RRR: Behind and Beyond review

BOTTOM LINE
Respect for Rajamouli Grows Multifold

PLATFORM
NETFLIX

What Is the Film About?

RRR: Behind and Beyond, a documentary envisioned by Vijay Krishna Chaitanya, Sriharsha Chundru and Pradeep Meka (of Walls and Trends), traces the filmmaking journey behind the Oscar-winning historical actioner RRR, focusing on the backstories behind its iconic moments, songs and the magnanimous reception it received from crowds and media across the globe.

Performances

Analysis

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Where does one start with and end with – about RRR? What exactly hasn’t been documented about the one-of-a-kind event film in the last two years? A lot of it is out in the open – from the rise and rise of SS Rajamouli to the aura of its stellar cast, the Naatu Naatu blitzkrieg, the wild interval sequence and the global reception – and yet we have a documentary that tries to give us more.

As much as you’re likely to complain about RRR fatigue/overdose, RRR: Behind and Beyond is a commendable attempt to offer a peek into the making of the film across various dimensions – ideation of the story, action choreography, dances, cinematography, music, production design, VFX, costumes – providing a holistic perspective of the off-screen madness behind the on-screen magic.

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Despite the footage stretching to hundreds of hours, it’s impressive that the documentary is meticulously edited into 100 minutes. It helps you get an overall picture of its genesis, what went into the making of the key sequences, songs, including inputs from the cast, crew, the bottlenecks during the execution and Rajamouli’s uncompromising vision in translating his ideas onto the screen.

Early on, writer Vijayendra Prasad states the film was born out of an unexpected coincidence in the life stories of two Indian warriors – Alluri Sitaramaraju and Komaram Bheem in the 1920s. Rajamouli speaks of RRR fulfilling his dream of making a multi-hero epic saga, also elaborating on his love for the action genre and how he uses action pieces as a tool to establish the characters in his stories.

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There are fascinating accounts behind the introduction sequences of both the heroes – Ram Charan and Jr NTR, their larger-than-life first meeting in the famous bridge sequence, the many insights into the making of their friendship anthem Dosti, Naatu Naatu, the incredible interval scene, Ajay Devgn’s flashback episode, Komuram Bheemudo and the jaw-dropping climax.

Through the documentary, you get a deep-rooted understanding of Rajamouli’s filmmaking style and how elements like water and fire enriched his storytelling in RRR. It’s great to know of the Kurukshetra inspiration behind Ram’s intro scene, the portrayal of a little boy as a metaphor to depict a country that needs saving and the significance of Teenmaar beat in Naatu Naatu, for instance.

Many behind-the-scenes stories leave you in awe – say the challenge of overcoming the COVID-19 lockdowns, the 100 moves that went into Naatu Naatu’s choreography, the shoot of the interval sequence spanning 65 days using virtual cameras, crackers, adapting to the styles of an international crew in Ukraine, the surprising subtlety in Rajamouli’s grand scenes while establishing the historicity of the characters in the climax.

While huge chunks of information on RRR are out in the public domain already, RRR: Behind and Beyond stands out for its effort to credit its technicians. The invaluable contributions of lensman Senthil, production designer Sabu Cyril, costume designer Rama, editor Sreekar Prasad, action director Solomon, VFX head Srinivas Mohan, composer MM Keeravani, lyricists Sirivennela, Chandrabose, choreographer Prem Rakshit get a well-deserved showcase.

Everything about the documentary is so concise and yet equally free-flowing, thanks to the seamless editing (by Sirisha Akshintala). It gives audiences exactly what they want in the right proportions without indulging too much. There’s an adequate emphasis on the craft (more than the scale) and it is an unflinching ode to the blood, sweat and joy that defines the filmmaking process.

What several filmmakers can afford to learn through the documentary is – to make a film for a local audience first, before aiming for universal appeal. It is evident that RRR primarily catered to Telugu audiences, the fans of its lead stars and it’s the sheer conviction from the director in the making that helped it go places.

The only shortcoming with the documentary is – that it overwhelms you with its details and backstories and doesn’t give you enough time to digest the information while progressing from one episode to the other. Like one of the final shots where Jr NTR, Ram Charan have a good laugh with Rajamouli, it could’ve accommodated some time for the lighter moments on the sets.

On another level, the documentary indicates one major issue with mainstream cinema, everything about a film, even if it is made by Rajamouli, is primarily designed to please a larger-than-life male star’s ego and his fans and the filmmaker’s desire to tell a story/express himself is only secondary. Rajamouli could remind himself that he had successfully made Eega and Maryada Ramanna in the past too.

As you expect in every film/show about Rajamouli, there’s a customary mention of the influence of Ramayana and Mahabharata in his stories and his long-time dream to retell the latter epic for the big screen. The other takeaway – Vijayendra Prasad repeatedly hints about RRR 2 and Jr NTR is cautiously optimistic about reuniting with his master, if and when it happens.

Relive the RRR experience with RRR: Behind and Beyond. The story behind the spectacle merits your time.

Highlights?

Backstories behind RRR’s iconic moments

Focus on technicians and their contributions

Stunning efforts by both NTR and Ram Charan

Concise and gives exactly what the audience wants

Emotional moments of Rajamouli and Keeravani

Drawbacks?

The hurried depiction of the global acclaim, Oscar campaign

Absence of the lighter moments in between the high-stakes sequences

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, thoroughly.