'Tried so hard to visit Mohenjo-daro': SS Rajamouli reveals Pakistan denied permission to visit archaeological site

SS Rajamouli, filmmaker extraordinaire, who is widely known for movies such as Baahubali and RRR, took to social media to say that, inspired by an ancient tree, he wanted to make a movie on Mohenjo-daro. He said he tried his best but was denied permission by Pakistan to visit Mohenjo-daro. 

Rajamouli’s tweet was in response to a post by Anand Mahindra. The filmmaker said that while shooting for Magadheera, the 2009 hit starring Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal, he came across a tree in Dholavira, which was so ancient that it had turned into a fossil. He said he wanted to make a film on the rise and fall of the Indus Valley civilisation that would have been narrated by the tree. 

“Visited Pakistan few years later. Tried so hard to visit Mohenjodaro. Sadly, was denied permission (sic),” said Rajamouli.

It must be mentioned here that a movie on Mohenjo-daro was released in 2016, starring Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde, but saw a lukewarm response from critics and audience alike. Mohenjodaro was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.

Anand Mahindra had given a shoutout to Rajamouli asking him to consider a film based on the Indus Valley era to create “global awareness of that ancient civilisation”. He had shared illustrations of ancient civilisations of Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira, Lothal and more. These are amazing illustrations that bring history alive & spark our imagination,” he said. 

Mohenjo-daro site is located in the Pakistani province of Sindh, located 510 km north-east of Karachi. It was the latest settlement of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, and believed to be one of the earliest cities. The site was discovered in 1922, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. 

According to UNESCO, the discovery of Mohenjo-daro revealed evidence of its customs, art, religion, and administrative abilities of the inhabitants. It was made mostly of baked bricks, and had public baths, a college of priests, drainage system, wells, soak pits for disposal of sewage, a large granary etc. The planned city comprised a citadel area, buildings along streets intersecting each other at right angles, and an orderly form of sanitation and drainage systems. 

Also read: SS Rajamouli, Shah Rukh Khan only Indians in Time’s 100 most influential list