Western audiences are convinced RRR is ‘heartwarmingly gay’, RGV tweets

SS Rajamouli's film RRR, featuring actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan, is one of 2022's highest-grossing movies in the Indian film industry. The Telugu-language action-drama broke several box-office records, since its release in March 2022. 

However, of late, film lovers from across the world are noticing themes of a gay romance in the film, since it released on Netflix. While some are praising it, others are not. Notably, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, also known as RGV, who had earlier commented on RRR's success, on Thursday reacted to a report on netizens calling RRR a "gay film".

Sharing a news report, Ram Gopal Varma tweeted, "I was right." Many users responded to his tweet. One person wrote, "Sadly Yes." Another one pointed out, "Actually it's a cultural issue. Especially friendship culture in India is a bit emotional than western countries." 

One user defended RRR, and also called the filmmaker's tweet 'disgusting'. "It's a pure friendship movie. Gays/ Lesbians all are humans first. Can watch a movie. When they are appreciating, you want to be in media with fingering topics. Really so disgusting..." he wrote.

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma tweeted about RRR on Wednesday.

The ANI report shared by RGV, said many viewers, particularly in the West, were tweeting that RRR was a gay romance, and how much they enjoyed it. One user shared on Twitter, "Sorry but RRR is a bl movie for me. They are so gay. Idc (I don't care) about that token white 'saviour'."

Another user wrote, "Jaw-dropping action, yes. Adventure, yes. Revenge, yes. But why did none of you tell me #RRRMovie was so heartwarmingly gay??" A user also tweeted, "Very gay indeed."

Soon after the film's release, many Indian Twitter users also termed RRR a queer movie. One user wrote, "Watched RRR, so basically it's like your everyday South Indian Movie, but with gay relationship."

Another Twitter user wrote, "OKAY Nobody's saying it. IM GOING IT SAY IT. RRR is super QUEER-CODED. Like it's so f***ing gay, I can't function. And I'm sure it wasn't an accident either. I love it so much and I hope my homosexuals get together in the second part. Please make it happen." 

Another one tweeted about RRR, "This was my heartstopper." One user tweeted, "RRR is about two gay boys in love."

Starring Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Alison Doody, Olivia Morris and Ray Stevenson, RRR is streaming in Hindi on Netflix and in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam on Zee5. The film entered the ₹1000 crore-club worldwide in only two weeks after of its release.

Set in 1920s Delhi, RRR narrates the story of two individuals — Ramaraju (Ram Charan) and Bheem (Jr NTR), who become close friends during the British rule in India. Ramaraju works for the British, but faced much humiliation for his skin colour. 

While, Bheem, belonging to Gond tribe, came to Delhi to rescue a young girl called Malli. The camaraderie between Ram Charan and Jr NTR in the film has been appreciated by critics and fans alike.