“RRR,” which stands for Rise, Revolt, Roar, is a directorial venture of S.S. Rajamouli. The film stars Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. in the leading roles. It’s an immersive world created by Rajamouli, who has a reputation for building these larger-than-life set designs and sequences that leave you amazed. S.S. Rajamouli and Ashutosh Gowariker belong to the clan of a handful of directors in Indian cinema who do not shy away from using a huge number of extras in their films. They use it to strengthen their narrative and bring an unparalleled visual experience. Extra attention is paid to the choreography of each and every action sequence. “RRR” opens with a wide-angle aerial view and instantly hooks you up. There are many plot points and symbolic aspects that are intricately woven into the narrative. So, let’s try to understand the intricacies of this enchanting world where water was destined to meet fire.
Why Did Ram Jump In Between The Crowd?
Lala Lajpat Rai had been beaten mercilessly, and people were protesting at the Anangpur police station. A police officer orders his subordinates to arrest a man who was part of the crowd. But how could any police officer go in between a crowd that was huge in numbers and thirsting for blood? That’s when we see a stout-hearted police officer with a stoic demeanor. There was no fear in his eyes. He signed his own death warrant and jumped into the fuming crowd. Why he took that risk was still unknown? He thrashes the people single-handedly and goes after the man who was to be arrested. There were thousands of people, but cumulatively also, they were not able to stop a determined and wrathful police officer. They suffocate him, they beat him, they try to stop him, but he keeps moving forward. The man who was to be arrested was now scared beyond his wits. He was seeing the impossible happen. He goes back until he finds a dead end as he stands at the foot of a cliff that he could not climb. Rama Raju, the Indian police officer gets a hold of him. He drags him into the police station. The crowd was dumbfounded at what they had just seen. Ram splashes water on his blood-soaked face and gets back to his position.
An award ceremony was being conducted at which the police officers were acknowledged for their exemplary performances. Even after a heroic act, Ram is not presented with any such validation. He feels disheartened, but he does not give up. A general assembly was called to discuss a grave matter. The police officers were told that a man was after the life of Governor Scott. They didn’t know what he looked like. The only thing they knew was that he was hiding in the jungles on the outskirts of Delhi. Lady Scott makes a declaration. She says that anybody who finds him dead would get a monetary reward, but if he is found alive, then the officer would be promoted to a superior post. Ram takes the challenge. He was not given any credit for what he did earlier, but he knew that if he was successful in his mission this time, he would get his due validation.
What Was Bheem Doing In The Jungle?
Lady Scott was in the Adilabad forest and was meeting the local tribes. There was a little girl named Malli who did a beautiful craving on Lady Scott’s hand while singing a song that touched everybody’s soul. She was impressed by the craftsmanship of the little girl. She wanted to take her back with her. Without even asking the girl’s mother, Lady Scott throws a couple of pennies and starts moving with her. The mother first thought that the money was a token of appreciation from the Lady, but she realized that something else was happening. The mother started pleading to leave her girl. She begged Lady Scott for some mercy. That’s when an officer arrives and loads his gun. The moment he is about to shoot, he is stopped by Governor Scott himself. He tells the officer that every bullet in his gun amounted to one pound sterling and that he shouldn’t waste it on somebody who was not worth the cost. The officer finds a log and hits Malli’s mother with it.
Later, in a scene, we see an assistant to the Nizam of that area meeting the British officers. The assistant had come to deliver a message to the British forces. He says that though Malli’s tribe was an innocent and peace-loving community, they were not going to let this go. They had sent the leader of their herd to look for Malli, and the man had a reputation for going to any extent when it came to the safety of his tribe. That man was Bheem. He was hiding in the forests on the outskirts of Delhi. He was working as a mechanic and had disguised himself as a Muslim man. We see him and his small group making a trap for a wolf. We presume that they are hunting wild animals to eat them. But something is dubious about the whole activity. The narrative is set. Ram is searching for Bheem, and Bheem is fighting the odds in an alien land and trying to find Malli.
How Does Ram Meet Bheem?
Ram had disguised himself and joined a group of revolutionaries. He had a hope that he would find Bheem in such gatherings, as he also resonated with an anti-British fervor. But fate had other things planned for them. A boy was fishing in a river when a train going over the bridge caught fire and fell in such a manner that the little boy was surrounded by fire on all sides. Ram saw it, and Bheem noticed it too. They had eye contact, and that was the first-time fire had met water. In a heroic manner, they saved the little boy, and the incident sparked a bond of friendship between them. Bheem didn’t know that Ram was actually the police officer who had taken the mantle to search for him. Ram roamed all around the city with the sketch of the culprit who was lurking in the shadows and plotting to kill the Governor, but little did he know that his friend was the one he was looking for. Ram helps Bheem get acquainted with Jenny. She seems to be the only kind-hearted crevasse in an otherwise barbaric British fortress. Ram thought that Bheem liked Jenny but was unaware of his ulterior motives. Through Jenny, Bheem could enter the fortress where Malli was imprisoned. Ram gets hold of one of the members of Bheem’s clan. And that’s when the big revelation is made. Ram realizes that the man he has been looking for all this time is his best friend, Bheem. He finds Bheem wearing the same string that was worn by the captured member. Ram is in a situation of predicament. He does not know what to do. But he had to choose between friendship and duty.
When Does Bheem Come To Know That Ram Is A Police Officer?
Bheem had decided to attack the British Fortress. They barged into the gates in a huge truck. What happens next comes like a bolt from the blue. Bheem jumps from the truck, but not alone. He did so with several other wild animals that he had captured in the forest. We thought that they were capturing tigers and wolves to feast on their meat, but that was not the case. They were getting ready for the onslaught. The British troops are stupefied. They don’t know how to react. That’s when a raging Ram enters the scene, in his chariot. All his life, Ram was a symbol of propriety, and he was not going to run away from his duty even this time. The two friends enter into a fierce battle. Ram doesn’t look Bheem in the eye. He feels guilty but is bound by duty. Ram captures Bheem and hands him over to the British. They tortured him and asked for an apology, but Bheem was an upright man who believed that he had not done anything wrong. He was not ready to kneel down in front of the perpetrators, whereas the colonial masters weren’t going to stop until he did so. Ram was given the charge of making Bheem kneel in front of the governor. Ram hits Bheem with a forked whip, and with each drop of blood coming out of Bheem’s body, Ram’s conscience becomes crimsoned with guilt.
‘RRR’ Ending Explained – Does Bheem Come To Know The Truth About Ram?
Ram had to make a difficult choice. He was not duty-bound because he wanted a higher position, but he had an altogether different motive. His father wanted to build an army of the locals against British rule. He had trained them as soldiers, but before he could provide them with ammunition, the British forces attacked and killed him. While dying, he had told his son Ram to be focused on his goal. Ram had joined the forces so that he could get access to the godown where all the ammunition was kept.
After capturing Bheem, he was finally given the position he wanted, where he had access to the ammunition. But now, he was standing at a crossroads. On one hand, he had his friend, and on the other, the words of his father, which were a reminder of what he needed to accomplish. He decides that he is not going to leave Bheem alone. Bheem was supposed to be hanged, and Ram was in charge of the whole event. He tampered with the guns that were to be used by the British officers and told his trusted ally to pass on a razor blade to Bheem, so that he could cut the ropes that handcuffed him. In the end, Ram is able to set Bheem free, but in the process, he is captured by the Britishers.
Bheem escapes with the little girl, Malli. But Bheem still did not know the real intentions of Ram. He still believed that Ram had backstabbed him and was a British loyalist. While on the run, Bheem meets Sita by coincidence. Sita was Ram’s fiancée. Ram had told everything to Sita in a letter that he had sent her. That’s when Bheem realizes that he has mistaken Ram and his intentions completely. He decides that he will go and save him. Ram was imprisoned in one of the high-security cells. Bheem finds him and massacres each and everyone who comes in his way. The two friends vanish into the forest, and a huge reinforcement is sent to look for them.
Ram becomes an embodiment of Lord Rama, with a single agenda in his mind: to provide his clan with ammunition to wage war. Bheem becomes a personification of Lord Hanuman and becomes greatly devoted to his companion, Ram. Bheem looked up to Ram for spiritual guidance and was ready to follow him into the battle. He cures an injured Ram by making medicine for him. Together, they tormented the British troops. Even the whole army wasn’t any match for the strong coalescence of water and fire. They conquered the British fortress and killed Governor Scott and his wife. Ram returns to his land, and as promised, brings ammunition for them. Bheem asks Ram to guide him and give him knowledge. Malli returns to her mother, and a new sun rises from the horizon, only this one promise to set on the British empire.
Did The Symbolism Of ‘RRR’ Leave An Impact?
Rajamouli’s “RRR” had a lot of metaphors and allegories hidden in its narrative. He is able to portray these symbolic facets in a creatively astounding fashion. Be it the sequence where Bheem meets Ram, or when both stand against each other in the Governor’s party. The director has made sure that it is not just about two mortal beings fighting each other. It was about the fire going against water. It was an unwinnable battle. When the collision transformed into a coalition, the forces became impregnable.
Rightly so, the introduction sequences are the ones that get the most cheers. The magnitude of the production and its impact leaves you awestruck. The choreography of the film, the crowd management, and the production design are to die for. But at times, this strength also becomes a weakness for the film. In the sequence where Bheem comes to save Ram, the unrealistic approach to the action sequences taken by the director becomes mockable. Symbolically the characters had become a full embodiment of Ram and Hanuman, but still, it becomes difficult to digest how a person jumps from a high tower, with another person on his shoulders, and still lands on his two feet, defying every law of Physics. Even in the sequence where Ram meets Bheem for the first time, the filmmaker is able to create an image that beautifully justifies the symbolic approach, but it is so outlandish and implausible that you cannot help but get blanched out by it.
Another weak facet of the film was how it treated its supporting cast. The British characters were highly one-dimensional, apart from Jenny, who was an epitome of humility and generosity. The character sketch delves into extremities. Though the film was inspired by real-life revolutionaries, i.e., Alluri Sitaram Raju and Komaram Bheem, it diverges from their story into an overstimulated action drama. The creative lacing of symbolism in “RRR” is its greatest strength. With energetic dance numbers and the knack of the director to create immersive entry sequences for his leading men, “RRR” is going to be loved by its niche target audience despite its flaws.
“RRR” is a 2022 Indian Period Drama film directed by S.S. Rajamouli.
