SS Rajamouli has confirmed that he is currently working on a sequel to his epic period action drama RRR, which swept the box office and is in contention for the Oscars.
The director said he was working with his father, screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad, to bring out the sequel in due time. “My father is the storywriter for all my films. We discussed a bit about the sequel and now he’s working on the story,” he revealed at the recent Chicago premiere of RRR.
Starring Ram Charan and NTR Jr, RRR is set in the 1920s and follows the story of two real-life Indian revolutionaries — Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju — and their fight against the British Raj.
The Telugu-language film, which also features Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt, broke several box office records and went on to become an international sensation.
“I was surprised at the film’s reception in the West. A good story is a good story for everyone, but I didn't think I could make films for Western sensibilities. I never believed myself. So when it came out on Netflix and critics started giving out good reviews, I was really, really surprised,” Rajamouli recently said in Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist podcast.
Asked whether he would want to make a film in Hollywood, the director said, “I think it’s the dream of every filmmaker across the world to make a film in Hollywood. I am no different. I have been making films in a certain way which is quite different from how films are made here (in the US). I’m open to experimentation.”
Rajamouli also talked about his way of making a film in India and how he would like to collaborate with others as part of his Hollywood entry. “Back in India, I am the dictator. No one tells me how to make a film. But collaborations would come handy here as it would enable me to see the American way of doing things while not letting go of the things I have learnt so far,” he noted.
RRR is currently up for an Oscar nomination after being shortlisted for nominations in the Original Song category.