SS Rajamouli, the director behind global blockbusters like RRR and the Baahubali series, received a major honor in Paris. The Cinémathèque Française, one of the most respected film institutions in the world, gave him a permanent place in its halls. The event became even more special when Oscar-winning filmmaker Costa-Gavras spent nearly eight hours watching Rajamouli’s movies.
The 93-year-old Greek-French director, known for classics like Z (1969) and Missing (1982), came to watch just one film but ended up staying for the entire retrospective. The celebration included screenings of RRR (2022), Eega (2012), and Baahubali: The Beginning (2015).
The Surprise Moment That Made the Event Unforgettable
Costa-Gavras originally planned to watch only RRR during the June 27 event. He told Rajamouli he would come back another day for Eega and skip Baahubali. But something changed after the first screening.
SS Karthikeya, Rajamouli’s son, shared what happened on X (formerly Twitter). The Oscar winner decided to stay with his wife and watched both films and the masterclass without a break. Karthikeya wrote on X, “The 93-year-old Academy Award winner and legendary French filmmaker Mr. Costa Gavras came to watch RRR yesterday and told Rajamouli that he’ll come back for Eega tomorrow, skip Baahubali today. But we were surprised—he came today along with his wife and stayed 8 hours straight to watch both films and the masterclass.”
This moment meant a lot to the Rajamouli family. Karthikeya added, “These are the moments that inspire us and remind why we are in cinema.”
Rajamouli’s Reaction to the Permanent Honor
SS Rajamouli expressed his gratitude on social media. He shared a photo with Costa-Gavras and wrote about his feelings.
“Having me here in Paris and screening my films is itself an honour for me. But a sweet surprise I never saw coming. It is a feeling I cannot fully put into words. To have a permanent place in the halls of one of the world’s most legendary film institutions, named after the great Henri Langlois himself, is something I will carry with me forever.”
He also thanked everyone involved, saying, “My deepest gratitude to the legendary Mr. Costa Gavras and the entire Cinémathèque Française family for this honour, and for embracing Indian cinema with such warmth and love.”
The Cinémathèque Française, founded by Henri Langlois in 1936, has long celebrated the world’s best storytellers. The event was supported by the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Rajamouli’s Europe Tour and Varanasi Promotion
This Paris event is part of SS Rajamouli’s larger Europe tour. He is promoting his upcoming movie Varanasi, which stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The tour began on June 26 with an RRR screening in Paris. Audiences also got exclusive glimpses of Varanasi and Baahubali: The Eternal War Part 1. Videos from the theatre show the French crowd cheering and whistling loudly when Mahesh Babu appeared on screen.
Varanasi is a sci-fi action drama about time travel. Rajamouli has confirmed that Mahesh Babu will play Lord Rama in some scenes. The film is currently in production and will release in theatres in April 2027.
The Varanasi team is spending around Rs 150–200 crore on international promotion. The film will release in more than 100 countries with subtitles.
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What the French Audience Thought
The French audience showed great excitement for Rajamouli’s work. When a glimpse of Varanasi played after the RRR screening, the theatre filled with applause and cheers.
The makers of Varanasi shared a video on Instagram showing the crowd reaction. The caption read, “In Annecy, France!! 1000’s of miles away from India, 100’s of French audience at an #RRRMovie screening and the applause for the #Varanasi glimpse was surreal…”
Rajamouli also conducted a masterclass with French filmmaker Christophe Gans in Paris. He will travel to Neuchâtel, Switzerland, for more events before the tour ends on July 4.
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