Rajamouli Made the World Notice Telugu Cinema: K.K. Senthil Kumar

When asked about his long collaboration with director S.S. Rajamouli, and his voice lights up with admiration and respect. “I have worked with him for more than twenty years,” he says. “Every film, he pushes the boundaries — in storytelling, in technology, in scale. So, working with him means you can never take it easy.”

For Senthil, each project with Rajamouli brings new challenges. “You can’t say, ‘I have done this before, I know how it works.’ It doesn’t work like that with him,” he says. “Every film has a new world, new grammar, new expectations. You have to live up to his vision — and sometimes go beyond it.”

That process, he explains, is both demanding and exhilarating. “You are constantly learning, constantly aware of what’s happening in world cinema. Because he’s not looking to repeat what’s been done — he’s looking to create something new that pushes Indian cinema forward. You have to match that energy.”

What stands out most to Senthil is Rajamouli’s fearlessness. “He’s always lifting the bar. When you work with him, you can’t rest. You are always charged — thinking, experimenting, exploring. That’s what makes it exciting.”

Looking back, Senthil says being part of Rajamouli’s vision has been one of the greatest privileges of his career. “He made people sit up and take notice of Telugu films, which are now being talked about the world over. He’s not just changed Telugu cinema — he’s changed how the world looks at Indian cinema. To have contributed to that journey, to those visuals, is something I will always be proud of.”