SS Rajamouli reacts to claims that RRR showed British in poor light: 'I'm not saying all Britishers are villains'

SS Rajamouli's RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR as Indian revolutionaries, told the story of British atrocities over Indians. The filmmaker has reacted to claims that his film villainised British.

SS Rajamouli's RRR not only became a blockbuster in India, but also found appreciation among the western audience with many Hollywood writers and directors praising the filmmaker's work. However, the film also irked some in the UK over its portrayal of Britishers as the villains. SS Rajamouli recently noted that his film found success in Britain even after these complaints as the audience looked at it as a story rather than a history lesson.

SS Rajamouli has spoken about Britishers playing the antagonist in RRR. 

RRR, starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan as real-life revolutionaries Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitaraman respectively, is set in the 1920s when India was under the British Raj. Starring Ray Stevenson as the antagonist Governor Scott Buxton, it highlights the atrocities committed by the British during the colonial.

Addressing a Q&A session after an RRR screening in the US, Rajamouli spoke about the film doing well in the UK despite showing the British in poor light. As per Indian Express, the filmmaker said, "At the beginning of the film you see the disclaimer card. Even if you miss it, it’s not a history lesson. It’s a story. The audience in general understands it. If a British is playing the villain, they understand that I am not saying all the Britishers are villains. If my heroes are Indians, they understand that all Indians are heroes."

He added, "In this film, a particular guy is a villain and a particular guy is a hero. They automatically understand. They may not be knowledgeable about everything but their emotional intelligence is very high. Once we understand that as a storyteller, we don’t have to worry about other peripheral things."

SS Rajamouli is currently attending screenings of RRR in the United States amid buzz that the film might earn a nomination at the Oscars, becoming the first Indian film since Lagaan (2001) to do so. The filmmaker's next project will be an action adventure led by Mahesh Babu.