Once Called 'Good For Nothing', This Director Is Now India's Highest-grossing Filmmaker

The boom of regional content in cinema has brought to the forefront several names that had somewhat of a restricted audience. Though the name in question arguably did not suffer this particular setback, his most recent film shook, not just the Indian box office but also affirmatively put India on the global map of cinema. The man in question however, was once referred to as 'good for nothing'.

From being 'good for nothing' to ruling the box office

The director in question, is none other than Baahubali and RRR director SS Rajamouli. In a throwback video posted by a user on social media platform Reddit, Rajamouli can be seen revealing the moment in his early life that served as a wake up call for him. He revealed how though his family was rather rich, having had owned 360 acres of land in Karnantaka, they eventually lost everything and had to move to Chennai. Rajamouli shared how they were a family of thirteen living in a bedroom apartment with his brother being the sole breadwinner of the family. 

He further shared, "By the time I was 22, I was doing nothing. For five years, my father had been asking me to do something. I used to be slippery like an eel. One of my aunts was scolding me, saying, ‘Rajamouli is good for nothing.’ My bhabhi told me, ‘I don’t want my son to be called by bad names by anyone.’ That’s the only thing she told me, and I suddenly started taking my life seriously and started working seriously."

The beginnings of his cinematic journey

Rajamouli began his career behind the camera by assisting several directors in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh. He also assisted his own father, Vijayendra Prasad, before marking his directorial debut with Student No: 1 (2001) which featured Jr NTR. The Prabhas starrer Chatrapathi (2005) is where things really started picking up for him.

 The Ram Charan starrer Magadheera (2009) is what catapulted Rajamouli into the big leagues. This was followed by Eega, Baahubali and RRR which have now cemented his name in the annals of Indian cinema.