SS Rajamouli has reacted to the claims that Ram Charan got more screen time in RRR in comparison to Jr NTR. Rajamouli said that the film wouldn’t have earned Rs 1000 crore worldwide if both actors’ roles weren’t ‘perfectly balanced’.
“It wasn't a right way of putting it that Charan earned all the accolades. As a director, I can't be more happy with the kind of output that both of them gave. But saying that one actor is better than the other is the way you look at it,” Rajamouli said.
He also explained why it might seem like Charan took away the accolades for the film. The filmmaker told Bollywood Hungama, “For example, I can say that Charan has been given more space in the climax, because it is the last thing that you walk away with, it feels like Charan is getting more attention than Tarak (Jr NTR). But if I had stopped the film after Komuram Bheemudo, it would look like Charan is just a bystander and Tarak is taking away the entire screen space."
"As a storyteller, you shouldn’t do that kind of judgement. Always look at how much empathy, as an audience, you are feeling for the characters.”SS Rajamouli to 'Bollywood Hungama'
He also said that Ram Charan and Jr NTR can both appear to be the film’s focus depending on what the audience chooses to look at. He said, “If you look at the story, Tarak saves Charan twice. Charan saves Tarak once. There is one point where Charan says, ‘For 15 years, I was not clear what my goal was. Tarak showed me the way with one song. I thought weapon was a physical thing, but Tarak showed me that weapon is an emotion. He has shown me the way.’ If you look at this perspective then you will feel that Tarak is the hero and Charan is just following him.”
“But if you look at it in another way, when Charan asks, ‘What can I give you?’ and Tarak says ‘Give me shiksha’, then Charan is the teacher and Tarak is the disciple,” Rajamouli further said.
Ram Charan and Jr NTR Address Claims About Their Screen Time in ‘RRR'
When asked if he walked away with the accolades for RRR, Ram Charan had said, “No ma’am, I don’t believe that at all. Not even for a second. We both have excelled beautifully and Tarak (Jr NTR) was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed working in a film as much as RRR. What I take back from RRR is my journey with Bheem, my journey with Tarak. I shall never ever forget. Thank you Rajamouli garu for giving me that opportunity. I’ll love him (Tarak) to bits, and it’ll always remain the same.”
Jr NTR was also quoted by IANS earlier as saying, “No insecurities involved. We both compliment each other beautifully. While there are scenes elevating one hero at one time, Rajamouli had placed another elevation scene for the other.”
Within two weeks of its release (on 25 March), RRR became the third Indian film ever to earn more than Rs 1000 crore at the worldwide box office following Dangal and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. In SS Rajamouli’s RRR, Ram Charan and Jr NTR play the roles of Alluri Sitaram Raju and Komaram Bheem in a fictional tale.