RRR is an unabashedly mainstream film that celebrates everything that has been a part of popular Indian cinema for decades. I'm intrigued by its global reception and the fact that it's being celebrated in the U.S. But ultimately Indian cinema predates the BJP, Shapiro says.
Most people watch RRR and see one of the greatest action epics in the history of cinema. But some see an insidious brand of Hindu nationalism that’s been creeping into Indian culture.
This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Efim Shaprio, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram, who also edited.
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