SS Rajamouli is known not only for his grand filmmaking but also for his extensive promotional strategies. His 2022 film ‘RRR’, starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan, received global acclaim and went on to become an international sensation. Now, Varun Gupta, who was involved in the film’s marketing campaign, has revealed how Rajamouli and his son, SS Karthikeya, kept him on his toes throughout the process.Speaking on the Everyday Empires Podcast, Gupta recalled the challenges of promoting the film, especially in the Hindi-speaking markets, where audiences were not always able to distinguish between the two lead actors.
Why ‘RRR’ used the ‘Baahubali ’ logo
Gupta explained that the team wanted to use Rajamouli’s previous success, ‘Baahubali’, to build awareness about ‘RRR’. However, instead of writing the film’s title in text, they used its logo on the posters.“When we were doing RRR, people couldn’t differentiate between the two heroes in the Hindi belts, but it was the case where the director’s previous film was a very big hit in the Hindi belts — Baahubali. So, in the poster, we made sure there was a line ‘from the director of’, and we didn’t write Baahubali. We put the logo of Baahubali. Because subconsciously, you will always recall the logo of the film, not the typography of the film,” Gupta said.
Rajamouli and Karthikeya trusted the marketing team
Gupta also revealed that Rajamouli and Karthikeya were closely involved in the film’s marketing decisions. He said they trusted the team’s ideas and often approved its suggestions without questioning them.“In RRR, the two people, SS Rajamouli and his son Karthikeya, were heading the entire decision-making of marketing. They really believed in us. If we were saying, ‘This is how we should do it,’ they said, ‘Okay, done.’ No questions asked. And that’s when I was like, they are not even questioning. We need to be even more cautious and accountable,” he said.Gupta said the trust placed in him made him more careful about every marketing decision. He recalled that Rajamouli and Karthikeya gave him sleepless nights, but clarified that it was in a positive way.“They are the ones who have given me sleepless nights,” Gupta said, adding that it was “in the right way” and that “They kept me on my toes.”According to trade analyst Sacnilk, ‘RRR’ went on to collect around Rs 1,230 crore worldwide during its theatrical run.
SS Rajamouli’s next film
Meanwhile, Rajamouli is preparing for his next globetrotter film, ‘Varanasi’, starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in April 2027.