Filmmaker SS Rajamouli debuted in 2001 with the Jr NTR-starrer Student No 1. He followed that up with the 2003 film Simhadri, starring the same actor, which changed the course of both their careers. While promoting his son, SS Karthikeya’s upcoming production, Don’t Trouble The Trouble with Fahadh Faasil, the director recalled shooting for the most violent scene of his career outside the Kerala Assembly.
Rajamouli on shooting his most violent scene with Jr NTR
In a chat with Fahadh, Karthikeya, Sangeeth Prathap and Shyam Mohan, Rajamouli recalled shooting in Kerala for his second film. “I shot Simhadri in Kerala. I don’t know whether it’s possible now or not, because we shot in front of the Assembly. We shot the hero running in front of the assembly with an axe and killing people. I think we were here for about ten days,” he recalled.
Karthikeya then interjected and said, “I think that was his most violent action episode ever. I don’t think you have shot anything more violent than that afterwards. It was his most violent scene, and in front of the Assembly,” and the filmmaker agreed, “Yeah, definitely.”
When Fahadh asked Rajamouli why he chose to shoot the film in Trivandrum, he said, “In the story, he has to come out of Andhra and go to a separate place; we thought of Kerala. It all came with the word Singamalai. Actually, it’s a Tamil word, but at that time, we were like, people won’t know Tamil, Malayalam. So we just shot it,” making everyone chuckle.
{{/usCountry}}When Fahadh asked Rajamouli why he chose to shoot the film in Trivandrum, he said, “In the story, he has to come out of Andhra and go to a separate place; we thought of Kerala. It all came with the word Singamalai. Actually, it’s a Tamil word, but at that time, we were like, people won’t know Tamil, Malayalam. So we just shot it,” making everyone chuckle.
{{/usCountry}}Simhadri starred Jr NTR, Bhumika Chawla, Ankitha, Mukesh Rishi, Nassar, and Rahul Dev. It tells the story of an orphan named Simhadri raised by a landlord. He secretly protects the landlord’s estranged and amnesiac granddaughter, Indu. A series of events reveals that Simhadri is secretly a vigilante named Singamalai, revered in Kerala for protecting those in need. The film was such a massive success that it was remade in Tamil as Gajendra (2004) and in Kannada as Kanteerava (2012).
Jr NTR and SS Rajamouli’s upcoming work
After the 2022 hit RRR by Rajamouli, Jr NTR starred in Devara: Part 1 in 2024. The film was met with lukewarm reviews but achieved box office success. He debuted in Hindi in 2025 with the Ayan Mukherji film War 2, co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani. The film failed to make a mark on all fronts. He is now shooting for Prashanth Neel’s Dragon, which will hit screens in 2027. After RRR, Rajamouli is currently shooting for Varanasi with Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. His film will also be released in 2027.
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