An insightful documentary understanding the craftsmanship of the Oscar-winning filmmaker
Often considered to be a melting pot of cultures, India is a land with 121 unofficial languages spoken in the country.
Films have been a very important part of Indian culture. Over the years, Indian filmmakers from all over the country have produced films in various languages. However, the advent of Pan-India films started as recently as the year 2015 with the SS Rajamouli film – Baahubali: The Beginning.
Rajanouli, the producer-director has found profound success after his 2022 hit release – RRR as it became the first Indian feature film to win an Oscar Award for the song – “Naatu Naatu” in the Best Original Song category. many fans wondered what made Rajamouli’s films such a success.
The 2024 Netflix Original documentary – Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli – narrates the journey of the filmmaker from his initial days as he struggled to deliver a successful film to years later as now all his films are considered to be record-breaking even before their release.
The film Baahubali: The Beginning was filmed in Telugu and Tamil in 2015 and was dubbed in several Indian languages.
However, it is also this film that started the advent of PAN India films – i.e. films that are dubbed in various Indian languages to be released around the country on the same day.
The documentary gives us an insight into the life and craft of the Indian filmmaker. We learn about Rajamouli’s team and how he prefers to work with his family members over other people in the industry.
From his father to his cousins to his wife and his son, all members of the Rajamouli family are key parts of his films.
Through his interview with film critic – Anupama Chopra, we learn about Rajamoulis craftsmanship and the creative process that goes behind his films. We also see how, despite having different religious stances, Rajamouli and his family work together in collaboration to deliver films of extreme grandeur.
Now that Rajamouli has become one of the most sought-after filmmakers in the country, the Netflix documentary interviews other filmmakers like James Cameron, Joe Russo, and Karan Johar among others. These international filmmakers explain what their take on Rajamouli’s success meanwhile, the Indian producer and filmmaker – Karan Johar explains what collaborating with Rajamouli was like after the success of Baahubali.
The documentary also interviews some of the most popular actors to have worked with Rajamouli over the years. From Prabhas – the male lead of the two Baahubali films to Jr NTR and Ram Charan – the two male leads of his 2022 Oscar-winning film – RRR; the actors give viewers tidbits of information about what it was like working with the filmmaker.
Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli narrates the journey of “Naatu Naatu” right from its inception and creation to the point of the single winning India’s first feature film Oscar.
The actors, Jr NTR and Ram Charan, explain how difficult it was for them to shoot such a high-energy song which goes on to show the dedication of all people involved with Rajamouli to make the song a success.
Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli helps viewers understand the artistry that goes into Rajamouli’s filmmaking and the hurdles he has had to pass throughout the many years of his career.
Rajamouli, himself delves deep into his filmography and details his journey as a filmmaker. With all things considered, Modern Masters is a very interesting and engaging watch.
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10