Though Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn ‘are playing cameos’ in  Telugu period drama ‘RRR’ but their characters are as important as lead roles played by Ram Charan and Jr, NTR, says the director SS Rajamouli.

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The filmmaker said that with respect to the importance of the characters, they are equally and ‘sometimes more important than the heroes themselves’.

SS Rajamouli told Indian Express, “A role cannot be based on its length. Both Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn’s roles are very important. If we look at RRR as a body, then Ajay sir’s character in the film is its soul. And we know there are two forces, two powerhouses in the movie, and if there is one person who has to balance them, who has the ability and the strength to contain them, then it is Sita, played by Alia Bhatt.

“They are playing cameos in the film, I am not going to cheat the audience about it. In terms of importance, they are equally and sometimes they are more important than the heroes themselves.”

In RRR, Alia Bhatt essays the role of Sita. Ajay Devgn’s character in the movie was earlier described as one who is the master of ‘strength’. 

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Replying to if Alia and Ajay were cast to attract the Hindi-speaking audience, he said, “No, and I am very sure about it. When I made Makkhi or Baahubali, I never looked for actors to be from other languages to fill in some sort of economic conditions. But, it is always about actors fitting the characters convincingly and having personality traits that the characters demand and deserve.”

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RRR narrates a fictional tale about two freedom fighters in the early 20th century–Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem.

The film will also release in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada on January 7, 2022.