Telugu superstar and producer Ram Charan, whose upcoming release ‘RRR’ has been postponed till further notice, states that big releases play a vital role in regulating the economy of the film industry.

The big-budget films not only generate employment but also make sure that people working at the lower rung of the crew get paid well.

The actor recently spoke with IANS over the importance of star value for a film, the need for big-ticket releases, and the evolution of his working equation with filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli from ‘Magadheera’ to ‘RRR’.

Elaborating on the hardwiring of star value with a film, the actor said, “The aspect of star value is only to bring the masses to the theatres. Post that the story takes over and the story has the responsibility to talk and make the audience sit in the theatre.”

Laying down the framework of commercial potboilers vis a vis the film industry, the producer opines, “Every film has its own role to play the business part of the entire industry but these (big releases) are the films that bring glory back to the theatres. Not differentiating between the OTT films or theatre films but on the whole all these (spectacle) films have their own part to play. Their numbers and their economy are integral to not just the industry but also to the government in the form of taxes.”

Ask him how his working with Rajamouli has changed over the years, and he quips, “As actors we evolve with every year, there has been a sea change especially since the last decade. S.S. Rajamouli has evolved multifold and just to work with such a person, who knows what he exactly wants from us, is a pleasure.”

A filmmaker with clarity of thought at the helm is a blessing for any artiste working on a film set, “Our job gets so much easier when we are working with someone, who is so sure about what he’s making. He has evolved so much, I am really blessed to work with him.”

Although the third wave played spoilsport for the film’s release, he is hopeful that normalcy would soon return and the audience while relieving the stress would also appreciate the efforts into putting this film together, “What I am really looking forward to from this movie apart from it becoming a huge hit is that people appreciate the hard work of the entire team for making a film of this scale.”

“I think it’s been so long that I have been in a theatre enjoying popcorn. Films like ‘Suryavanshi’, ‘RRR’ and ‘Radhe Shyam’ are those that should bring back the theatre days to glory and provide a holistic experience of movie watching to people”, he concluded.

Actor Ram Charan, who is gearing up for his pan India release ‘RRR’ directed by S.S. Rajamouli, has heaped praises on the films director with whom he had earlier worked in the 2009 Telugu hit, ‘Magadheera’.

Talking about how Rajamouli changed the landscape of Indian cinema, the actor said, “If there is any movie that broke all the barriers for Indian cinema, it is ‘Baahubali’ and it started with Rajamouli making that happen. We are in such a great time with respect to the Indian industry to explore so much more talent across states.”

The actor mentioned that he is eagerly waiting to explore more and work with different filmmakers.

“I am excited to work with many more directors in the future from many other states, and I am excited for them to come and see and explore us as actors,” he said.

He concluded by saying that the current trend has blurred the lines between different film industries in India.

“Today, I can say that there are no more multiple film industries such as Tollywood or Bollywood… There is only one film industry that is the Indian film industry and I am proud to be in such an era and be a part of it,” he said.

Ram Charan is making waves both with his words and actions. His conduct and presence in interviews and in public are quite noteworthy.

During an interview with Anupama Chopra for Film Companion, the ‘Mega Power Star’ subtly yet clearly made an impact with his sensible statement about numbers at the box office.

As the conversation dwelled on how numbers on the opening day overshadow the craftsmanship and efforts of the actors and the director, Ram Charan said he is not worried about the validation for the first three days until his producers and distributors are safe by achieving the numbers.
This subtle yet honest statement did speak volumes about how Ram Charan looks out for people who put in money trusting him, by setting aside his own priorities.

“When you spend Rs 500 crore, I don’t mind not being spoken about. The film is going to be in library forever. I don’t mind being spoken about after 7 days. Let’s first cross the number. I hope our producers and distributors are safe. They can talk about us later as well,” Ram Charan said.