Statues of Rama Raju, left, and Komaram Bheem. While Komaram Bheem, as an Indigenous protector of his people, has a lasting legacy, he’s hardly received the same level of sustained adoration as an upper-caste hero like Rama Raju, who was the subject of a classic ’70s film.

They’re both key figures in Telugu history, albeit unequally.

Rama Raju was an upper-caste man who helped lead the rebellions and resistance of Adivasis, the Indigenous people, against the British, while Komaram Bheem was an Adivasi icon and a revolutionary from the marginalized Gond people. (who plays Komaram Bheem) as the two leads, both heirs to powerful film dynasties in Tollywood. And it boasts two superstars of South Indian film - Ram Charan (who plays Alluri Sitarama Raju, also known as Rama Raju) and N.T. RRR imagines a fictitious, impossible friendship between these two figures of history as they come together and team up to fight the forces of British colonialism in 1920s pre-independence India. Coming out of the Telugu-language film industry of Tollywood in South India, as opposed to the more popular Hindi-language industry of Bollywood, this period drama from India’s biggest filmmaker is a cinematic event.Ĭentered on Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, two very real Indian freedom fighters from the Telugu regions of Andhra and Telangana respectively, the film is a fantasy of the past. It’s an undeniable slam-dunk of global success. Critics love it, and its GIFs and scenes have swept social media. Even Netflix, which has been streaming the movie since May, declared it to be the most watched Indian film on its service, viewed over 45 million times globally. It’s one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, and one of the most successful, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing Indian film of all time. Rajamouli’s RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt) has taken the world by storm.

Hindi rock on full movie