RRR star Ram Charan reacts to Salman Khan's 'wonder why our films aren't doing well in South' comment

SS Rajamouli's 'RRR' set another benchmark at the box office and entered the Rs 1000 crore club worldwide within 16 days of its release. With this, the epic becomes the third highest-grossing Indian film ever, overtaking 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', 'Secret Superstar' and 'PK'. 'RRR' narrates a fictionalised tale of India's freedom fighters Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) and Alluri Seetharama Raju (Ram Charan) in pre-independence India and has been unstoppable at the box office ever since its release, especially within the mass circuits. The film includes a star-studded lineup including Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, and Alison. 

While the film has come as a beacon of hope for the future of cinema, let alone Pan India but also worldwide, South superstar Ram Charan who has been garenering a lot of praise for his portrayal of Alluri Seetharama Raju in the film, recently spoke to a leading publication about cinema beyond boundaries when asked why Bollywood films are not as appreciated in the south whereas films like 'RRR' and 'Pushpa' have broken records in the North. 

READ: RRR breaches Rs 1,000 crore mark, Rana Daggubati lauds Rajamouli for fulfilling 'one India one cinema' dream

He said,  "I want a director from Hindi cinema to make a pan-India film which caters to even the South. Salman (Khan) said, I really love Ram, Rajamouli and Tarak's work but why are our films not being appreciated in the South. It is so candid and honest of him to say that but I believe it is not Salman ji's fault or some film's fault, it is the writing; it is the director who has to transcend these boundaries of 'hamara movie idhar hi dekhenge, hamara movie udhar hi dekhenge'. Every writer should write movies like Vijayendra Prasad (RRR) or Rajamouli and say 'believe in it'."

"And of course I want to make an Indian film where I want to work with talent from here (Bollywood), I want directors to explore the talent from South and make bigger films so that we have bigger budgets and we see bigger numbers at the end of the day," Ram Charan added.

In March, during the IIFA press conference, Salman Khan while speaking with the media had said, "It has been a wonderful experience working with him (Chiranjeevi). I have known Chiru Garu for the longest time. He has also been a friend. His son (Ram Charan) is also a friend." Bhaijaan added, "He (Ram Charan) has done such a fantastic job in RRR. I just wished him on his birthday, and on the success of his film. I am very proud of him. It feels so good that he is doing so well." "But I wonder why our films are not doing so well in the south. Their films are doing so well here," Salman Khan further added. 

Speaking about how Bollywood should return to making larger-than-life movies much like the ones being made in the South, the superstar said, "They (the south Indian film industry) have always believed in heroism, so have we. When you come out of the theatre, you need heroism. Here, apart from one or two people, we are not making heroism films. We should restart making those larger than life heroism films. I am doing that only. However, I feel these days, people have become cool and think I have become clichéd."

"If you see Dabangg series, Pawan Kalyan remade it in Telugu. Wanted too worked down south. More such films should be made. Now we are doing Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali. Such a time should come that they remake our films again. In the south, the writers are very hard working. They make films on beautiful concepts. Even when they make small films, people go and see them. I think, here what has happened is, people think India is from Cuff Parade to Andheri only. I, however, think Hindustan starts after Cuff Parade and Andheri. Actual Hindustan is next to the railway tracks in Bandra East. My films are also for them. They come with a good message too. After watching a film, people should have more blood pumping in them," Salman Khan said at the IIFA press conference. 

'RRR', which was pushed multiple times due to the pandemic, has been hailed by the trade for reviving the Indian box office.

This is Rajamouli's third consecutive blockbuster after "Baahubali: The Beginning" and its 2017 sequel "Baahubali: The Conclusion", which is one of the highest grossing Indian films of all time.