Anti-colonial Militancy, Hindutva Politics: Review of S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR”

Revised to include some comments on history, film, and representation, and bring in the voices of other critics.

This is a review of RRR, directed by S.S. Rajamouli. [Spoilers ahead!] I’m writing this for a specific audience: left-wing and progressive non-desi audiences who might get pulled in by its anti-colonial and environmentalist rhetoric, etc.

I drafted this post after watching it a few weeks ago. The question of Hindutva and caste, Rajamouli’s responses, etc., have been written about in detail since last spring, but in my circles in the US I keep hearing people describe it, with wonder, as a radical, anticolonial film. And so it’s worth repeating some key points about contexts and symbols that global viewers may not know.

My first reaction after watching RRR was: Wow. So much noise for such a bad film. Politically and otherwise.

Yes, some parts were entertaining. And there’s some interesting things both in the chosen themes of the movie, and beyond its intention. For instance, if not for compulsory heternormativity, there is no reason why the two protagonists can’t have a love story.

But let me get to the core thing I want to say to my left-wing non-desi friends: Don’t get fooled by the anti-colonial militancy and anti-British violence.

Of course, the scenes condemning British atrocities and championing popular and uncompromising opposition to…