriter
Spouse	Rama Rajamouli ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	2
Parent	V. Vijayendra Prasad (father)
Relatives	M. M. Keeravani (cousin) See Koduri family
Awards	Padma Shri (2016)

Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli (IPA: /ˈrɑːdʒəmaʊlɪ/RAH-jə-mow-li; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is the highest paid director in India, and is popular for his action, fantasy, and epic genre films. Three of his films, Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), and RRR (2022) are among the top five highest grossing-films in India to date. All three films were also the most expensive Indian films ever made at the time of their release. He is a recipient of various national and international honors including two Saturn Awards, three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, and five Nandi Awards. In 2016, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, for his contributions to the field of Art.

Rajamouli has directed twelve feature films so far, and all of them were successful at the box office. Baahubali 2 is currently the highest grossing film in India, and sold over 10 crore (100 million) tickets during its box office run; the highest estimated admissions for any film in India since Sholay (1975). The 2009 fantasy action film Magadheera was the highest-grossing Telugu film ever at the time. His 2012 film Eega won the Most Original Film at the 8th Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Baahubali films have received six Saturn Award nominations, with Baahubali 2 winning the Best International Film. RRR is nominated in three categories at the 47th Saturn Awards, including a Best Director nomination, winning the Best International Film.

Rajamouli's films are often characterized by their epic grandeur, larger-than-life characters, stylized action sequences, and unbridled heroism with historical and mythological references. His films are noted for their integration of CGI with practical effects. With his Baahubali films, he has pioneered the pan-Indian film movement, wherein a film is simultaneously released in multiple Indian languages across the country, and made in a way that appeals to the audience cutting across the linguistic and cultural barriers. He is also credited for expanding the market of Telugu cinema and South Indian cinema into North India and international markets.

Early life

Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli was born on 10 October 1973 in a Telugu family in Amareshwara Camp near Manvi in Raichur district of present-day Karnataka state, to V. Vijayendra Prasad and Raja Nandini. His parents are ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. Rajamouli was born after his mother had a dream when she visited the pilgrimage site of Srisailam. Hence, he was named Srisaila Sri Rajamouli. He has one sister.

Rajamouli's family hails from Kovvur near Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. His mother's family hails from Vizag, Andhra Pradesh and Rajamouli lived there for several years. Rajamouli grew up in a joint family — his father and his five brothers lived in the same house with their families. Prasad's family had lands in Kovvur which were lost when the railways lines were laid through them. Then, Prasad and his family moved to Karnataka from Kovvur in 1968. He, along with his elder brother K. V. Sivashankar, bought seven acres of paddy fields in Hirekotikal village of Manvi Taluk in Raichur district. Their family moved back to Kovvur in 1977.

Rajamouli was educated in Kovvur till fourth standard and then shifted to Eluru where he studied till Intermediate 1st Year. He then took a break of two years and finished his Intermediate 2nd Year in Kovvur. After that, he did not pursue any further formal education.

Rajamouli was passionate about storytelling right from his second standard. When he was seven years old, his grandmother introduced him to the epics Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavata. At the same age, his father introduced him to Amar Chitra Katha comics that featured stories on Indian historical figures, religious legends, and folktales. It had a huge impact on him and developed his penchant for larger-than-life characters. He would remember those stories and the films he watched and then re-tell them to his friends in his own way. His mother was keen on him learning English and would take him to watch English-language films in the nearby towns. She encouraged him to read comics and storybooks in his free time and never pressurised him in his academics. His father recollects about Rajamouli's childhood, "He was not an ambitious child. For a long time, we did not know what interested him. He showed some inclination towards films. He played the role of young Krishna in a film I directed."

Rajamouli's grandfather was a wealthy landlord who owned 360 acres of land. By the time Rajamouli was 10 or 11 years old, they lost much of their wealth. As his father Vijayendra Prasad and uncle Siva Shakthi Datta were passionate about filmmaking, they sold most of their remaining assets and shifted to Madras (now Chennai) to make films. They started many films that went unfinished. They faced financial losses and started working as ghostwriters to make ends meet. Thirteen members of his extended family started living in a two-room apartment in Madras. Rajamouli recollects his family sitting together and making fun of themselves and their condition at the time, but they were never sad about it.

Later Prasad established himself as a screenwriter with films like Bobbili Simham (1994) and Gharana Bullodu (1995). Wanting to make another film, his father then co-produced (along with Katragadda Prasad) and directed a film called Ardhangi (1996) with his life savings. Rajamouli recalls about that film:

I was very actively involved in the project as an associate director. I felt that film was my child, even though I didn't direct the film. It was a miserable failure. My family went into a debt trap. It took us years to pick up and put the pieces together. All of that strongly stayed in my mind. That was a very low period for me. I then decided to never take anything for granted. It imbibed in me the work ethic to make everything perfect and interesting for the audience, no matter how small or unimportant that scene or shot might be. That lowest phase of my life taught me how I should work later on in my career.

Career

Early work

Rajamouli started his film career as an apprentice to the veteran film editor Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao and worked with him for six months. Rajamouli recollects, "Even in my early 20s, I didn't know how to plan for my future. My father would constantly scold me for doing nothing. I joined films just to get away from his nagging. Slowly, I found my love for direction." He worked at AVM recording theatre in Chennai for a few days. He also worked as an assistant director to Kranthi Kumar for some time. Then, he assisted his father Vijayendra Prasad for six years. He started writing for films but was always disappointed by the execution of his stories by other directors. His frustration as a writer motivated him to become a director so that he can bring out his vision as a writer perfectly onto the screen.

He then shifted to Hyderabad from Chennai and worked with his relative Gunnam Gangaraju from whom he learnt about the practical aspect of filmmaking. Later under the supervision of K. Raghavendra Rao, he directed social message-oriented commercials. He also directed some advertisements for Telugu Desam Party. He then worked for one and half years as the director of the Telugu TV serial Santhi Nivasam along with Vara Mullapudi which was produced by Raghavendra Rao and aired on ETV. In an interview in 2005, Rajamouli called it the most arduous period in his life as he used to work for 17 hours a day. He recalled:

“My main aim while working in television was to get Mr Rao’s approval. During my TV days, I didn’t have much of an idea of what I was making. The good thing was that I was a hard worker, and I earned the nickname work devil.”

2001–2008: Film debut and breakthrough

In 2001, Raghavendra Rao offered Rajamouli the chance to direct a feature film under his production titled Student No: 1 which the latter accepted. Raghavendra Rao provided the screenplay in addition to supervising the direction. Rajamouli later regretted not working for a longer time as an assistant director. “When I made my first film Student No: 1, I didn’t know how to use a crane because I never used a crane while I was doing my TV serial." Student No:1 was a coming of age romantic action film and was the second film of Jr. NTR in a lead role. Rajamouli would go onto collaborate with Jr. NTR in three more films. The film was a critical and commercial success and was Jr. NTR's first successful film.

It took two years for Rajamouli to come up with his second film Simhadri (2003). After his first film, he realised that the kind of films he wanted to make had more drama and action, and so he made Simhadri, an action masala film. It marked Rajamouli's first collaboration with his father Vijayendra Prasad who provided the story. Simhadri was also the first film penned by Rajamouli. The film emerged as a blockbuster and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films ever at the time.

In the two-year gap between Student No.1 and Simhadri, Rajamouli planned his first mythological film with Malayalam actor Mohanlal, but the film eventually got shelved. In 2015, Assistant art director Manu Jagath, who later worked as the art director for Baahubali, released several sketches he had drawn for the shelved Mohanlal project. During the same period he was also supposed to direct a fantasy film with Prakash Kovelamudi as the lead but the film was shelved due to financial reasons.

Rajamouli's third film was Sye (2004), starring Nithin and Genelia. He recalls, "I got plenty of offers after the success of Simhadri. But I deliberately made a decision not to make an emotionally charged mass film like Simhadri immediately. I don't want to get branded as mass director. Hence I did Sye, which is radically different compared to Simhadri." It was a first-of-its-kind film in Telugu cinema, in that it was based on the sport of Rugby. This film was also the first instance where Rajamouli collaborated with K. K. Senthil Kumar who would eventually work with him on seven more films. Sye was commercially successful and won four Nandi Awards. Sye made a huge impact on the Telugu popular culture through its popularisation of Rugby to the masses.

His next venture was Chatrapathi (2005), an action drama set in Vizag dealing with the plight of refugees. Chatrapathi starred Prabhas in the lead role with music composed by M. M. Keeravani and cinematography by Senthil Kumar. It was Rajamouli's fourth consecutive hit and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year.

In his next project Vikramarkudu (2006), Rajamouli worked with Ravi Teja and Anushka Shetty. Rajamouli was attacked during the shooting of the film near Nanakramguda in Hyderabad. He suffered a hairline fracture on his hand and was admitted into a nearby Apollo hospital. Vikramarkudu was a breakthrough film for Anushka Shetty. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of India in the mainstream section. The film was a big success and was remade into several Indian languages including Kannada as Veera Madakari (2009), Tamil as Siruthai (2011), and Hindi as Rowdy Rathore (2012).

He then directed Yamadonga (2007), a fantasy action comedy film starring Jr NTR, Priyamani, Mohan Babu, and Mamata Mohandas. The plot follows Raja, a thief who is killed by his rivals. Raja's soul travels to Naraka (hell) to face the trail for his sins by Yama, the Hindu god of death and justice. The film was successful at the box-office and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films ever at the time.

Rajamouli started his own production company Visvamithra Creations named after the ancient Indian sage Visvamitra. Prabhas acted as Visvamitra for the logo shoot of the company. Yamadonga was produced under the Visvamithra Creations banner but the producers were Cherry and Urmila Gunnam with Rama Rajamouli presenting the film.

2009–2014: Critical acclaim and recognition

Rajamouli's next venture was the fantasy-action film Magadheera (2009), starring Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal. Made on a budget of ₹35–44 crore (US$7–10 million), it was the most expensive Telugu film at the time. It was the first Telugu film to list a "visual effects producer" in its credits. Magadheera became one of the biggest commercial successes in Telugu cinema and was the highest-grossing Telugu film at the end of its theatrical run. For Magadheera, Rajamouli won the Nandi Award for Best Director and Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. The film also won the National Award for Best Choreography and Best Special Effects at the 57th National Film Awards and a total of six Filmfare Awards South and nine Nandi Awards. The film's success catapulted both the leads into stardom.

Magadheera was dubbed into Tamil as Maaveeran and into Malayalam as Dheera: The Warrior and was released on 27 May 2011. Both the dubbed versions were successful and earned a good fan base for Ram Charan in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Japanese-dubbed version of the film released in August 2018 and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever at the Japanese box office. In 2014, it was remade in Bengali as Yoddha: The Warrior.

In 2010 he directed the action comedy film Maryada Ramanna starring Sunil and Saloni. Rajamouli watched the 1923 silent comedy film Our Hospitality and liked it immensely. He wanted to re-tell the same story in his own way. He tried to contact the original creators but found out that the original writers of the film were long dead and that the film's copyright had expired as it had been over 75 years since the film's release. His cousin S. S. Kanchi and him then adapted that story with a Rayalaseema backdrop focusing on the factional violence and hospitality that co-existed in the region. Regarding his decision to make a small film like Maryada Ramanna he remarked, "I decided that my next project would be Maryada Ramanna during Magadheera shooting itself because Magadheera is a one and half year project that demands lot of physical labour and mental strain. I didn’t want to commit another physically exhausting film immediately after Magadheera."

Maryada Ramanna opened to favourable reviews from critics. It became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of 2010. It received four Nandi Awards, including Best Popular Feature Film. Maryada Ramanna was remade in Hindi as Son of Sardaar and into other languages like Kannada, Bengali, Tamil, and Malayalam. In 2012 Rajamouli stated in an interview with Maa TV that Maryada Ramanna was his personal favourite among all the films he had directed.

Sudeep, Nani, and Rajamouli on the sets of Eega

His next project was the fantasy action film Eega (2012). The film was produced by Sai Korrapati's Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of ₹30–40 crore (US$6–7 million). It was simultaneously filmed in Tamil language with the title Naan Ee (transl. I, the Fly). The film stars Sudeep, Nani, and Samantha.The idea of Eega originated in the mid-1990s in Vijayendra Prasad's mind. At that time, he was joking about a housefly seeking revenge on a human in a conversation with his son Rajamouli. After completing Maryada Ramanna, Rajamouli reconsidered the concept after thinking of directing a film that was distinct from any other. He explained it thus:

When I started making films, I stuck to formula films for a while which did well at the box office. After a while, I was getting too comfortable with what I was doing, so I wanted to experiment with something completely different. I wanted to take the audience by surprise and that is when I went back to the story I had heard 16 years ago.

Upon release, the film received widespread critical acclaim including for Rajamouli's direction. It became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time. The Tamil version Naan Ee and Malayalam version Eecha were also big hits at the box office. The Hindi dubbed version Makkhi underperformed at the box office which Rajamouli attributed to a poor promotional strategy. But the satellite rights of Makkhi were sold at a price of ₹8 crore to Star Gold, by far the highest price ever paid for the Hindi dub of a Telugu film at the time.

Eega was screened at various international film festivals including the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The Telugu version won nine awards, including Most Original Film at the 8th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Eega won two National Film Awards (Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Special Effects) and five South Filmfare Awards including Best Telugu Film and Best Telugu Director. Speaking at an event, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said regional cinema is surpassing Hindi cinema in content and story, and cited Eega as an example. Kapur said he was impressed with its story and use of technology, and called it "no less than a Hollywood superhero film". Eega was listed among "The 25 Best Foreign Films of the Decade" by The Ringer.

2015–present: Pan-Indian and international acclaim

Rajamouli and Sabu Cyril on the set of Bahubali the Beginning

In 2015, he directed the epic action film Baahubali: The Beginning starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, and Tamanna. The film was shot using Arri Alexa XT camera, marking Rajamouli's first film shot using a digital camera. Rajamouli's work was lauded by The Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian and The Huffington Post. It became the second highest grossing Indian film of all time, and the highest grossing Indian film of all time within India. Its Hindi dubbed version also broke several records. It was the first dubbed film to collect over 100 crore nett at the Hindi box office and became the highest-grossing dubbed film in Hindi of all time. It was screened at various international film festivals including the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The making of the film was featured in BBC's documentary on 100 Years of Indian cinema, directed by Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Baahubali: The Beginning received several awards. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and became the first Telugu film to win the award. It also won the National Award for Best Special Effects. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards South, the Telugu version won five awards from ten nominations, including Best Film and Best Director award for Rajamouli. It became the first Indian film to be nominated for Saturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the 42nd ceremony, including Best Fantasy Film.

In 2015, Rajamouli was named as the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in Entertainment. In 2016, he was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour for his contributions towards the field of Art.

Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Rajamouli, Karan Johar, Prabhas, Rana Daggubati at the trailer launch of the Hindi version of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

His next project was Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), which served as both a sequel and a prequel to Baahubali: The Beginning. The film was premiered at the British Film Institute. It was made on an estimated budget of ₹250 crore ($37 million) and was the most expensive Indian film ever made at the time. Baahubali 2 was released on 28 April 2017 and later dubbed into Hindi, Malayalam, Japanese, Russian and Chinese. Released in conventional 2D and IMAX formats, Baahubali 2 was the first Telugu film to also release in 4K High Definition format.

Grossing ₹1,810 crore worldwide ($267 million), the film surpassed PK (2014) to briefly become the highest grossing Indian film of all time, collecting approximately ₹800 crore worldwide within just six days of its release. It became the first-ever Indian film to gross over ₹1,000 crore, doing so in just ten days. Within India, it set many film records, becoming the highest-grossing film in Hindi, as well as in its original Telugu language. It stands as the highest grossing film in India, the second highest-grossing Indian film worldwide and the 39th highest-grossing film of 2017. The film sold over 10 crore (100 million) tickets during its box office run, the highest estimated admissions for any film in India since Sholay (1975). Baahubali 2 released to positive reviews from critics. It won the Saturn Award for Best International Film and three National Film Awards: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Special Effects and Best Stunt Choreographer.

The exceptional success of Baahubali films across different Indian languages, regions, and states kickstarted what has been termed the pan-Indian films movement where a film is simultaneously released in multiple Indian languages and is made to appeal to audiences across the country, cutting across the linguistic and cultural barriers. Several filmmakers and film analysts have credited Rajamouli for almost single-handedly expanding the reach and market of South Indian cinema to Northern India and beyond.

Rajamouli, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, Jr. NTR and DVV Danayya at the RRR Press Meet in Chennai.

Rajamouli's subsequent film RRR (2022) is a period drama based on the lives of Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Made on a budget of est. ₹550 crore (US$72 million), it is the most expensive Indian film ever made. The film stars NTR Jr, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, and Ajay Devgn. RRR opened to positive reviews from critics with praise for the performances, particularly Rama Rao and Charan, and screenplay by Rajamouli.

With ₹240 crore (US$31 million) worldwide on its first day, RRR broke the record for the highest opening-day collection earned by an Indian film. RRR emerged as the highest-grossing film in its home market of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, grossing over ₹400 crore (US$52 million) and surpassing Rajamouli's previous film Baahubali 2. The film grossed ₹1,150–1,200 crore (US$150–160 million) worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, including the second-highest-grossing film in India and the third-highest-grossing Indian film. RRR is nominated in three categories at the 47th Saturn Awards including a Best Director nomination for Rajamouli. It was also nominated in Best Action / Adventure Film and Best International Film categories.

Upcoming projects

Rajamouli is committed to collaborate with actor Mahesh Babu. The film, touted to be a jungle adventure set in Africa, is expected to begin its production in 2023. While attending the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, he revealed more details about the project. “My next film with Mahesh Babu will be a globetrotting action adventure. It’s going to be a kind of James Bond or Indiana Jones film with Indian roots.” In September 2022, he signed with the American talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in a move that has been described as a "coup for the agency".

There were also reports of him planning a live-action animated film rooted in Indian content. In August 2022, he revealed that he was working on a couple of scripts that would be suitable to be made as animation films.

Rajamouli frequently speaks about his intention to make a film based on the Indian epic Mahabharata in the future. He thinks it will be at least a four-part project requiring a time period of six to ten years. In May 2017 he noted, "I don't want to compromise in making it and the huge project is going to take 10 years perhaps. I am apprehensive as to whether I will be able to execute such a technically-superior project (in the immediate future)." He had also revealed that the film series may not feature established movie stars. "This is the kind of film that will not work out if I rope in stars. Once the different characters are designed, I would have to hunt for the right artists and mould them accordingly," he said. In July 2022 he said, “Mahabharata has been my long, long, long dream project, but it will take a long time for me to step into that ocean. Before I step into Mahabharata I want to make, maybe, three or four films."

He also expressed his wish on several occasions to make films on the historical rulers Sri Krishnadevaraya, Rajaraja Narendra, Kakatiyas, Rani Abbakka.

Personal life

My personal opinions, my thoughts, and my lifestyle have nothing to do with my profession. I keep that completely separate. Professionally, I am different. I don’t try to rub my thoughts on to my characters, or on to my storytelling.

 — Rajamouli on mythological themes in his films despite him being an agnostic.

Rajamouli married Rama, sister-in-law of his cousin Keeravani in 2001. After their marriage, Rama has worked as a costume designer for many of Rajamouli's films. He has adopted Karthikeya, Rama's son from her previous marriage. The couple also has an adopted daughter Mayookha. Karthikeya is married to Pooja Prasad, niece of Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu.

Rajamouli's cousin, M. M. Keeravani has worked as the music composer for all of his films. His other cousins Kalyani Malik and M. M. Srilekha are also music composers. S. S. Kanchi, a screenwriter and actor known for his role in the sitcom Amrutham is also one of his cousins. He collaborated with Rajamouli as a script doctor on many of his films and also acted in four of his films. Raja Koduri, a senior vice-president at Intel is also a cousin of his. Rajamouli considers K. Raghavendra Rao as his guru and mentor. He called Gunnam Gangaraju his philosopher and guide who made an impact on his worldview.

Rajamouli is nicknamed Jakkanna after the legendary c.12th century sculptor Jakanachari (known in Telugu as Jakkanna) who is credited with building numerous temples during the Hoysala reign. The moniker was coined by actor Rajeev Kanakala during the making of the TV serial Santhi Nivasam (c. 2000) directed by Rajamouli and was in reference to his work ethic and perfectionism like the famed sculptor.

Regarding his religious views he noted in a March 2022 interview, "I don't believe in God or religion the way it is portrayed now. But if you ask me 'Do you believe in the existence of God?' I'd say 'I don't know'." At Beyond Fest 2022 in Los Angeles, Rajamouli noted that he is not a Hindu in a religious sense; but, added that he is a follower of Hindu dharma, as a way of life and philosophy.

In 2017, Chandrababu Naidu, then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh consulted Rajamouli for inputs on the design of Amaravati, the proposed capital of the state.

Cinematic sensibility

Themes

When I start writing a story, for me, it is the emotion I should be moved by. I might be agnostic, but when I see a good film, like for example, Annamayya, a Telugu film which is about a devotee of Lord Venkateswara, and when I see the climax, I cry. It is a conversation between God and man, his disciple. I might not believe in God, but I connect to the emotion of a devotee and a God. And, I connect to the emotion that drives masses: devotion and submission to a greater self. I understand the power of that emotion, the power of a mass emotion, and I too feel that emotion. I might not believe in God, but I believe in the emotion, and if it moves me, I write it.

 — Rajamouli on emotions and themes in his films.

Rajamouli's films are often larger-than-life and epic in scale. His penchant for bigger films and larger-than-life characters was present right from his childhood. He reminisces, “From a young age, I had this vivid imagination. When my father started working, he would tell us scenes he had developed, and I would amp them up in my own way.” He mentioned in an interview, "I like larger-than-life ideas. I take an impossible situation and then make the audience believe in it."

His films have themes often related to fantasy and Hindu mythology. He frequently admits that his films are inspired by the ancient Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. He recalls the influence of these epics in his childhood, “What if Karna had Bhima’s mace and Bhima had Karna’s bow? I’d really trip on such things.” He revisits the Amar Chita Katha comics and keeps reading different versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata from time to time.

Rajamouli spoke about the mythological elements in his films as follows:

"I am deeply influenced by mythology. Including it in my projects has always been a very sub-conscious decision because I grew up listening to the stories of mythology from my grandparents. It is completely embedded in my blood. Whatever goes in, comes out. I have so much input of mythology, it comes out in my stories in different forms. I feel very proud of it."

The scene in Simhadri where the protagonist impales a gangster on spikes overhead, and bathes in his blood invokes the iconography of Lord Narasimha, the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Baahubali series has many elements which resemble Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Devasena-Bhallaladeva scenes mirror the Sita-Ravana interactions in the Ramayana. The Baahubali-Bhallaladeva conflict parallels the Pandava-Kaurava conflict in the Mahabharata. The idea of reincarnation was first used in Magadheera, following that it was next seen in Eega.

Piyush Roy, a critic and film historian, attributes success of Rajamouli's films to his ability to merge the essential lessons and emotional points in Indian epics with grandeur of visuals. He further notes that aspects like constant duel between good and evil, women as strong characters, presence of mother figures like Kunti and Gandhari are recurrent themes of Rajamouli's stories.

Rajamouli frequently mentions that his films are not a reflection of his personality or worldview. He notes that the mythological and religious themes in his films are storytelling elements intended to create strong emotional impact on the viewers.

"My storytelling has remained the same as that when I was in class two. The setting of my films is extremely unrealistic and transports you into a fantasy world. I like people to come out of their world into the one I have created. I like people to be awe struck by my films."

Devarsi Ghosh of India Today observed, "the themes of an orphaned hero, a secret backstory, a separated family and a protagonist in search of his/her origins are prominent in Rajamouli's films." Jealous siblings and adopted sons who strive to prove their loyalty, feature prominently in Simhadri, Chatrapathi, and Baahubali. Love is a key theme in Magadheera and Eega. His films also have elements of tragedy which is not typical for commercial Telugu cinema — the death of Vikram Rathore during the central set-piece in Vikramarkudu, Kaala Bhairava jumping off the cliff in Magadheera, the self-immolation of the fly in the climax of Eega, the betrayal and death of Amarendra Baahubali in Baahubai films.

Rajamouli's films feature strong, principled heroes who never give up in the face of daunting odds. Among the Navarasas, the Veera rasa (heroism) is most prominent in his films. Piyush Roy notes, "His plots have all elements of exploits of a hero and heroism. His heroes are not only mentally upright but also physically strong."

His antagonists are irredeemable with no moral compass. His protagonists have graduated from pure brawn in Simhadri, Chatrapathi, and Vikramarkudu to thinking, intelligent heroes who overthink their antagonists in Maryada Ramanna, Eega, and Baahubali. Rajamouli also experimented in Maryada Ramanna with a protagonist who is not hypermasculine or courageous, traits which are typical of the lead characters in his films.

Revenge is a prominent theme in his films. In an interview with Sandeep Vanga, Rajamouli said, "I believe revenge is the strongest emotion. I don't set out to make a revenge drama in particular. Revenge is an emotion that strongly and easily resonates with the audience. So, most of the time it's revenge." His films generally use a wide range of animals and Rajamouli attributes this to his love of animals.

His films have a liberal dose of violence, often in stylised action set-pieces. Regarding violence he notes, “Indian epics are full of violence, and such stories have shaped India. As filmmakers, I don't think anyone in India would tone down the violence, keeping in mind the censorship.” The violent scenes are often employed to induce awe in the viewer by invoking mythology. His films also feature protagonists wielding ornate weapons.

Filmmaking style

Most Rajamouli films follow the three-act structure where every major plot point has a Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. This results in a screenplay where every plot point ends on a high note and the film having a clap-worthy moment every 10 to 15 minutes.

Several of Rajamouli's films feature flashback episodes where the protagonist's backstory is revealed, typically in the second-half of the film. This narrative style is used in Simhadri, Vikramarkudu, Magadheera, Baahubali: The Beginning, and RRR. The high point of Rajamouli's narrative style is considered to be the pre-interval scene—the scene immediately prior to the intermission. His pre-interval scenes rev up the emotions of the audience creating a high point that increases the interest for the second-half of the film.

I’m very loyal to my action sequences. I just won’t put them in for the sake of it. I believe that human endurance and physical capabilities are unimaginable when they are emotionally charged. There are things that real people have achieved that we can’t imagine, but they happen once in a lifetime … The only thing is they happen quite a number of times in my films.

 — Rajamouli on action sequences in his films.

Rajamouli's films typically have a central, brutally violent set-piece that provides dramatic catharsis resolving narrative threads that the film has set up, while escalating the stakes. Examples include the Godavari Pushkaralu fight scene in Simhadri, the pre-interval fight scene in Vikramarkudu, the 100 soldier fight scene in Magadheera, and the battle sequences at the end of both the Baahubali films. This violence is often carried out as a ritual, with ornate weapons. The violent scenes are often employed to induce awe in the viewer by invoking mythology.

Rajamouli says, "I learned that if I make my story based on basic human emotions, I have a chance to connect with more people." He also prefers action sequences with strong emotional buildup and motivations for the protagonists. "For me, the character being emotionally charged up at that moment to go into that action sequence is very, very important." He described his films as “big-scale action movies driven by hard-core emotion”.

Rajamouli's initial films have comedic sub-plots and songs that are not integral to the main plot of the film. He noted, “Initially, I used to add a lot of scenes for the sake of comedy, songs because I used to fear how people would react if they aren't there. Once I got a lot of confidence as a story-teller, I no longer see the necessity to do all that”.

Rajamouli regrets not working for a longer time as an assistant director. “When I made my first film Student No: 1, I didn’t know how to use a crane because I never used a crane while I was doing my TV serial." He mentions basic shotmaking as his biggest shortcoming as a director. “I still don’t know which shot exactly gives me what I need. I get so many doubts whether I should keep the camera standard, whether I should move the track-in slowly, how close should I really get — close to the eyes, close to the face, whether I should go a little bit to the top. There are thousands of options that run through my mind and I don’t know which is the right thing to do. That is my shortcoming. I can’t decide which is the right camera angle," he noted in an interaction in June 2022.

In the beginning of his career, Rajamouli used to act and show the actors how to perform or enact the character and was very adamant on the minutiae of their performances. "Slowly I realised that all my actors are looking the same. All my actors were imitating what I was doing. Then I thought, why do I go to a particular actor? (It is) because he has a specific ability. Then I started hammering the emotion into the actor and let them perform accordingly," he noted.

Beginning with the Baahubali films, Rajamouli started conducting workshops with the major cast members and writing everything about a character — the complete backstory of the character including traits and events that aren’t present in the final film — prior to the commencement of principal photography. Rajamouli's later films use extensive pre-visualization executed by concept artists. The previsualisation process includes traditional storyboarding on paper, animated storyboarding, and animation. All the stunts are practised, performed, filmed, edited and set to music by the stunt team, without the cast, and presented to the heads of departments before the filming begins.

Rajamouli's films typically, are visual effects-heavy and he is one of the pioneering filmmakers in India in integrating computer-generated imagery (CGI) with live action. He prefers practical effects over CGI and likes to capture as much footage as possible in-camera. Rajamouli's craft in CGI has improved with time. The CGI in the underwater shark-fighting sequence in Chatrapathi was considered ambitious, but choppy. The CGI sequences in Magadheera, Eega, Baahubali, and RRR are more polished with each film improving upon the previous one.

Visual storytelling

For me, whether it is subtitling or the (original) language, it's just a medium of communication. Those are not important for me. I would rather want my audience to get the story through the visuals, the way actors are performing or how the background score is. That is what I would prefer as a filmmaker.

 — Rajamouli on visual storytelling.

Rajamouli's later films focus heavily on visual storytelling. He noted in an interview, "While creating a story, I think 'If I switch off this dialogue portion, will the audience still connect to my movie?' Many times, the answer is a yes.”

“I try to tell my story through visuals. I try to put in as little dialogue as possible, but the dialogues we do put in … my writers take excruciating care, writing version after version so that nuance does not get lost in translation.”

Multi-lingual films

Rajamouli's films starting from Eega have been made in Telugu language and then dubbed into various Indian and foreign languages. He described the process of making a multi-lingual film in this way.

"My thinking is in Telugu, the script is in Telugu first. But even before I go to shoot, I send the script to other language writers so they also get into the clue of what the film is about. Those dialogues may not be the final ones I am going to use in the film, but they read the script and if there is anything that complements my story, I change the Telugu version. It’s an elaborate process because they write, but have to check with the lip-sync. You can’t have a 20 word sentence in place of a six word sentence. We get the lip-sync right, but we don’t compromise on the quality."

Influences

Action and adventure films are Rajamouli's favourite genre. Rajamouli frequently mentions Ben-Hur (1959), Braveheart (1995), Mayabazar (1957) as his favourite and most influential films. His other favourite films include Missamma (1955), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Terminator 2 (1991), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), City Lights (1931), Apocalypto (2006), Kung Fu Panda (2008), The Lion King (1994), Aladdin (1992), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Django Unchained (2012). He expressed his liking for the films of James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Quentin Tarantino. The chariot race scene in Ben-Hur was a strong influence on him in his childhood. Magadheera, RRR, and Baahubali films feature scenes with horses and chariots and Rajamouli acknowledges Ben-Hur as an inspiration.

Rajamouli has cited Mel Gibson as his favourite filmmaker and as the biggest influence on his filmmaking style. He mentioned that he considers Gibson to be his guru. He also compared himself with Ekalavya to Gibson's Drona. He regularly pays homage to Gibson in his films. He noted in an interview:

"Many of Mel Gibson's films have a very, very big influence on me. The way he blends the action with the drama, how he slows down, how he switches the dramatic moment before the action explodes, I really, really love it. I get really inspired by his action a lot. That’s one thing that really comes to my mind when I talk about action films. It’s what inspired me to do action films."

He is also deeply fascinated by the films of Vijaya Productions like Pathala Bhairavi (1951), Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961). He noted, "Those films stirred the creative juices in my childhood itself. The artistes, their body language, dialogue delivery are all etched into my memory permanently."

Rajamouli attributes his sense of drama to his father Vijayendra Prasad under whom he worked as an assistant early in his career. He is deeply influenced by the novels of Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy and Yandamuri Veerendranath. He also expressed his fondness for the works of Wilbur Smith. He generally dislikes horror films, especially ones that involve jump scares. He is more receptive to films that scare the viewer with their theme or story. He mentioned his favourite films in the horror genre as The Omen (1976) and Paranormal Activity (2007).

Among Indian directors, Rajamouli cites K. V. Reddy as his biggest influence. Ram Gopal Varma and Raj Kapoor are other Indian directors who had influenced him. Among his contemporaries in Telugu cinema, he expressed his admiration for the works of Sukumar and Trivikram Srinivas. He also praised the work and cinematic style of Rajkumar Hirani and Anurag Kashyap.

For Baahubali, Rajamouli was inspired by the tales of Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama along with the Sanskrit epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. For RRR, he mentioned The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and Inglorious Basterds (2009) as his inspirations.

Collaborators

Crew

Rajamouli frequently collaborates with a set of crew members and technicians. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao, under whom he started his film career as an assistant, has edited all of his films except RRR which was cut by A. Sreekar Prasad. K. K. Senthil Kumar served as the cinematographer on eight of his films. Among art directors or production designers, he worked with Anand Sai for Simhadri, Sye, and Yamadonga; S. Ravinder worked for five of his films till Eega; and Sabu Cyril worked for Baahubali series and RRR. M. Ratnam worked as a dialogue writer for all six of Rajamouli's films starting from Simhadri till Magadheera. Among action choreographers, he collaborated with Peter Hein in five films — Student No.1, Chatrapathi, Magadheera, Maryada Ramanna, and Baahubali: The Beginning; Ram-Lakshman worked with him in three films — Sye, Vikramarkudu, and Magadheera; Vijayan worked as the stunt co-ordinator for Simhadri and Sye; King Solomon worked as the action choreographer for all his films starting with Eega; Lee Whittaker worked as an action director / stunt coordinator for both the Baahubali films.

Rajamouli and Pete Draper of Makuta VFX on the sets of Eega

R. C. Kamalakannan served as the visual effects supervisor for five of his films — Yamadonga, Magadheera, Maryada Ramanna, Eega, and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. V. Srinivas Mohan worked as the visual effects supervisor for Baahubali: The Beginning, and RRR. Iranian citizen Adel Adili who previously worked on Yamadonga, Englishman Pete Draper, and R. C. Kamalakannan founded Makuta VFX based out of Hyderabad. Makuta has extensively collaborated with Rajamouli in all his films from Magadheera till RRR. Rajamouli also came on as a director of Makuta on paper for two years initially to get them a footprint in the film industry.

K. Raghavendra Rao produced his debut film Student No: 1 and presented the Baahubali films. Cherry (Chiranjeevi Pedamallu) was the executive producer for Chatrapathi, Vikramarkudu and later produced Yamadonga. B. V. S. N. Prasad produced Chatrapathi and was the executive producer for Magadheera. Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni produced Maryada Ramanna and Baahubali films.

Rajamouli regularly collaborates with many members of his extended family. His cousin M. M. Keeravani has worked as the music composer for all of his films. His father Vijayendra Prasad provided the story for nine of his films. His wife Rama Rajamouli worked as a costume designer or stylist for all of his films starting from Sye. His sister-in-law M. M. Srivalli, wife of Keeravani, served as a Line Producer on four of his films and also worked as a Publicity Manager for Yamadonga. His cousin S. S. Kanchi collaborated with him on four films in the writing department including as a story writer for Maryada Ramanna.

His uncle Siva Shakthi Datta, brother of Vijayendra Prasad and father of Keeravani, worked as a lyricist in five of his films. Another uncle of his, Koduri Ramakrishna was the co-lyricist for Saahore Baahubali along with Datta. Rajamouli's cousin Kalyani Malik works as a sound supervisor for his films. Raja Koduri, another cousin of his, contributed to Baahubali series in technical departments through AMD Radeon. Rajabali another cousin of his worked as a VFX Assistant for Baahubali. His nephew Kaala Bhairava, elder son of Keeravani worked as a playback singer in five of his films. Sri Simha, younger son of Keeravani, worked as a child actor in Yamadonga and Maryada Ramanna, along with minor roles in Eega and Baahubali: The Beginning. In addition, Rajamouli's step-son S. S. Karthikeya also works in the production or direction department of his films. His adopted daughter Mayookha along with Keeravani's daughter acted in the song Saahore Baahubali of Baahubali 2. Kalyani Malik's son Mayur lent his voice in some parts at the end of Baahubali 2. As many as fifteen members of his extended family had worked on Baahubali 2.

Collaborations of Rajamouli - Crew

Work Collaborator
	Student No.1 (2001)	Simhadri (2003)	Sye (2004)	Chatrapathi (2005)	Vikramarkudu (2006)	Yamadonga (2007)	Magadheera (2009)	Maryada Ramanna (2010)	Eega (2012)	Baahubali (2015, 2017)	RRR (2022)
M. M. Keeravani
V. Vijayendra Prasad
K. K. Senthil Kumar
Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Rama Rajamouli
M. Ratnam
Peter Hein
Ram-Lakshman
Vijayan
King Solomon
Anand Sai
S. Ravinder
Sabu Syril
R. C. Kamalakannan
V. Srinivas Mohan
S. S. Kanchi
M. M. Srivalli
Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni
K. Raghavendra Rao
Cherry
B. V. S. N. Prasad

Cast

Rajamouli has worked with some actors frequently in his career. Jr. NTR starred in four of his films including Rajamouli's debut film Student No.1. Prabhas has starred in three of his films — Chatrapathi and Baahubali series. Ram Charan collaborated with him on Magadheera and RRR. Ravi Teja starred in Vikramarkudu and provided the voice for bicycle in Maryada Ramanna. Sunil starred in Maryada Ramanna and played a supporting role in Magadheeera. Sudeep played the antagonist in Eega and had a cameo in Baahubali: The Beginning.

Anushka Shetty played the female lead in Vikramarkudu and the Baahubali series. Shriya Saran played the female lead in Chatrapathi and was also cast in RRR in a supporting role. Ramya Krishna appeared in an item song in Simhadri and later played one of the central characters Sivagami Devi in Baahubali films. Saloni had a cameo in Magadheera and later played the female lead in Maryada Ramanna. Mumaith Khan appeared in item songs in Chatrapathi and Magadheera.

Kota Srinivasa Rao worked with him in three films. Nassar acted in Simhadri, Sye, and the Baahubali series. Pradeep Rawat was introduced to Telugu industry by Rajamouli as the antagonist Bikshu Yadav in Sye which won him fame. He later worked in Chatrapathi as the villain Ras Bihari. Narendra Jha was also introduced to Telugu cinema by Rajamouli. He was cast as the antagonist Baji Rao in Chatrapathi and later also acted in Yamadonga. Supreeth worked in three films of Rajamouli as a goon or henchman of the main antagonist. Rajamouli gave Prabhakar his first full-fledged role in Maryada Ramanna which became his breakthrough role. Prabhakar named his son after Rajamouli as gratitude towards him. He later played the Kalakeya leader Inkoshi in Baahubali: The Beginning. After the film's success, he came to be popularly referred to as 'Kalakeya Prabhakar'.

Rajamouli also regularly collaborates with Rajeev Kanakala and Chatrapathi Sekhar who appeared in six and nine of his films respectively. Rajamouli also worked with the comic actors Brahmanandam, M. S. Narayana, Venu Madhav, Ali, L. B. Sriram, Raghu Babu, Srinivasa Reddy, Sivannarayana Naripeddi, Hema in multiple films. Tanikella Bharani acted in Student No.1, Sye, and Baahubali. Sameer, Ajay, Jaya Prakash Reddy, Rao Ramesh, Subbaraya Sarma, Surya, Preeti Nigam acted in supporting roles in many of his films. His cousin S. S. Kanchi acted in four of his films apart from working in the writing department. His nephew Sri Simha, younger son of Keeravani, worked as a child actor in Yamadonga and Maryada Ramanna, along with minor roles in Eega and Baahubali: The Beginning.

Recognition

Rajamouli was cited as an influence by directors like Prashanth Neel and Ayan Mukerji. Prashanth Neel noted, "With his films, he brought immense recognition to South cinema and he is a big source of inspiration to all of us.” Ayan Mukerji cited Rajamouli as one of his two gurus in the filmmaking world along with James Cameron. He noted that there is a lot of Rajamouli’s influence on his film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022). Filmmaker and actor Rahul Ravindran says, "Every time someone tells me during a script discussion that doing this or not doing that will make the script a hit film, I always say… how can you be sure, nobody can be, except Rajamouli sir.”

Matt Groening, the creator of the television shows The Simpsons and Futurama while discussing his inspiration for Disenchantment mentioned that Rajamouli had made some of his favourite films of the last decade especially Magadheera. He added that the show has homages to Rajamouli. Noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam mentioned that the success of Baahubali inspired him to work on Ponniyin Selvan: I. He said, "I want to thank Rajamouli garu. In a way, he has opened a door for all of us and has shown us that this kind of film can be made. You can tell stories in two parts and be successful. It has become possible because of Baahubali, so I really want to thank him."

Rajamouli has redefined the reach of regional cinema consistently through his films, starting with Eega [2012] to the Baahubali series, and now with RRR. The entire concept of pan-Indian films came from him when he succeeded with Eega across many Indian languages. This opened up this concept. Thanks to his vision, today, a lot of films are able to be made on a bigger budget targeted at a pan-Indian audience. Rajamouli stands tall among all Indian filmmakers for his vision, innovation, and expansion of the regional language market at a global level.

 — G. Dhananjayan, producer, critic, and film trade analyst, about Rajamouli.

Film trade analyst Komal Nahta told Al Jazeera, “Rajamouli has an impeccable track record. Every film of his has worked … It would not be wrong to say that he’s the biggest [Indian film director] ever.” Manoj Kumar R of The Indian Express writes, "It’s a rarity to find a director who sells more tickets than the leading stars of a movie. And in that respect, he has monopolized that space." Latha Srinivasan of Firstpost wrote of him, "A filmmaker whose actors and producers have blind faith in knowing he will not let them or the audience down, and can dedicate years to his project. And this is an extremely hard feat to achieve in this day and age when every actor and director is as good as his last film." Sagar Tetali of Film Companion noted, "What they [Rajamouli's films] have meant for Telugu cinema is the triumph of directorial ambition over the actor-star — the triumph of a brand of storytelling over the South Indian star image."

Rachel Dwyer, professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS University of London notes of him, "SS Rajamouli is perhaps India’s most significant director today. He can make a film in a south Indian language that, when dubbed, becomes a pan-Indian film that can also be enjoyed overseas." She adds, "SS Rajamouli is now widely regarded as one of India’s greatest directors. Rajamouli’s impact on Indian cinema is yet to be assessed, but he is perhaps primar­ily responsible for galvanising the interest in south Indian cinema that is now being watched all over India." Indira Kannan, a film critic noted, "Rajamouli and his last film RRR may have single-handedly prompted not just Indian audiences but also cinephiles worldwide to look beyond Bollywood while seeking entertaining Indian blockbusters.

Pan-Indian films

Through his Baahubali films, Rajamouli is credited with pioneering the pan-Indian films movement where a film is simultaneously released in multiple Indian languages and is made to appeal to audiences across the country, cutting across the linguistic and cultural barriers. Gautam Jain of Ormax Media, a media and entertainment consulting firm writes, "Before the release of Bahubali: The Beginning (2015), the term ‘Pan India film’ did not exist in film media or audience lingo." He also calls him the 'original Pan India filmmaker' and the 'most successful Pan India filmmaker'.

Vijay Kiragandur, the producer of the KGF films which were huge hits across the country credits Rajamouli for making Baahubali films and giving him the confidence to take KGF: Chapter 1 to audiences across the country with a multi-lingual release.

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Rajamouli has directed 12 feature films so far.

Directed features

Year	Title	Language	Direction	Screenplay	Story
2001	Student No: 1	Telugu	Yes	No	No
2003	Simhadri		Yes	Yes	No
2004	Sye		Yes	Yes	No
2005	Chatrapathi		Yes	Yes	No
2006	Vikramarkudu		Yes	Yes	No
2007	Yamadonga		Yes	Yes	No
2009	Magadheera		Yes	Yes	No
2010	Maryada Ramanna		Yes	Yes	No
2012	Eega	Telugu Tamil	Yes	Yes	Yes
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning		Yes	Yes	No
2017	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion		Yes	Yes	No
2022	RRR	Telugu	Yes	Yes	No

Other roles

Year	Film	Role
1993	Pillana Grovi	Played Lord Krishna; unreleased film
2004	Sye	Nalla Balu's henchman (cameo)
2008	Rainbow	Himself (cameo)
2009	Magadheera	Cameo in "Anaganaganaga" song
2011	Rajanna	Choreographed action sequences
2012	Eega	Narrator (voice role) and a biker in traffic
2012	Andala Rakshasi	Co-Producer
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Spirit seller (cameo)
2016	Majnu	Himself (cameo)
2022	Radhe Shyam	Narrator Telugu version (voice role)
	RRR	Cameo in "Ettara Jenda" song
	Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva	Presenter of South Indian versions (Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada)

Television

Year	Title	Credited as	Network	Ref.
2000	Santhi Nivasam	Director	ETV
2008	Yuva	Himself (cameo)	MAA TV
2010	Come on India	Host	HMTV
2017–2020	Baahubali: The Lost Legends	Executive producer	Netflix
TBA	Baahubali: Before the Beginning	Producer

Box-office performance

The budgets and box-office figures are all estimates collated from various sources like newspapers, magazines, reputed film portals etc. Wherever the estimates vary, a range of highest and lowest estimates is provided. All values in Indian Rupees (₹) are converted to US Dollars ($) based on the average yearly exchange rate data from World Bank.

Year	Title	Budget (est.)	Box-office (est.)		Ref
			Worldwide Share	Worldwide Gross
2001	Student No. 1	₹1.85 crore ($392,000)	₹12 crore ($2.54 million)	—
2003	Simhadri	₹8.5 crore ($1.8 million)	₹26 crore ($5.6 million)	—
2004	Sye	₹10.2 crore ($2.2 million)	₹11 crore ($2.4 million)	—
2005	Chatrapathi	₹12.5 crore ($2.8 million)	₹22 crore ($5 million)	—
2006	Vikramarkudu	₹11 crore ($2.4 million)	₹16–23 crore ($3.5–5.1 million)	—
2007	Yamadonga	₹18–20 crore ($4.3–4.8 million)	₹29 crore ($7 million)	—
2009	Magadheera	₹35–44 crore ($7–10 million)	₹73–78 crore ($15–16 million)	₹150 crore ($31 million)
2010	Maryada Ramanna	₹12–14 crore ($2.6–3.1 million)	₹29 crore ($6.35 million)	₹40 crore ($8.75 million)
2012	Eega	₹30–40 crore ($6–7 million)	₹54 crore ($10 million)	₹125 crore ($23 million)
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	₹180 crore ($28 million)	₹302 crore ($47 million)	₹600–650 crore ($93–101 million)
2017	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion	₹250 crore ($38 million)	₹831 crore ($128 million)	₹1,810 crore ($278 million)
2022	RRR	₹550 crore ($72 million)	₹624 crore ($82 million)	₹1,150–1,200 crore ($150–160 million)

Awards and honours

Rajamouli receiving the ANR National Award from the Vice-President of India Venkaiah Naidu, 2017

Rajamouli is a recipient of various awards including three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, and five state Nandi Awards. Baahubali: The Beginning won the Best Feature Film at the 63rd National Film Awards and became the first Telugu film to ever win the award. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion won the Best Popular Film at the 65th National Film Awards. In 2012, Eega won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. Baahubali: The Beginning became the first Indian film to be nominated for Saturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the 42nd ceremony, including Best Fantasy Film. Baahubali 2 won the Saturn Award for Best International Film and was the first Indian film ever to win a Saturn Award.

His films have been screened at various film festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival among others. A retrospective of Rajamouli's films will be held from September 26 to October 10, 2022 in a special program titled “From Tollywood to Hollywood” as part of the 10th edition of Beyond Fest, the highest attended genre festival in the U.S.

In 2015, Rajamouli was named as the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in Entertainment. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2016, for his contributions to the field of Art.

Civilian Honours

Year	Award	Honouring body	Result	Ref.
2016	Padma Shri	Government of India	Won

National Film Awards

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2012	Eega	Best Feature Film in Telugu	Won
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Best Feature Film	Won
2017	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion	Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment	Won

Nandi Awards (Andhra Pradesh State Film Awards)

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2009	Magadheera	Best Director	Won
2012	Eega	Best Director	Won
		Best Screenplay Writer	Won
2014	Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema	BN Reddy National Award	Won
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Best Director	Won

Filmfare Awards South

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2009	Magadheera	Best Director	Won
2012	Eega	Best Director	Won
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Best Director	Won
2017	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion	Best Director	Won

IIFA Utsavam

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Best Director – Tamil	Nominated
		Best Director – Telugu	Won

South Indian International Movie Awards

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2012	Eega	Best Director – Telugu	Nominated
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Best Director – Telugu	Won
2017	Baahubali 2: The Conclusion	Best Director – Telugu	Won

CineMAA Awards

Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
2009	Magadheera	Best Director	Won
2015	Baahubali: The Beginning	Best Director	Won

Other Honours

Year	Award	Honouring body	Result	Ref.
2017	ANR National Award	Akkineni International Foundation	Won

External links

• S. S. Rajamouli at IMDb