For the first time in his illustrious two-decade career, director S.S. Rajamouli finds himself in a curious situation. News recently broke that Jr NTR would portray legendary filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke in an upcoming film directed by Nithin Kakkar and backed by the Rajamouli family. However, it seems the team was unaware of a parallel biopic being developed in Bollywood.
“I think Rajamouli and his team probably didn’t know that discussions were already underway for a Dadasaheb Phalke biopic in Hindi cinema,” says producer Sridhar Lagadapati. “News of NTR playing the role was trending for two days before the sudden announcement of a version starring Aamir Khan and directed by Rajkumar Hirani. Naturally, the NTR project might now be difficult —two major films on the same subject are rarely made simultaneously, and the Aamir-Hirani duo holds a strong edge in Bollywood.”
The controversy deepened when Chandrasekhar Srikrishna Pusalkar, Dadasaheb Phalke’s grandson, publicly criticized Rajamouli. Despite, the film is being directed by Nitin Kakkar and backed by Rajamouli’s son, Karthikeya, under the tentative title Made in India.
“Rajamouli is a globally respected name in cinema,” Sridhar adds. “Criticizing him attracts attention, especially since others involved aren’t as well-known. Biopics are sensitive territory in Indian cinema. Ideally, filmmakers should seek consent from the legal heirs of the subject. For instance, Nag Ashwin took formal approval from Savitri’s daughter Vijhaya Chamundeswarii before making Mahanati, and Balakrishna followed a similar path for NTR’s Kathanayakudu. Without such permissions, censor certification becomes difficult, especially when real names and direct references are involved.”
Despite the current tension, Sridhar believes Rajamouli’s standing remains untarnished. “The global film fraternity holds Rajamouli in high esteem. These accusations will pass. He’s celebrated for transforming compelling scripts into grand visual spectacles and is one of the most revered filmmakers in Indian cinema. His creative journey is far from over.”
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