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Even those who do not track film news insistently know that RRR turned SS Rajamouli into a global sensation. In 2022, the film became an unstoppable juggernaut; soon after, Rajamouli was here, there, everywhere. On stage at film festivals in Toronto and elsewhere, revelling in applause in Japanese theatres (yes, Japan, that most difficult market where Rajinikanth has ruled for years), throwing his hands up in joy at the ‘Naatu Naatu’ Oscar win, with the song’s jubilant composer M M Keeravani and other close family and cast in attendance: it was RRR and SSR all the way.
Glimpses from this triumphant tour are what we get most of in Modern Masters, produced by Applause Entertainment and the newly-minted Film Companion Studios, and directed by Raghav Khanna. There are extensive interviews, conducted by veteran film journalist Anupama Chopra, with the director and his inner circle, his stars (Prabhas, Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Rana Daggubati), and such admiring compatriots such as Karan Johar, as well as James Cameron, who all have good things to say about the man, his method, and his ‘madness’.
Labelling a working director as a ‘modern master’ sets the tone of this 74-minute documentary, which is mostly laudatory. It precludes the inclusion of pinpricks: a potentially tricky question is raised on a critical reading of RRR (and there were several, in addition to the generally appreciative ones), but there is no interrogation of Rajamouli beyond a rambling answer.
Having said that, expecting anything more so in a film like this one — which is a celebration of one of the biggest Indian filmmakers who has made a significant dent in the West, in terms of box office numbers and awareness — is pointless.
The parts where the film introduces us to his ‘nearest and dearest’, also the people he works with, are the best. His wife (and constant colleague) Rama’s comment, about him being as manic about organising a holiday, is smile-inducing. The fact that he is also a competent actor comes through in some behind-the-scenes, as well as how ‘anal’ he can be about the tiniest details, even if it concerns a bit actor in the back row.
What I wanted more of are the details in his filmography that aren’t as well known. There is mention of his first stab at the kind of mytho-magical-fantasy world he created in the 2009 Magadheera — a precursor to both Bahubaali and its staggering scale — as well as his madly entertaining 2012 Eega (if you haven’t seen this revenge-of-the-fly-saga, now is the time to look for it), but a little more detail about these two films, the ones which got him into the eye of Indian cinephiles, would have been a valuable addition to this documentary.
Finally, how did a filmmaker who works in the Telugu industry, with its specific constraints, leapfrog over all else, and become a pan-Indian director, with Bahubaali, part one and two? A deeper analysis would have been useful to set him in the context of the industry he works in, as well as how the mega success of RRR will impact India’s cinematic standing in the world.
Modern Masters cast: S S Rajamouli
Modern Masters director: Raghav Khanna
Modern Masters rating: 2.5 stars
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