As film lovers around the world catch up to the irresistible appeal of RRR, the South Indian historical action-drama that's breaking new ground this awards season, for many fans in India, the global appreciation has been a long time coming.
The Telugu-language film has been breaking records since it was released in March last year. Directed by S S Rajamouli, and starring Telugu superstars N T Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan in the lead, the film is a fictional take on two real-life revolutionaries in pre-independence India.
RRR is also one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, with a reported budget of 5.5 billion rupees ($67.6 million), although it's already collected more than 12 billion rupees ($147 million) at the global box office.
Dubbed and also released in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and other languages, it is now the second-highest-grossing Indian film of 2022 and currently the fourth-highest-grossing Indian film in history — although that is bound to change with its ever-growing international awards haul and Oscar buzz.
What is RRR all about?
Rao Jr and Charan play real-life Indian freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju — while the story itself is director Rajamouli and co-writer V Vijayendra Prasad's imagining of what it would have been like had the two revolutionaries been friends.
Set in 1920 during the British rule of India, Rao Jr's Bheem is a tribal leader who sets off to rescue a young girl abducted by an evil British officer. Warned of Bheem's plan, the officer's wife enlists Charan's Raju, a member of the Indian Imperial Police, to help diminish the threat.
Unknowingly, Bheem and Raju strike up a friendship, their common disdain for their colonial masters affirming their bond.
What follows is a tale of friendship, sacrifice, betrayal and vindication, all told with over-the-top action sequences, colourful songs and dances and plenty of slow-motion shots.
RRR, which stands for "Rise. Roar. Revolt" does exactly what it says on the tin — the oppressed standing up against their oppressors — told with a cinematic flourish that's never been seen before on the big screen.
Who's in RRR?
Rao Jr and Charan are massive stars in the south, working predominantly in Telugu films. Rao Jr comes from a film family, his grandfather being the late actor and politician N T Rama Rao, and Charan is the son of Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi.
Bollywood stars Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt also star, alongside Shriya Sharan, who's known for her work in South Indian as well as Hindi films. The cast also features a number of English actors, many of them playing the colonisers.
International awards for RRR
RRR has been winning a number of global awards, starting with the Golden Globes for Best Original Song earlier this month. Naatu Naatu, composed by M M Keeravani and performed by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, beat out tracks by singers Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and French music composer Alexandre Desplat to the title, making it the first Indian song to ever win such an award.
At the Critics Choice Awards last week, Naatu Naatu again won Best Song as well as Best Foreign Language Film, boosting fans' hopes of the film earning a coveted Oscar nomination when the names are announced on January 24.
Could RRR get an Oscar nomination?
Fans of RRR were left disappointed in September when the Film Federation of India picked the Gujarati film Chhello Show (Last Film Show) as the country's entry to the Oscars for the Best International Feature category. Directed by Pan Nalin, the coming-of-age drama tells the story of a movie-mad boy who bribes his way into a decrepit theatre in a nearby village to watch films from the projection booth.
RRR was among 13 titles in contention from across India.
But the film's Oscar hopes were re-energised in early December when RRR was named as one of the year’s 10 best films by New York's National Board of Review, usually an early harbinger of the awards season. A week later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises the Oscars, released shortlists in various categories, which included Naatu Naatu among 15 tracks in contention for the Best Original Song.
Earlier this month, the academy also released a list of 301 films eligible for voting by its members, meaning RRR could make it to any of the 23 categories on Oscar night.
Rajamouli and his team have been on a promotional tour for the past few weeks, hoping to win over voting members. Priyanka Chopra joined them for a special screening on Wednesday.
"Least I can do to contribute to this incredible Indian film’s journey. Good luck and congratulations @RRRMovie," she posted on Twitter, with pictures from the event showing her with Rajamouli and composer Keeravani.
Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on January 24 by actors Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed. The awards gala will be held on March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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THE SPECS
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
