The 'Raja' of many matters

Directing his first-ever assignment, SS Rajamouli nearly trembled. It was a government ad that he was to shoot. He managed to get the project thanks to the recommendation of someone he knew. Having landed the offer, he was now clueless, not because he had no technical knowledge but he didn't know how to handle a team. From someone who was fear-stricken to direct a few-minutes ad for Doordarshan, Rajamouli, now a Padma Shri, has grown to become a 'Raja' (king) in his own right.

Heroism

He has a way with heroism. If films like 'Samarasimha Reddy', 'Narasimha Naidu' and 'Indra' had done it with senior actors, Rajamouli pulled it off with a 21-something NTR. That was 'Simhadri'. That became a game-changer. Since then, Rajamouli put that as the bar, admittedly or otherwise. From 'Singhamalai.. Singhamalai..', 'Chatrapathi.. Chatrapathi..', 'Bhairava..' to the signature tunes of films like 'Baahubali' dedicated to heroism, Rajamouli has always scorched the box office through his heroes. As his heroes go 'roudra rasam', the audience get goosebumps. As they massacre the villains, his audience nod in agreement. That goes to show that he also elevates villain-ism in the best way.

Interval bang

If 'Student No. 1' was a trailer, 'Simhadri' was a testimony to Rajamouli's insuperable knack for getting the interval bang right. Same with 'Chatrapathi' and 'Vikramarkudu'. The more said about 'Magadheera', the more exciting it becomes. His interval bangs elevate heroism, present the hero as the gutsy numero uno who will never rest for the rest of the movie, emanate drama backed up by Keeravani's best BGM, pack up tempo and performance - all at once.

Emotions

Elevation of emotions is integral to his story-telling. He does it without melodrama. He does it in a way that youngsters can relate to. With just one line, his characters take an emotion to the next level. 'Vattu vesi oka mata, veyakunda oka mata cheppanamma' ('I speak the truth, whether I swear on you or not') became a sensation. Mother-son sentiment of 'Chatrapathi' could have turned out to be outdated in the hands of an ordinary director.

The scene where Bhumika Chawla pierces a sword into NTR's chest ('Simhadri') was both frightening and emotional. As the BGM deliberately went amiss, the silence conveyed a hundred questions.

In 'Sye', the angst of Rajeev Kanakala's character, that peaks in the pre-climax portions, did the magic. In 'Eega', the emotions conveyed by the housefly were so vivid that Nani lived on even after his character withered away.

In 'Baahubali', the emotions of a forsaken woman (Anushka) once again brought out his Midas Touch. As for Katappa's choking confession that it was he who killed Baahbali, it is still haunting the audience. That's the Rajamouli power.

Revealing a meaty part in advance

The director has more than once surprised the audience by revealing a meaty part of the story well in advance. The audience were told beforehand that 'Magadheera' was about two love birds who take rebirth 400 years later to win their love back. Considered the second best movie of Rajamouli after 'Baahubali' (non-Telugu audience wouldn't know it, but many Bollywood directors couldn't dare to remake it), the revelation only raised the audience's curiosity levels. The result was that the costliest Telugu movie ever went on to become the biggest hit ever. Rajamouli only got bigger after this. When he did 'Maryada Ramanna' and 'Eega', he followed the same strategy. And both the times, it worked, more in the case of the latter.

Technical knowledge

It's said that Rajamouli's technical knowledge is immense. While his contemporaries may or may not use it to the producer's benefit, Rajamouli makes sure he does. That's why a film like 'Baahubali' could be made at a reasonable cost (for a movie of that standard).

Value system

Rajamouli's value system doesn't allow him to do certain things. In his career spanning 15 years, he hasn't had a single flop. His films are either hits or super hits or even more - industry hits. Yet, commerce can't get the better of him. A producer can give him away a fortune, but he wouldn't be ready to make a movie for him unless he loves the craft. That's Rajamouli for you.

Vijayendra Prasad & MM Keeravani

Rajamouli has become what he is in company with his father Vijayendra Prasad (writer) and music director MM Keeravani, also his relation. While most of his contemporaries work with the biggest music directors of the current generation, Rajamouli works with a stalwart of the last generation. As Keeravani puts it, when he is music-directing a Rajamouli movie, he gives the best output because that's how much the director inspires him. Enough said.

Directing his first-ever assignment, SS Rajamouli nearly trembled. It was a government ad that he was to shoot. He managed to get the project thanks to the recommendation of someone he knew. Having landed the offer, he was now clueless, not because he had no technical knowledge but he didn't know how to handle a team.