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S.S. Rajamouli Says He Wants to Direct a Hollywood Film After Varanasi

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SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, N.T.Rama Rao Jr. At The RRR Press Meet in Chennai.
Image credit: Dani Charles Silverscreen Media Inc. (https://silverscreen.in) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In brief

Indian director S.S. Rajamouli has confirmed he wants to direct at least one Hollywood film to learn the industry's production methods, but only after finishing his current project, Varanasi. He made the comments at the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, saying he has received multiple offers since RRR became a global hit.

S.S. Rajamouli, the Telugu filmmaker behind the Baahubali series and RRR, has said he wants to direct at least one Hollywood film but is holding off on any decision until he completes his current project, Varanasi. He made the remarks at the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, speaking to local and Indian press.

What Rajamouli said

According to the Brazilian outlet Omelete, cited by Variety India, Rajamouli told reporters: "I want to make a film in Hollywood, at least one, because they have a wonderful work ethic and structure, from which I could learn a lot." Telugu outlets Eenadu and NT News reported similar statements, with Rajamouli framing the idea as a chance to study Hollywood's production methods rather than a career shift away from Indian cinema.

Rajamouli said the Hollywood interest followed the international success of RRR in 2022, which brought multiple offers from the US industry. According to Variety India, he said he had set those offers aside for now because he was already committed to Varanasi, explaining that he needs to fully finish one project before he can focus on the next and does not work on more than one film at a time.

Why now: the Varanasi timeline

Varanasi is Rajamouli's current project, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran. AP7AM and NT News reported that roughly 10 days of shooting remained on the film at the time of his remarks in Brazil, with a worldwide release set for April 7, 2027. Rajamouli said he would reassess the pending Hollywood offers once the film wraps.

Variety India described Varanasi as an action-adventure project with a scale Rajamouli has compared to his earlier work, and noted that some of the Hollywood offers he received remain open for consideration after the film's completion.

Background: RRR and the Oscar

Rajamouli's international profile grew sharply after RRR, a 2022 period action drama, became a worldwide box-office and streaming success. The film's song "Naatu Naatu" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, the first Indian film song to win in that category, according to Wikipedia's entry on the director. RRR also won a Golden Globe, and Rajamouli was named to Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in 2023.

Before RRR, Rajamouli had already built a reputation in India with the two-part Baahubali franchise (2015 and 2017), whose second installment became the highest-grossing film in India at the time of its release, per the same Wikipedia summary. He received India's Padma Shri civilian honor in 2016.

What remains unclear

None of the sources reviewed name a specific Hollywood studio, project title or genre tied to the offers Rajamouli mentioned. He has not given a timeline for when a Hollywood film might begin production, only stating that any decision will come after Varanasi is finished.

Questions

Has S.S. Rajamouli confirmed a Hollywood project?
No. He has said he wants to direct at least one Hollywood film and has received multiple offers since RRR's success, but no specific project, studio or timeline has been announced, according to Variety India and NT News.
Why hasn't Rajamouli taken a Hollywood offer yet?
He says he only works on one film at a time and is currently finishing Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, which AP7AM and NT News report is in its final days of shooting ahead of an April 7, 2027 release.
When did Rajamouli say this?
He made the comments at the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, as reported by Variety India and Eenadu.
What is Varanasi about?
Sources describe it as an action-adventure film starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, due for worldwide release on April 7, 2027, according to AP7AM and NT News.
Why does RRR matter to this story?
RRR's 2022 global success, including the 2023 Academy Award for its song Naatu Naatu, is what Rajamouli says brought him Hollywood offers in the first place, per Variety India and the Wikipedia entry on the director.

How the world is telling it

Sources

  1. Variety India — SS Rajamouli Talks About Receiving Offers to Head to Hollywood After 'RRR' Fame: 'I'd Love to Do Atleast One Film'
  2. NT News — SS Rajamouli Reveals Dream of Directing a Hollywood Film
  3. AP7AM — SS Rajamouli Hollywood Movie After Varanasi
  4. Eenadu — Director Rajamouli Stated That He Wishes to Make at Least One Film in Hollywood
  5. Wikipedia — S. S. Rajamouli

This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this

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