Indian director S.S. Rajamouli is open to experimentation and said it is a dream of every filmmaker to make a film in Hollywood. Last Monday, his crossover sensation 'RRR' turned Los Angeles's colossal TCL Chinese IMAX into a dance party, with hundreds of audience members rushing the screen.
On Tuesday, Rajamouli's epic musical drama won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, triumphing over such nobodies as Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Later in the week, directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron fawned over the filmmaker casually known as 'SSR', praising him in public.
"I don't have words to explain the kind of exhilaration that we are having," Rajamouli, 49, told EW's Awardist podcast. "It's why I make films - to extract that kind of joy, to give that kind of joy to an audience."
In a wide-ranging conversation, the director touched on his own favourite films, how he cuts an action sequence, and his preference for screenwriting over other phases of production. Will he come to America to make a movie?
"I think it is the dream of every filmmaker across the world to make a film in Hollywood," he said. "I am no different. I'm open to experimentation." But, he also admits, the decision is causing him a "bit of confusion."
At home, Rajamouli enjoys final cut and an unusual amount of creative power: "Back in India, I am the dictator. No one tells me how to make a film." Modestly, he speculates that a Hollywood project might be an opportunity for a co-credit. "Very probably, my first step will be collaborating with someone," he said.