‘It looks backwards when we should look forward’: Ratna Pathak Shah says Rajamouli's 'RRR' is ‘regressive'

Veteran actor Ratna Pathak Shah has dubbed 'RRR', the year's biggest blockbuster, as a "regressive film”. She believes that until filmmakers' work is critically viewed, audiences will continue to watch films like the one made by S S Rajamouli. Ratna Pathak Shah spoke about her misgivings against the movie at a book launch in Mumbai.

After its worldwide release in March of this year, 'RRR' collected over Rs 1,200 crore at the box office and received nominations for Golden Globes and five nominations for Critics Choice Awards.

Te period action film secured five nods at the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. The movie is also nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film, Best Song for Telugu track ''Naatu Naatu'', and Best Visual Effects categories.

"Films like 'RRR' are so popular today. But it's a regressive film. It looks backwards while we should look forward. We just feel whatever we are doing is good because we are part of the mother of democracy — India. Until filmmakers will not see their work critically, we will have to watch films like 'RRR'. But we don't like criticism. Our ego gets hurt. This atmosphere is created by so many big people and, unfortunately, we have accepted it," she said.

'RRR' starred Ram Charan and Jr NTR in the roles of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, respectively. Billed as a pan-India film, '''RRR''' follows a pre-independence fictional story woven around the two real-life Indian revolutionaries in the 1920s. The film released worldwide in March in five languages -- Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.

Shriya Saran, Ajay Devgn, and Alia Bhatt also played significant roles in the film.

On her professional commitments, Shah will next be seen in the Gujarati movie Kutch Express. The veteran actress is currently busy with the film's promotion. It will be released on the big screen on January 6, 2023.

Earlier she had said, “I've been looking forward to doing a Gujarati film for a long time, but couldn't find anything really interesting. Then came this film with a good script & a good team & to be shot in Kutch so this was irresistible.”

"It also happened to be a film that had a point to make & was not sentimental or regressive. An unusual opportunity," she added.