Though never explicitly stated in S.S. Rajamouli’s epic action-adventure film, various aspects of the movie’s story give the title RRR meaning. RRR is the biggest Telugu blockbuster to date. With relentless action, exciting musical sequences, and breathtaking visual effects, the Telugu movie has soared in popularity among the biggest movies of 2022. However, the story doesn’t really explain what the title means, and it only provides vague hints at the visual “FiRe” and “WateR” themes of the film. However, there are certain clues to the RRR meaning.
N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan star as fictional versions of the real-life Indian freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju, who lived in the same period of the country’s history but never actually met, making RRR very loosely based on a true story. As a pair of nigh-invincible superheroes, they search for a kidnapped girl, fight the forces of nature, and revolt against the British Empire. Not once in RRR’s three-hour runtime do the three letters come as an explicit part of the plot, and their meaning remains one of the biggest questions after the credits roll.
What RRR Means
RRR is an acronym for “Roudram Ranam Rudhiram,” which can be roughly translated from Telugu as “Fierce Death Blood,” or to follow the original title’s alliteration, “Rise Roar Revolt.” These words are key to RRR’s plot, which centers around Raju and Bheem’s revolution against the British Empire and their use of wilderness to achieve it.
The “fierce roar” theme in RRR is mostly illustrated by the (fully CGI-rendered) tiger Bheem captures at the beginning of the movie, but also by Raju, who becomes as wild as the lion when he takes up the bow and arrow toward the ending of RRR. To top it off, RRR includes some displays of brutal violence, which account for the “Death and Blood” of the original title in Telugu.
RRR Wasn’t The Title They Wanted
“RRR” actually began as a prototype title when the movie was in development. Director S.S. Rajamouli has since revealed that the title originally stood for Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and Rama Rao, the names of the director and the two main actors (via Bollywood Hungama). The title stuck after the movie was officially announced, prompting Rajamouli and his team to link the meaning of the three letters to the movie’s themes. As an added value, RRR is an extremely easy title to memorize, especially for international audiences who may not be familiar with the Telugu language.
The cryptic name of S.S. Rajamouli’s 2022 blockbuster wasn’t an obstacle to its international success. It is a simple name that balances out the movie’s balls-to-the-wall action, being named by many people as one of the best action movies of 2022. Behind three simple letters, RRR delivers three whole hours of non-stop Tollywood extravaganza.