I Finally Watched The Most Popular Bollywood Movie On Netflix, And I Was Blown Away By The Scope, If Not The Story

July 2, 20256 Mins Read

I’m a novice when it comes to Bollywood movies, so I decided recently to fire up my Netflix subscription and watch the most popular Indian movie on the streamer, RRR. The Telugu-language film from 2022 is one of the most successful Indian movies of all time, both on the Asian subcontinent and further afield. It also won an Oscar for Best Song, so I thought this would be a great way to dip my toe in some waters I’ve never taken a full swim in. The production is amazing, but I found the story a little hard to follow.

I will say that for anyone who loves movies and is interested in checking out a Bollywood flick for the first time, like me, I wholeheartedly recommend RRR. It is a long movie, but nothing about it drags at all, and I promise it is totally worth your time. Also, just to get this out of the way, RRR is technically a Tollywood movie, which is different than traditional Bollywood, but for the sake of this article, I’m going to lump all Indian cinema into one bucket. Cut me some slack, I’m trying to learn new things!

Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. both pumping their fists while dancing during Naatu Naatu in RRR. — (Image credit: DVV Entertainment)

Indian Cinema Is A Mystery To Me

I’m a huge movie fan, and I’m lucky enough to write about them for a living, but I’ve never explored the world of Indian filmmaking. Seeing as how it’s the second biggest studio system in the world, I decided I needed to start dabbling in it. I know a little about Hindi and Telugu-language films, in that I know most have epic dancing scenes and that they aren’t all wedding rom-coms. At least, I think both of those things are true. There is only one way to find out.

To start out, I went with a film I have at least heard of: RRR, directed by S. S. Rajamouli and starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan. At first, I thought going in blind, without knowing anything about the movie, was the right call. I abandoned that pretty quickly, though, and pulled up the Wikipedia page for the movie to help follow the story a little better. Almost immediately, though, I was struck by the scope of the movie.

A huge panorama with thousands of people in a desert in RRR

(Image credit: Netflix)

RRR Is A Huge Production

I’m not so ignorant as not to understand that Bollywood and Tollywood films, like Hollywood, often have monster budgets, huge set pieces and excellent special effects. Still, RRR blew me away almost from the very beginning in just how amazing it looked. It has both the feel of a modern summer tent-pole movie with incredible CGI, and the vibe of a classic Hollywood epic with giant set pieces and hundreds of extras. This movie is, on the surface, pure eye candy.

Since all I have to compare this movie to, really, is Western films, there were times that the action reminded me of a great Guy Richie movie, and the famous dance-off to the Oscar-winning song “Naatu Naatu” was like a great MGM musical from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the best way.

Those two things may seem too weird to reconcile in one movie, but it works really well, and scenes like the attack on the English governor’s house is some of the coolest action in any movie in the last 10 years, and “Naatu Naatu” is so infectious and fun, it’s impossible not to love the dance-off. Plus, it doesn’t distract from the plot, which I was concerned it would. It makes total sense.

A man with two torches jumping out of a truck with many animals jumping out with him

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Story Was A Little Hard For Me To Follow

If I’m honest, the hardest part for me was following the story. The film tells a fictionalized version of two heroes of Indian independence in the 1920s, and I’m sure if I were more familiar with the real story, I would have gotten much more out of it. To be sure, that is my problem, not the movie’s problem. I’m not steeped in Indian history.

I know the basics of English rule and the fight for independence led by Gandhi, but my understanding is admittedly very surface-level. I think knowing more about the real people behind the characters in RRR would have made for a better viewing experience. Again, this isn’t a flaw in the movie; it’s a flaw in my lack of historical knowledge.

Ram Charan Teja leaning is arm on N.T. Rama Rao Jr.'s shoulder in RRR

(Image credit: DVV Entertainment)

After Watching RRR, I’m Ready To Dive Into More Indian Cinema And More Indian History

I’m a sucker for a great historical epic and long movies. RRR is both, and it’s so well done, I’m excited to explore more Indian films. I can’t say I am surprised by how much I enjoyed the production here, but I will say that I am more satisfied than I thought I would be. I knew it would be an impressive movie, but I wasn’t sure if I would like it, and I did, very much.

I’m also excited to learn more about the real people behind the characters of Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), to say nothing about digging more into the history of Indian Independence. So not only am I going to start watching more Bollywood, but I’m looking forward to revisiting RRR after brushing up on some history.