For the first time in his illustrious two-decade career, visionary director S.S. Rajamouli finds himself navigating unexpected controversy. Recent reports revealed that Jr NTR was set to portray cinema pioneer Dadasaheb Phalke in a biopic titled Made in India, directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Rajamouli’s son, Karthikeya. However, what seemed like a powerful tribute has become complicated due to the emergence of a parallel Bollywood project — a similar biopic featuring Aamir Khan and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani.
Producer Sridhar Lagadapati weighed in on the development, stating, “I believe Rajamouli and his team might not have known that a Hindi version was already in the works. News about NTR’s involvement dominated headlines for two days before the announcement of the Aamir-Hirani version. In Bollywood, with that combination, the competition becomes intense. It’s rare for two major films on the same subject to proceed simultaneously.”
Further controversy unfolded when Dadasaheb Phalke’s grandson, Chandrasekhar Srikrishna Pusalkar, publicly criticized the Made in India project. While Rajamouli is not directing the film himself, his family’s association with the project has drawn significant attention.
“Rajamouli is a global icon in cinema,” Sridhar added. “People naturally focus on his name, even when others are involved. Biopics are a delicate space in Indian cinema — they often require consent from the legal heirs of the person being portrayed. Without that, it becomes difficult to secure censor board approval, especially when real names and personal details are depicted.”
Sridhar cited examples such as Mahanati, for which director Nag Ashwin obtained formal consent from Savitri’s daughter, and Kathanayakudu, made with approval from Nandamuri Balakrishna’s family.
Despite the controversy, Sridhar maintains that Rajamouli’s stature remains unshaken. “He is revered not just in India but globally. These hurdles will pass. Rajamouli has consistently elevated Indian cinema with his visionary storytelling and grand scale. His legacy is only growing stronger.”
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