Filmmaker SS Rajamouli was honoured with a commemorative plaque at the prestigious Institut Lumière in Lyon, France. The director, on Wednesday, was inducted into the institute’s ‘Wall of Filmmakers’ to celebrate his body of work.The director, best known around the globe for his work on internationally acclaimed films like ‘RRR’ and ‘Baahubali’, was welcomed to the birthplace of cinema for a series of sold-out screenings, autograph sessions and audience interactions featuring some of his most celebrated films, including ‘Eega’. The event, running from June 27 to July 17, reportedly celebrates Rajamouli’s contribution to global cinema and showcases several of his landmark films.Videos from the event, which have since gone viral on social media, show Rajamouli unveiling a golden plaque bearing his name after pulling away a red curtain, marking yet another international honour. The recognition comes after Rajamouli was previously honoured with a plaque at the Cinémathèque, cementing his place among globally celebrated filmmakers.Addressing the audience during an interaction at the institute, Rajamouli reflected on India’s rich storytelling traditions. A video from the session saw him saying, “India is a huge treasure trove of stories. Be it the mythology of India. Mythology is not the right word, but for lack of better words, I am saying mythology. We call them ‘Ehsaas’. Also there are other mythologies, history and folklore…”In another video, the director received a standing ovation as he entered the packed auditorium before participating in an extensive question-and-answer session following his film screenings. Photos and videos from the event captured enthusiastic fans applauding the filmmaker as he took his place on the stage.Rajamouli reportedly treated the French audience to exclusive previews of his upcoming projects, including a glimpse of his next live-action film, ‘Varanasi’, starring Mahesh Babu, as well as footage from the animated feature ‘Baahubali: The Eternal War’.The filmmaker’s visit to France follows his appearance at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where ‘Baahubali: The Eternal War’ was showcased as part of the festival’s prestigious Work in Progress programme. Rajamouli had earlier shared that the animated film is being developed in collaboration with a Japanese animation studio and promised fans that the team was committed to making it “in the best possible way.“Rajamouli’s ongoing France tour comes as work on ‘Varanasi’ comes to a close. The film reportedly has only 80 more days of shooting before they can officially wrap up the film and begin post-production work, in time for the 2027 release.
