Ram Charan's RRR look inspires Ganpati idols for Ganesh Chaturthi, fans call him 'demigod for masses’

Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, several Ganpati idols across India are being made inspired by Ram Charan's look and stills from SS Rajamouli's blockbuster RRR.

SS Rajamouli’s RRR has been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. The film is one of the most successful Indian films ever made and has gained a cult following in the West with talks of Oscar nominations already. But back home too, the craze hasn’t died down even six months after release. The latest example of the film’s craze is the trend of Lord Ganesha statues for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi in the style of Ram Charan’s look from the film.

A Ganesha idol inspired by Ram Charan's look from SS Rajamouli's RRR.

RRR is a fictionalised account of two real-life revolutionaries--Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitaraman--played by Jr NTR and Ram Charan respectively. In the climax of the film, Ram’s character dons a garb similar to Lord Rama from the Ramayana while helping Bheem fight the British forces. This warrior look of the actor has inspired a number of Ganpati statues across the country.

Fan clubs of the actor shared the pictures of a Ganpati idol from an unnamed location where the deity is in a running position, similar to one of Ram’s famous stills from the film. “Insane craze of @AlwaysRamCharan. Demi God for masses is the right word For RC,” the fan wrote. Other fans shared other pictures of idols inspired by Ram’s other looks from the film. One post even had a picture of Lord Ganesha fighting a tiger, similar to how Jr NTR’s character did in the film.

A Ganpati idol (left) in the works in Delhi, inspired by Ram Charan's pose from the RRR poster (right).

Sita, a sculptor from Delhi, says she and her group made 50 such idols over the last month and all sold out within days. “We priced them around ₹10,000,” says Sita, about her life-size RRR Ganpati idols, “And people booked all of them even before they were finished. They are the most in demand.” Karan Singh, who has booked one of Sita’s designs for the Ganesh Chaturthi at his house, says, “It’s trendy and fun, while being respectful towards the deity. It does not poke fun at anything. That’s what drew me.”

Baahubali-inspired Ganesha idols for sale in Delhi in 2017. (Pic: Abhimanyu Mathur)

Incidentally, this is not the first time an SS Rajamouli film has influenced the design of Ganpati idols for Ganesh Chaturthi. The filmmaker’s 2015 film Baahubali: The Beginning also inspired a few Ganpati idols that year. A scene involving Prabhas carrying a shivling in the film led to many idol makers copying it for Ganpati statues around Ganesh Chaturthi later that year and for the next few years after that.

RRR, which released in theatres on March 25, also starred Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Ray Stevenson, and Alison Doody. The film has earned over ₹1200 crore at the global box office, making it the fourth-highest grossing Indian film of all time. It’s digital release on Netflix has earned it popularity in the West, including praise from the likes of James Gunn, Danny Devito, and many others.