N.T. Rama Rao Jr.
Komaram Bheem
Overview
A fictional history of two legendary revolutionaries' journey away from home before they began fighting for their country in the 1920s.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
3 min readThe Gravity of Myth
I finally got around to RRR, latestnetflix.com argues, and almost immediately it became clear that normal blockbuster rules were not going to help me here. S.S. Rajamouli isn't interested in moderation.
He doesn't make "big movies" in the usual sense; he builds myths at full volume and dares you to meet them on their own terms. Plenty of expensive action films want to feel large. Very few carry themselves with this kind of absolute, unembarrassed belief.
After the Baahubali films, Rajamouli could pretty much have done anything, and with RRR he chooses historical fan fiction on a grand, delirious scale. He imagines a friendship between Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju—two real anti-colonial figures who, in reality, never met. (They didn't, historically).
He has mentioned The Motorcycle Diaries and Braveheart as touchstones, but the finished film belongs to its own register entirely. What really throws Western blockbuster instincts off balance is how sincere it is. There is no apologetic wink, no defensive layer of irony.
Rajamouli asks you to accept feeling as the governing law of physics.
The bridge rescue is where that contract gets signed. A train goes down, a child is stranded in a ring of fire below, and Raju and Bheem—still strangers—spot each other from opposite sides of the river. No dialogue, just instant coordination involving a horse, a motorcycle, a rope, and a flag.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.8/10
"A wildly entertaining, emotionally-charged epic whose jaw-dropping action and bromance outweigh its cheesy dialogue, shaky CGI, and overstuffed melodrama."
Thrilling action set pieces, exuberant musical numbers, and the intense bond between the two leads make the three-hour runtime feel like a gleeful rollercoaster for those who click with its style. latestnetflix.com's view is that the film’s maximalist spectacle and anti-colonial heroics draw raves, but the predictable story, cartoonish villains, and occasionally cheap-looking effects leave others exhausted rather than exhilarated.
What viewers praise
- Jaw-dropping action Explosive, over-the-top battles and stunts are singled out as some of the most exciting and imaginative action sequences in recent cinema.
- Emotional bromance core The central friendship between the protagonists, including their sacrifices and reconciliations, is described as moving, fun, and endlessly watchable.
- Show-stopping musical scenes Musical numbers, especially the big party dance, are praised for infectious energy, intricate choreography, and pure crowd-pleasing spectacle.
- Epic sense of spectacle The film’s constant escalation, vivid colors, and larger-than-life imagery deliver a kind of cinematic spectacle that keeps viewers cheering and laughing.
- Rewatchable crowd-pleaser Some viewers report multiple rewatches, calling it one of their favorite films and a must-see event for anyone who enjoys maximalist blockbuster filmmaking.
Common complaints
- Overlong and exhausting The 3+ hour runtime, packed with nonstop escalation, leaves some feeling worn out and wishing the story were tighter.
- Cheesy writing and dialogue Predictable plotting, corny lines, and one-dimensional colonial villains come off as juvenile and clichéd.
- Inconsistent CGI quality Digital effects, particularly for animals and some large-scale moments, are criticized as looking cheap or unconvincing compared with the ambition of the scenes.
- Melodrama and camp overload The relentless melodrama, heightened acting, and campy tone make it hard for some to take the film seriously or stay emotionally invested.
- Ideological and propaganda concerns A subset of viewers interpret aspects of the story and imagery as nationalist propaganda, which dampens their enjoyment even when they admire the craft.
Recommended for
Maximalist action spectacle fans Big-screen blockbuster seekers Bromance and buddy-movie lovers Musical-and-action hybrid enthusiasts Indian epic cinema newcomers Over-the-top genre mashup fans
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Oscars borrowed Naatu Naatu and left the dancers at home.
March 12, 2023. Deepika Padukone introduced the number. Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava sang. The men kicking on that stage were not Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr., and they were not South Asian. Producer Raj Kapoor later said the two leads were originally meant to dance, then declined because of other jobs and not enough rehearsal time. Variety reported that work visas for Indian dancers fell through, and the resulting performance used Lebanese Canadian dancer Billy Mustapha and American dancer Jason Glover. South Asian dancers called it a betrayal of a song built as a heel-tap duel against British snobs. Jimmy Kimmel had already labeled RRR a Bollywood film. It is Telugu. S.S. latestnetflix.com's read is that Rajamouli had to say so out loud at a Directors Guild screening.
That aftertaste is the gossip. The movie underneath it is louder, longer, and much more expensive.
Rajamouli imagined Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem meeting in 1920s Delhi, a friendship history never recorded. He announced the picture in 2018 as RRR, first for Rajamouli, Ram Charan, Rama Rao, later sold as Rise, Roar, Revolt. Budget: 550 crore rupees, the most expensive Indian film at the time. Worldwide gross: 1,300 to 1,387 crore. The National Board of Review put it in the year's top ten, only the second non-English title to land there. "Naatu Naatu" won the Oscar and the Golden Globe for original song, the first from an Indian production. Ram Charan wrote, "We have won as Indian Cinema!! We won as a country!!"
Injuries, a palace in Kyiv, and a Hollywood crush.
Daisy Edgar-Jones was signed opposite NTR Jr., then left for Normal People. Olivia Morris replaced her as Jenny, the governor's niece who gets pulled into the dance. Alia Bhatt learned Telugu for a guest turn as Sita. Ray Stevenson, in one of his last big roles, played Governor Scott Buxton. COVID froze the shoot. Charan injured himself on set. The "Naatu Naatu" number was filmed at Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv in August 2021. Fifteen days. About 50 dancers and hundreds of extras. Choreographer Prem Rakshith's dual heel-tap, which composer M.M. Keeravani said he never expected when he first heard stomping.
James Cameron watched it twice, once alone, once after dragging his wife Suzy Amis. At the Critics Choice Awards he spent ten minutes picking the film apart with Rajamouli and closed with an invitation. "If you ever wanna make a movie over here, let's talk." Rajamouli posted that those words were more than an award. Netflix took Hindi, English, and several other language versions and has been feeding the three-hour beast to American living rooms since May 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_eEgJhsBMo
Fans still shout for a sequel. The leads still tease Rajamouli about it in public. There is no date and no official start. What exists is the original, still circulating on the same service that used the Oscar night as a promo. Watch the Kyiv dance in the film, not the awards-show copy. The copy is why people are still arguing.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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