By: Mohnish Singh
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli on Tuesday said he has been toying with the idea of making an animation film for some time now.
The director said he hopes to venture into “newer” territories in his future projects, much like his latest animation series Baahubali: Crown of Blood, which is set in the universe of his popular Baahubali feature films.
Rajamouli, also known for action movies such as Eega, Magadheera, and the much-celebrated RRR, serves as creator of the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar series along with Sharad Devarajan of The Legend of Hanuman fame.
“It’s been on my mind,” Rajamouli said, referring to directing an animated film.
“I like making films which will enable me to enter into newer areas in my forthcoming films. For a long time, I’ve had this thought of making an animation film. Whether it’s Eega that I made or how I’m associated with Hotstar for this (series), all these things are for me to learn. It helps me to develop my skills,” he said at the press conference of Baahubali: Crown of Blood.
The series serves as a prequel to Rajamouli’s blockbuster Baahubali movies — 2015’s Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017).
A self-proclaimed fan of The Lion King and Aladdin, Rajamouli said there’s an audience for animation films in India.
“Everyone was watching those films with a houseful of audiences cheering, clapping, laughing, and enjoying like any other film. So, the audience is there for animation films. It’s just the belief of us as filmmakers to bring animation content and the ability to make the connection (is needed)” he added.
“If you’ve seen Magadheera, you see how the connection happens between (characters played by) Ram Charan and Kajal. So, that magical connection has to happen (between filmmakers and animation). The minute it happens, floodgates will open and tons of content will be created,” he said.
According to Rajamouli, the animation content in India is restricted to children, unlike the US and Japanese anime films.
“It is surprising that the animation world in India doesn’t go beyond children’s cartoons. We had the right kind of people and we felt like taking it forward. We had long story discussions with Sharad,” he added.
