The Academy and Indian Cinema do not have a history of sound relations. The masterpieces of Indian cinema like Mother India, Lagaan, Newton and so many more were downright rejected by the Academy due to several reasons.
It is as if the Indian stories are “not” worth the time of the jury. In a slow burn masterpiece such as Sardar Udham, it was rejected by the Indian members themselves by blaming it for showing the Britishers in a bad light. But this inhumane rejection of films has been there for decades now and Indians have accepted that they are “our” stories. We “DO NOT” need the approval of the west for calling those films good.
But hold on, a movie as ridiculously great as RRR was released this year. It is not a cultural reset film like Dil Chahta Hai or 3 Idiots but is most certainly the epitome of filmy creativity.
The west has never seen a film like RRR before and they were blown away when they watched it. There has been widespread appreciation for the film by many International institutes and yet, Rajamouli remained quiet for so long.
After the release, RRR made and shattered “n” records not only in the theatres but also OTT. Still, we got no words from the makers. It is just DVV Entertainment and Pen Movies that keep on posting about the movie but the daddy of the film remained behind the curtains.
But now he is out and is currently in LA.
In LA, a cinema fest called “From Tollywood to Hollywood: The Spectacle & Majesty of S.S. Rajamouli” is taking place. The event will be stretched to over one month and the filmmaker would be meeting those who are a part of The Academy.
RRR will be screened in the fest in the original Telugu audio with English subtitles. The film is extremely important as it does not rely on the mere story as the other entries from India promised.
Instead, it is an exceptional visual extravaganza that is rare to find even in Hollywood.
This step is extremely crucial for not only Rajamouli but Indian cinema as a whole. Not because RRR needs the “Oscar Approval” but to show the world that great films are not only an “American Thing”.
Indians and cinema enthusiasts all over the world love RRR and this event will bring just an extension to that recognition.