EXCLUSIVE | Netflix’s documentary ‘Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli’ director Raghav Khanna: ‘Indian cinema can be divided into pre and post Baahubali’

A documentary on filmmaker SS Rajamouli called Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli is streaming on Netflix that gives us an insight on the man’s craft and tenacity, and what goes behind creating a piece that lives for ages and not just weekends. The documentary is directed by Raghav Khanna and in an exclusive interview with Firstpost, he spoke about its idea, working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Padmaavat, and lots more.

Edited excerpts from the interview

How did the idea about making a documentary on SS Rajamouli come about?

Well, this idea originated with Film Companion and Anupama Chopra. And they partnered with Applause, and then they got me on board as the director. I would also like to add that ex-Film Companion journalists, Baradwaj Rangan and Avinash Prakash have been credited with the Initial Concept and Anupama Chopra and Tanvi Ajinkya have been credited with Creative Development." It was just a one liner when I came on board, and then we co-developed the entire structure and script of the documentary, and it went into shoot.

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Do you feel documentaries can ever have theatrical releases? And if yes, how do you feel people would react?

It’s a great question. Something that is definitely a goal of mine that within India, documentaries achieve theatrical release. There are some things that need to align for that to happen. If you look at the west, documentaries do enjoy limited theatrical run. Documentaries do enjoy theater as a sizable slice of their pie financially as well. For it to happen in India, we have to look back on how documentaries have been made so far in the sense that not long back, documentary was considered to be, in an unsaid way, a struggling filmmaker’s endeavor. Thankfully, with streaming coming into India with the advent of streaming, that has been removed. That stigma has been removed because documentary filmmaking has been elevated within India.

Our audience got used to watching international documentaries, and a whole range of Indian filmmakers then started making documentaries which have the same narrative finesse, which have the same cinematic finesse as our western counterparts do. So I’d say that about 10 years ago, it was unthinkable to say that documentaries would fetch the kind of budgeting and pricing that they are getting today or were getting at least 2 years back.

What fascinated you the most about Rajamouli and his brand of cinema?

I think his impact and contribution to Indian cinema in the recent past has been enormous. There has been a Mani Ratnam sir who did a crossover. There have been other stars like Rajinikanth sir and Kamal Haasan sir who’ve worked in Hindi cinema as well. But Hindi cinema can clearly be divided, at least modern Hindi cinema can clearly be divided into pre and post-Baahubali phase where this entire term was coined of pan India release. So in a country as diverse and as rich as ours, it is only great that we enjoy cinema from all parts of the country.

Rajamouli sir is the pioneering force behind it with Baahubali and then he went on to make Indian cinema slightly more global with RRR. Like, Indian cinema is recognized world over, but the impact RRR had both theatrically and in the festival circuit and on streaming, I doubt there are many films in the recent past which have had that kind of impact. So that is something that excited me about his contribution to Indian cinema. Then on the other side, the other part of his artistry is the world-building he does. Not many people can build a world like that and create that make belief environment where a man is jumping out with beasts and you’re rooting for that man where you have the question pressing the nation was Kattapa ne Baahubali ko Kyun Mara. That world-building, that immersive cinema, I feel very few people in this country have a command over the way Rajamouli sir has.

What more would you like to tell us about the man behind the filmmaker?

So I had the good fortune to follow him closely for a good number of days and across the world. We filmed with him in Japan, we filmed with him in LA, we filmed with him in Hyderabad on multiple occasions.

Documentary filmmaking especially follow documentary by its nature is access-driven. So you’re having a cup of coffee together, you’re taking a car ride together, you’re in his office doing an interview and obviously, Anupama Chopraji was interviewing him throughout in this process. But while we were shooting with him, it was just a lot of time him and I were spending together. What I realized is that, one, it is almost unbelievable how humble and down-to-earth SS Rajamouli sir is.

The way he has taken his success is so inspirational. And the filmmaker part of him. What he said in the documentary, the only thing he’s a slave to his story. He will go to any extent that he humanly can. He will reach in the best possible manner a creative break point to realise his vision. And that kind of passion can only be sustained over the years if you truly and immersively are one with your art form. Like, he is extremely passionate, extremely hardworking, almost obsessive as a filmmaker, and a lot of his peers and colleagues have said that, the actors he’s worked with. But in his private life, he’s able to create that demarcation and live with a sense of humility and normalcy, which is fairly commendable.

You also worked as the executive producer on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat; how was that collaboration like?

The way an executive producer term is used in India versus how it is used internationally is drastically different. Here, a senior line producer is often referred to as the executive producer, especially in films. But internationally, an executive producer has creative stakeholding or brings on board a certain amount of distribution weightage through their name and influence. On Padmaavat, my role was concentrated around largely production-related responsibilities, but somewhat creative in nature because SLB sir, again, is a maestro. He what he does, nobody else does in Indian cinema.

And I got that opportunity fairly early in my career and I was young and working with him was even so if it was for a brief period was almost like going to a film school because when you see somebody who is at the pinnacle of their craft, who is repeatedly over decades, film after film creating these cinematic wonders to get the ability to absorb and learn how it is done, break it down was, I think, priceless, immeasurable in certain ways. I’ve been fortunate to observe, albeit briefly, both these maestros, Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir and S.S. Rajamouli sir at work. The command they have over their craft, their innate curiosity, and relentless pursuit of excellence, it’s inspiring and infectious.

On his another creation called Tiffin Stories

Tiffin Stories emerged from the understanding that food, much like a photograph, evokes a deep sense of nostalgia. Beyond its role in satisfying hunger and taste, food serves as a cultural ambassador and a personal memoir, connecting people and experiences as intimately as cherished childhood tales.

In this series, we delve into the emotional and transformative power of food through the eyes of influential Indians. Each episode unfolds a unique narrative designed around the guest’s personal journey, showcasing how food has profoundly shaped their life. Tiffin Stories offers a captivating exploration of heritage, identity, and the unspoken bonds forged over shared meals.