SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ continues to be a global favourite among fans, even though opinions differ on where it stands in his overall filmography. The film’s emotional core, driven by the friendship between Ram Charan’s and Jr NTR’s characters, is surely one of the main highlights that hooks the audience. Among its many standout moments, Jr NTR’s introduction as Bheem in the forest sequence remains one of the film’s most visually powerful scenes. Director SS Rajamouli once revealed how the magnificent introduction sequence was filmed.Rajamouli on how Jr NTR’s scene was filmedSpeaking at a 2023 session organised by the Hollywood Critics Association, SS Rajamouli opened up about how the sequence was executed on set.
As quoted by OTT Play, Rajamouli also spoke about his long-standing collaboration with cinematographer K. K. Senthil Kumar. “This is my eighth film with him. We have a great understanding of how to deal with this stuff,” he added.Rajamouli explained that the jungle sequence came with major logistical challenges, especially in capturing continuous motion alongside Jr NTR’s run.He said, “When Bheem was running in the jungle, the camera was parallelly going through. There was no way we could put a vehicle. A parkour artist was holding the camera and running. Initially, we tested it with a fighter. The fighters are obviously agile and quite faster. The parkour artist thought if I can run keep up with the stunt guys, I can definitely run along with the actor. Because usually, the actors are not as strong as the stunt guys,” he said.NTR’s speed pushes camera operator to the limitThe director further shared how the actual rehearsal changed expectations on set due to Jr NTR’s speed and stamina.“In one rehearsal, the way NTR ran, the camera had to pan and catch him from behind. I remember the expression on that guy’s face. He said, ‘ok, I got to put back my running shoes on.’ He had to really, really run fast to catch up with him,” he added.Jr NTR’s physical transformation for the role was achieved through intense training under celebrity fitness coach Lloyd Stevens.Rajamouli praises cast dedication and ‘RRR’ legacyOpening up on the overall making of the film, Rajamouli expressed deep appreciation for his lead actors and their commitment to performing their own stunts.“I’m lucky to get my principal actors — Ram Charan and Jr NTR . They both are very good actors, and dancers, they do all the stunts for themselves. I hardly used body doubles for 3 or 4 shots maximum. Rest every shot was performed by them. They are very good and very committed. Even if it’s a small role, Alia (Bhatt), who plays Sita, has a beautiful expression. All the cast were fantastic in their performances. Of all the 12 films I have done so far, I think the best performances I have had is from RRR,” he said.From Jr NTR’s introduction sequence, Ram Charan’s single-man fight scene, Ajay Devgn’s elevation sequence, and many more, SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ is surely a complete package and a guidebook on how to make ‘Mass cinema’.