Beyond Fest Plans S.S. Rajamouli Retrospective

A look at the lauded Indian writer/director’s work is headed to the Los Angeles-based festival, so if ‘RRR’ made you want to see more, you’re in luck!

S. S. Rajamouli's 'RRR.'

Action epic ‘RRR’ has been winning plaudits as one of the most outrageous movies to explode on to screens in years.

Packed with inventive action and wild moments, it’s just the latest offering from Indian writer/director S.S. Rajamouli. And it has caught the attention of more and more movie lovers who are eager to see what the filmmaker worked on before his tiger-punching latest.

It’s not always easy to track down the work of a filmmaker such as Rajamouli, but here comes Beyond Fest to the rescue.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary year later this month, Beyond Fest has announced an initial wave of programming, and an early highlight is ‘From Tollywood to Hollywood: The Spectacle & Majesty of S.S. Rajamouli’.

It’s planned as a series of screenings of Rajamouli’s work, with the director himself in attendance for several in-person Q&As.

The program features an epic nine-hour, ultra-marathon including ‘Baahubali: The beginning’, ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ and ‘Eega’, with S.S. Rajamouli in-person for a career-spanning interview, and special screenings of ‘Magadheera’ and ‘Maryada Ramanna’.

All films are set to be presented in their native Telugu with English subtitles, and intermissions will be observed as originally intended by the filmmaker.

“Since inception, Beyond Fest has fought tirelessly to give film fans the best theatrical experiences in the world, From Tollywood to Hollywood delivers on that promise,” says Christian Parkes, co-founder of Beyond Fest. “To celebrate the world’s greatest filmmaker and present the biggest film in the world, ‘RRR’, in IMAX at the most famous theater in the world is the dream culmination of a decade’s work. Glory to the People’s Republic.”

“As the filmmaker’s exhibitor, the American Cinematheque is thrilled to present the larger-than-life films of S.S. Rajamouli on the biggest and best screens in Los Angeles,” said Grant Moninger, Director of Programming, American Cinematheque. "Rajamouli’s work encompasses all that is great about cinema and the shared theatrical experience."

Director S.S. Rajamouli. Photo courtesy DVV Entertainment.

The full slate of Beyond Fest’s 10th Anniversary edition will be announced next week.

Meanwhile, here are the details of the Rajamouli program:

TCL CHINESE THEATRE - IMAX

‘RRR’
Special Screening - Friday, 9.30
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Country: India
Telugu with English subtitles
Runtime: 187 minutes
Year: 2022
Guests: With Director S.S. Rajamouli in attendance

MUBI THEATRE at the Aero Theatre - Saturday

‘EEGA’
Special Screening (Triple feature with ‘BAAHUBALI’ + ‘BAAHUBALI 2’) - Saturday. 10.1
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Country: India
Telugu with English subtitles
Runtime: 145 minutes
Year: 2012
Guests: With Director S.S. Rajamouli in attendance

‘BAAHUBALI: THE BEGINNING’
Special Screening (Triple feature with ‘EEGA’ + ‘BAAHUBALI 2’) - Saturday. 10.1
Director: S.S Rajamouli
Country: India
Telugu with English subtitles
Runtime: 159 minutes
Year: 2017
Guests: With Director S.S. Rajamouli in attendance

‘BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION’
Special Screening (Triple feature with ‘BAAHUBALI’ + ‘EEGA’) - Saturday. 10.1
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Country: India
Telugu with English subtitles
Runtime: 167 minutes
Year: 2017
Guests: With Director S.S. Rajamouli in attendance

‘MAGADHEERA’ - Friday 10.21
Special Screening
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Country: India
Telugu with English subtitles
Runtime: 166 minutes
Year: 2009

‘MARYADA RAMANNA’ - Sunday 10.23
Special Screening
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Country: India
Telugu with English subtitles
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2010

Tickets for all ‘From Tollywood to Hollywood: The Spectacle & Majesty of S.S. Rajamouli’ screenings are available exclusively through the American Cinematheque’s ticketing site and will be made available for sale tomorrow (Thursday, September 8th) at 10 AM PST. Visit beyondfest.com and the americancinematheque.com for dates, showtimes and details.