I would never watch films like ‘RRR’ and ‘Pushpa’: Naseeruddin Shah 

During the latest episode of the Be A Man, Yaar! podcast with host Nikhil Taneja, veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah appeared as a guest and shared some interesting takes that got viewers, fans, and people talking.

When Nikhil asked the Irada star about his thoughts regarding audiences’ increased fascination with hyper-masculinity being depicted on the silver screen, as it was with the film Kabir Singh, Naseeruddin opined that heightened emphasis on masculinity in cinema has come as a response to the general rise in insecure attitudes among men. He then quoted the examples of the 2022 film RRR and 2021’s Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 and said that he was unable to sit through these two popular and critically acclaimed movies due to the extreme level of masculinity on display. 

“I couldn’t watch RRR and Pushpa. But, I did watch Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan because he is an eminent filmmaker with no agenda. I cannot imagine what people get from watching these films. I would never watch them,” said the Gehraiyaan actor. While he gave a negative verdict on RRR and Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1, he praised filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s historical, action-drama film Ponniyin Selvan, which revolved around similar themes but, according to Naseeruddin, was more tactful in its depiction of masculinity and more skilled in the handling of the subject matter.

In February 2023, the Aiyaary actor lauded Southern-Indian films like those originating from the Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu film industries as being a lot more creative and honest in their storytelling in comparison to the many Hindi films that hit the box office each year, reports Hindustan Times. 

He also added that while Southern-Indian films may sometimes fall short when it comes to stylistic choices, they are consistently good in the characterization and narration of characters and their stories, respectively. 

Directed by SS Rajamouli, RRR was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category and even took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu. Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1 was directed by Sukumar and starred Allu Arjun in the titular role. 

The film was a major box-office hit, having collected over INR3.65 billion in earnings, according to The Times of India. Similarly, RRR attained its blockbuster status when it was found to have amassed over INR11 billion in earnings worldwide.