Padma Sree Award is not just an honor or a matter of grown respect; it also builds a sense of responsibility on SS Rajamouli to think and execute his forthcoming films with much more accountability, sincerity and of course a social cause. A honor which isn’t decorated for greatest of directors like K Raghavendra Rao, Dasari Narayana Rao and other specialized commercial directors especially garlanded on SS Rajamouli might obviously throw some critics into aggressive mode but the Award is announced and we need to accept it.
True that Rajamouli redefined commercial and Box Office value of Telugu cinema and thus Indian cinema with projects like ‘Magadheera, Eega’ and ‘Bahubali’ made on highest technical standards ever used in Indian movie making. Displaying a brilliant eye in visualizing creative scenes added with enormous technical grandeur resulted in magnum opuses. But, how far these films showed a path for societal enlightenment or in which way they are different from ongoing trend?
Time has come for Jakkanna to forget his commercial storylines and begin his hunt for experimental lines to be coated with commercial treatment. This could be possible only if Rajamouli’s dream project ‘Maha Bharatha’ is materialized. Despite those routine glamour and heroic elevations his films are popular for, there is another side of the coin where Rajamouli has to work on. Will there be any effect of Padma Sree on ‘Bahubali 2’ or will he continue to excel in his own known way?