James Cameron to Rajamouli: ‘Give Me a Camera’
While promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash, Hollywood and Tollywood’s top filmmakers connected virtually, with the conversation quickly turning to Rajamouli’s Varanasi
James Cameron, who is gearing up for the release of his latest Avatar instalment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, recently interacted virtually with director SS Rajamouli as part of the film’s promotional activities in India. During the interaction, Cameron openly admired Rajamouli’s work and spoke about his curiosity to visit the sets of Varanasi, which stars Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra. The filmmaker didn’t stop at praise — he went a step further, offering to shoot scenes for the film.
Thanking Rajamouli for promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash despite his packed schedule, Cameron said, “I know you must be very busy with Varanasi now. If I can reciprocate when your new film is coming to market, please keep me in mind. I love having a dialogue with other filmmakers. I think we need more of that.”
He then extended an open invitation to himself, adding, “I’d love to come to your set. May I come sometime and watch you create your magic? I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. You’re shooting for a while, right? So plenty of time. Tell me when you’re doing something fun — maybe something with tigers.”
Before signing off, Cameron doubled down on the offer. “I’m going to hold you to it. I’m going to come to your set. You can give me a camera — I like to operate. I can get some shots for you, some second unit, maybe.”
When the director of Avatar offers to step behind the camera for an Indian blockbuster, it’s more than a compliment — it’s a rare, headline-making moment of global filmmaking camaraderie.
