“Indian Stories Told Well Can Move the World”: Oscar Winner SS Rajamouli Champions Cultural Authenticity at Lumikai Insignia

• Rajamouli joined a distinguished keynote panel among tech titans at Lumikai Insignia, India’s premier interactive media and gaming summit.
• Rajamouli shared, “Belief finds believers”, on fusion of Indian cultural authenticity with state-of-the-art technology in interactive storytelling.
• From early successes in ‘Eega’ to global successes ‘RRR’ and ‘Baahubali’, Rajamouli mapped his evolution as a filmmaker.

Academy Award Winner SS Rajamouli was part of a keynote session at Lumikai Insignia, India’s premier interactive media and gaming summit. The acclaimed filmmaker shared the stage with global tech leaders including Cevat Yerli, Raja Koduri, and Abdullah Alorainy of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Reflecting on his journey from Magadheera to Baahubali and RRR, Rajamouli described his relentless pursuit of high-quality storytelling leveraging technology and talent to deliver on his creative vision. “Belief finds believers,” he remarked, “With faith that it can be done, we find people who help us achieve it”.   With films like Magadheera and Eega, he pioneered using high-quality VFX and graphics to propel storytelling in a first-of-kind approach for Indian filmmaking.
The success of Baahubali, followed by RRR have set quality standards and brought a new brand of larger-than-life Indian cinema to global markets garnering critical and commercial acclaim.
Rajamouli mentioned how he keeps cultural authenticity and quality as focal points in his storytelling, knowing they are key to connecting Indian and global audiences. He noted, “When we created Baahubali or RRR, every bit was made for Indian viewers with an Indian psyche embedded within. And once audiences taste quality, they demand it. With access to incredible content on their mobile devices, they are expecting even better. Quality in entertainment is non-negotiable.”
Additionally, the keynote panellists’ discussion centred on the significant opportunities within India’s interactive media and entertainment sector, particularly given the country’s young, digitally native demographic. The panel emphasized how this growing market presents unprecedented possibilities for innovation in interactive entertainment. The panel also spoke on the evolving role of AI, noting that AI tools’ development and sophistication is imminent.

Commenting on the evolving audience palate for immersive entertainment, Salone Sehgal, Founding General Partner, Lumikai, said, “With a young, increasingly affluent audience and a consumer base exposed to global best, the need for entertainment that is high quality and culturally resonant has never been higher. Visionaries like SS Rajamouli have paved the way for fusing storytelling with technology successfully taking Indian films global. It was our privilege to learn from him at Lumikai Insignia. His unique insights fuelled founders in interactive media gaming who have similar aspirations.”
Capitalizing on this one-of-a-kind congregation of industry leaders, Lumikai, India’s leading interactive media and gaming VC fund, unveiled its highly anticipated “The Lumikai State of India Interactive Media and Gaming Report” for 2024. This seminal research series has established itself as the authoritative resource for understanding India’s gaming landscape. It has been consistently referenced by government bodies guiding policy decisions and industry planning.

“Indian Stories Told Well Can Move the World”: Oscar Winner SS Rajamouli Champions Cultural Authenticity at Lumikai Insignia