Picture patriotic: Are Tollywood films the new epicentre for films on freedom fighters?

Success of films such as Rudhramadevi, Kanche, Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is proof that audience takes to these works that invoke a sense of patriotism.
Jr NTR, a crew member  and SS Rajamouli on the sets of RRR
Jr NTR, a crew member and SS Rajamouli on the sets of RRR

Telugu filmmakers seem to be on a mission to bring to life stories of freedom fighters.

These narratives that comprise everything from lavish war sequences to fighting social evil, are set to hit screens in a few days and look set to do so till the end of this year and beyond.

Hit films often spawn similar work, and after the global success of the Baahubali franchise, there was a real interest from the industry to go forward with films inspired by real-life characters.

Success of films such as Rudhramadevi, Kanche, Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy is proof that audience takes to these works that invoke a sense of patriotism.

“Sye Raa is a dream project of Chiranjeevi gaaru and turned out to be a film of epic proportions. The film has received applause from all quarters and is considered to be a milestone in Chiranjeevi gaaru’s career,” says producer Dil Raju. “He has lent a realistic approach to the titular role and given his best to date. Surender Reddy and Ram Charan deserve credit for translating the dream of Chiranjeevi gaaru and telling us the forgotten truth about freedom fighter, Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. The team has shown the potential of Telugu cinema and made us all extremely proud.”

Like Sye Raa, SS Rajamouli’s RRR is set in 1920s pre-independent India, and is said to be about the story of the lives of Telugu States’ revolutionary freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. “The story is a mixture of history and fiction. These youngsters stay away from their homes in Delhi before they begin to fight for the country,” says Rajamouli, who doesn’t want to give away more about his film.

Recently, a biopic on freedom fighter, poet, and political activist of Telangana, Padma Vibhushan awardee Kaloji Narayana Rao, was announced on September 9, to coincide with his 106th birth anniversary. To be directed by Dr Prabhakar Jaini, the film titled Kalanna has gone on the floors recently. “The film is a celebration of Kaloji’s life, including his participation in a host of liberation movements and the body of work that he has left behind. We did extensive research of both historical documents and publications and collected his pictures from various sources to write a comprehensive story for this film,” says Vijayalakshmi Jaini, the producer of the film.

When choosing topics such as freedom fighters and patriotism, filmmakers are having to be careful about causing a stir. From Alluri Seetarama Raju (1974), Asoka (2001) to Padmavat (2018) and the recent Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019), such subjects have always invited the wrath of historians for fabrication of stories. The makers of Kaloji, for this reason, are said to be arranging meetings with his peers such as Ampasayya Naveen, VR Vidyarthi, Nagilla Ramasastry, Potlapalli and Anwar among others to learn about the veteran from those closely associated with him. “We are trying to be as authentic as possible, so there’s no room for controversies,” says Vijayalakshmi.

However, Rajamouli seems unperturbed that his film RRR would lead to any controversies. “All films releasing these days face this problem.

"Even a franchise like Baahubali, which had no bearing on Indian history, got into trouble. I could not make a film if I begin worrying about these issues,” says Rajamouli.

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The New Indian Express
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