If You Loved ‘RRR’ Try These Other Great Movies
If you’ve been on film Twitter or YouTube, you’ve definitely heard of RRR, the hugely acclaimed new film from powerhouse Indian director S. S. Rajamouli and starring superstars Ram Charan and Jr. NTR. Since everybody and their brother has been talking about RRR, I won’t go into too much detail here other than to advise you to watch it the second you have a few hours available for one of the greatest cinematic experiences of your life. It’s my favorite movie of the year and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it gets some Oscar love.
So let’s say you watched RRR and you’re ready to dip a toe into Indian cinema, but there are so many great Indian movies to watch that you don’t know what to watch next. Bollywood, Tollywood, Mollywood—so many different regional industries and languages! What should you pick if you’re looking for something that will be as fun as RRR?
I’m far from an expert, but I have done a bit of a deep dive on (mostly) Tollywood movies this year, and here are a few I’d recommend to people who want to take that next step after RRR.
Bahubali: The Beginning and The Conclusion
If you were an early adopter of RRR, chances are you’ve already seen director Rajamouli’s epic story, but for newbies, this is an excellent place to start. Told in two parts (The Beginning and The Conclusion), this tale has everything you’d want from a giant, blockbuster, mythological/fantasy epic. With a phenomenal cast including stars Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishnan, and Nassar, Bahubali is my favorite way to follow up RRR.
There are enormous battles done more creatively than anything we’ve seen from Hollywood in decades, complex narratives with elaborate backstories, and betrayals that put Game of Thrones to shame. In addition to the larger-than-life heroes and villains, we also get great female characters who drive the narrative forward. (Trashwire should just be a Devasena stan site now.) The songs and score will convince you M. M. Keeravani should be as popular stateside as John Williams, and you’ll be shocked these movies weren’t the talk of the town in the U.S. when they were released. If you dug RRR, both Bahubali films are mandatory viewing.
Available in the U.S. on: Netflix (Netflix doesn’t have the Telugu version, so go with Tamil)
Eega
Hollywood is notoriously afraid to take risks or try new ideas, which is why a film like Eega can be so incredibly refreshing for American audiences. Easily one of the most creative and well-executed concepts I’ve ever seen, Eega is the story of Nani (Nani), a nice boy who falls in love with Bindhu (Samantha Ruth Prabhu), a sweet girl whose hobby is creating micro art. Nani is killed by a jealous Sudeep (Sudeep) and is reincarnated as a housefly out for revenge.
Rajamouli stays proving that he’s the king of mixing action and emotions with a story that fully engages you from the first frame. I don’t know how the hell he can get us so emotionally invested in a CG fly, but there’s never a second where I don’t care about that little insect. I’m also glad Sudeep won several awards for Eega because his performance is absolutely masterful.
This is the kind of movie that feels like such a breath of fresh air when you’ve been bombarded with an endless barrage of comic book movies and big franchises for years. Let’s see Hollywood do a story where the main character is a CG fly for the majority of the runtime!
Available in the U.S. on: Netflix
Pushpa: The Rise
Let’s just get this out of the way: I am pretty much obsessed with this movie. From the first few minutes of director Sukumar’s film, I was completely hooked by the story of Pushpa, a smuggler who rises up the ranks from chopping trees in the forest to becoming a power player in an illegal sandalwood smuggling syndicate.
Allu Arjun shows why he’s one of the biggest stars in India with a performance that is filled with charm and heart, showcases his immense talent, and will make you want to watch everything he’s ever starred in—if you haven’t already.
The music in this film is some of the best I’ve ever heard and I’ll confess, the Pushpa soundtrack from Devi Sri Prasad has surpassed RRR on my Apple Music most-played list. I’ve watched Pushpa: The Rise multiple times and I would absolutely watch it a zillion more times. And this is only the first part of the story! We still have Pushpa: The Rule to look forward to in the future. #ThaggedheLe
Available in the U.S. on: Amazon Prime
Super Deluxe
Funny, sweet, heartbreaking, disturbing, and all-around amazing, Super Deluxe weaves together the stories of an unfaithful wife, an estranged father, and a teenage boy as random twists of fate shape their lives.
Every story is incredibly strong and you’re immediately invested in all the characters. The entire cast shines with incredible turns from Fahadh Faasil, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Ramya Krishnan, Ashwanth Ashokkumar, and a standout performance from Vijay Sethupathi.
In addition to the superb acting, writing and direction from Thiagarajan Kumararaja, Mysskin, Nalan Kumarasamy and Neelan K. Sekar, the cinematography from P. S. Vinod and Nirav Shah makes this film an absolutely gorgeous viewing experience.
Super Deluxe might not have the enormous action sequences or dance-offs of RRR, but it’s an absolutely outstanding film that should definitely be added to your watchlist.
Available in the U.S. on: Netflix
Honorable mentions:
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo – Netflix
As if I need another reason to love Allu Arjun, he’s teamed with director Trivikram Srinivas once again and given me a fun movie with a soundtrack I can’t stop playing.
Kantara – Netflix and Prime
The last 20 minutes of this movie are some of the most incredible I’ve seen all year. That’s all I need to say.
Maryada Ramanna – YouTube
What if one of my favorite directors remade a Buster Keaton classic? It’s a question I didn’t know I needed the answer to until I watched this 2010 Rajamouli film.
Rangasthalam – Prime
Before Pushpa, Sukumar gave us this revenge story starring Ram Charan and featuring incredible music from Devi Sri Prasad.
Virata Parvam – Netflix
Do I have a big ol’ crush on Rana Daggubati? Certainly! But the most incredible thing about this film is the moving performance of Sai Pallavi.
Magadheera – YouTube
After you’ve watched RRR, Bahubali, and Eega, it can be really fun to go back to 2009 to see Rajamouli’s first team-up with Ram Charan for this reincarnation epic.
These are just a few of my faves, but they barely scratch the surface of all the South Indian films I’ve watched this year. I’m hoping that the success of RRR opens the door for Indian cinema in the U.S. the way Parasite did for Korean cinema because it can be hard to find subtitled versions and I want to watch a zillion more of these films.
If you have a favorite that wasn’t on the list, drop it in the comments or message me on Instagram. I would love to talk about these movies with other fans.
