5 January 2023
Hyderabad

Hitmaker SS Rajamouli has been adjudged as the Best Director at the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) in the US. Dressed in Indian attire, the director attended the event along with his family members and producer friend Shobu Yarlagadda.

“The great @ssrajamouli accepting a well-deserved award for Best Director of 2022 from the New York Film Critics Circle. Hoping this award shows him how much joy his film has brought audiences around the world,” posted Variance Films, which distributed RRR in the US, earlier this morning.

In his acceptance speech, the director said that receiving the award from NYFCC is a great honour. “By bestowing me with this award, you have not just honoured my whole cast and crew, you have also made a lot of people take notice of a small film field in south of India-- Telugu film field. Many people don’t know it exists but because of this I’m assuming people will look at it,” he said.

He added, "With RRR, I saw the same kind of reception in the West. They were reacting the same way that Indians did.”

Talking about the goosebumps-inducing interval sequence from the film, he noted, “It was pure joy of awe, like what in the hell we just witnessed. That is what I want my audiences to feel.”

RRR is competing to find a nomination spot in all the major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and more at the Oscars. Set in 1920s pre-independent India, the film revolves around the fictional exploits of two real revolutionaries Komaram Bheem (played by NTR) and Alluri Seetharama Raju (Charan) against the British Raj.