SS Rajamouli experienced a deeply emotional moment during his visit to France. The celebrated filmmaker toured the historic Lumière Museum and its screening room in Lyon, where his blockbuster films Eega and RRR were screened to packed houses.
Visited the Lumière Museum and the screening room where Eega and RRR was screened to a full house in Lyon, France.
Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Institut Lumière and the Cannes Film Festival, was gracious enough to introduce me. Then he said he had planned a surprise and… pic.twitter.com/2ZA8UT7Zxf
— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) July 2, 2026
One after another – after the French Cinematheque, this time where CINEMA was born, Institut Lumiére, LYON! 🥹â�¤ï¸�
Just to have his films EEGA & RRR screen at the place where the first shot using a cinematograph was EVER shot is so overwhelming and SSR being honouring with a plaque… https://t.co/wu69m4NQOm pic.twitter.com/BHByDCbQCj— S S Karthikeya (@ssk1122) July 2, 2026
Hall of fame
The director of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Frémaux, warmly introduced Rajamouli to the audience. He then revealed that he had planned a special surprise for the Baahubali director. Frémaux led Rajamouli down the iconic street recognised as the birthplace of cinema. By then, the filmmaker was already visibly moved by the warm reception.
The group arrived at the famous Mur des Cinéastes, a wall adorned with plaques honouring some of cinema’s greatest legends. Rajamouli spotted names such as Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, and Francis Ford Coppola. He then noticed a plaque covered with a symbolic red cloth.
International recognition
Rajamouli’s global stature has grown exponentially since the success of RRR, starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan. That explains the remarkable tribute he received in France. Western audiences and Hollywood filmmakers alike now eagerly follow his creative journey. James Cameron has been particularly vocal about his admiration for Rajamouli’s work. Steven Spielberg also met the filmmaker during the awards season and praised RRR as outstanding visual storytelling. Acclaimed directors Edgar Wright and Scott Derrickson have also publicly expressed their admiration. Joe Russo, co-director of Avengers: Endgame, said that Hollywood was “absolutely blown away” by RRR. This growing international recognition comes at a fitting time as Rajamouli prepares for Varanasi.
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