RRR director SS Rajamouli cites difference between Hindu dharma and religion, says 'I am not Hindu...'

Director SS Rajamouli is busy participating in the awards campaign for RRR. As per the reports of Indian Express, Rajamouli is in the United States of America and attended a film festival. 

During a Q&A session at Beyond Fest, the director Rajamouli emphasised the fact that there is a difference between Hinduism the religion and Hindu Dharma. "Many people think Hinduism is a religion, it is in the present context. But before Hinduism the religion, there existed Hinduism the dharma. It is a way of life, it is a philosophy. If you take the religion, I am also not a Hindu, but if you take the dharma, I am very much a Hindu. What I am portraying in the film is actually a way of life that has existed for many, many centuries and aeons.”

Rajamouli's latest blockbuster borrows ideology associated with Hindu texts, particularly towards the climax. Even the character of Alluri Sitaram Raju (Ram Charan) can also be interpreted as a version of the Hindu God. Talking about the climax scene, Rajamouli conveyed that Raju recites a Sanskrit verse from the Bhagavad Gita. "You can look at it as something that Lord Krishna has told Arjuna, so it is a Hindu religion verse, but if you look at the meaning of it, it has been taught to Indians irrespective of caste and where they were born. It’s about how to look at life, and not look at the result of what you do. That is what Hindu dharma says. So, I am a follower of Hindu dharma," Rajamouli stated. 

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RRR has been hailed as one of the best cinematic experiences by both critics and cine-goers in India and in the West and is among the favourites to win the Oscar statuette for Best Motion Picture for which it has started campaigning, among other categories.

Dishing out details that RRR will be campaigning for all Oscar Awards categories it is eligible for, an LA Times reporter tweeted, "It's official: #RRRMovie’s FYC awards/Oscars campaign is going for Best Picture, @ssrajamouli for Best Director, Actor (both Jr NTR & Ram Charan), Screenplay, Original Song, Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Production Design, VFX and more categories #RRRforOscars #OscaRRRs." RRR was released in India on March 25.