SS Rajamouli is said to be the only director in the Telugu film industry who is interested in how many people watch his movies rather than what amount they collect at the box office. In a recent interview, RRR's Nizam distributor Dil Raju stated that Rajamouli had asked him to send him footfalls numbers on a daily basis and not collections. The number of people who watch your movie is more important than how much money your movie collects, he feels.
In an old interview, the celebrated director was upfront in calling out the fakery around 'Simhadri' and 'Magadheera'. Speaking to ABN, the 'Baahubali' maker said that he was irritated when 'Simhadri' was artificially run for 175 days in some centres. "After the movie crossed 100 days, I felt very happy. We really enjoyed the humongous success. But, in some centres, for a new record, the film's run was artificially extended by 10-15 days to complete 175 days. It humiliated me," Rajamouli said.
He added, "When 'Magadheera' was about to release, I told Allu Aravind garu not to follow the practice. He agreed with me. After the movie became an industry hit, I was extremely happy. But, to my disappointment, even after such a stunning run, an artificial theatrical run was orchestrated. Aravind garu told me the pressure exerted by fans was too much. I refused to attend the movie's 100-day function because I didn't want to be seen as endorsing fakery."
