SS Rajamouli on identifying as an atheist; influence of Ramayana, Mahabharata on his films

SS Rajamouli recently opened up about being an atheist. In an interview with The New Yorker, the RRR director revealed why he moved away from religion. He further stated that he keeps his personal beliefs separate from his films.

The Eega filmmaker shared that he has a big family and everyone including his parents, cousins, uncles, and aunts are deeply religious. He also said that the stories about the Hindu gods didn't seem real to him and he had doubts after reading them. 

Moreover, Rajamouli also spoke about the religious fervour he was caught in and recalled the time when he wore saffron clothes and used to live an ascetic life for a few years. "Then I got caught up in my family’s religious fervour. I started reading religious texts, going on pilgrimages, wearing saffron cloth, and living like a sannyasi (ascetic) for a few years. Then I caught onto Christianity, thanks to some friends. I’d read the Bible, go to church, and all kinds of stuff. Gradually, all these things somehow made me feel that religion is essentially a kind of exploitation," he said. 

SS Rajamouli's films inspired by Ramayana and Mahabharata

SS Rajamouli revealed how the Hindu epics Ramayana and the Mahabharata had a major influence on all his films. He further shared that even though he was moving away from religion, his love for "stories" like the Mahabharata or the Ramayana never diminished.

"My love for stories like the Mahabharata or the Ramayana never diminished. Anything that comes out of me is somehow influenced by these texts. Those texts are like oceans: every time I visit them, I find something new. I did start pushing away from those texts’ religious aspects, but what stayed with me was the complexity and the greatness of their drama and storytelling," the Magadheera filmmaker added. 

SS Rajamouli on being inspired by Ayn Rand's work

In the same interview, SS Rajamouli recalled the time when he started moving away from religion. He shared that he was working with his cousin and the Telugu writer Gunnam Gangaraju for a few months when the latter introduced him to Ayn Rand’s novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. 

The Baahubali director further shared that he was greatly inspired by the novels and understood the basics about them. "I didn’t understand a lot of her (Ayn Rand) philosophy, but I understood the basics of it. It was around that time that I slowly started moving away from religion," he said.