Before RRR, S.S. Rajamouli directed Eega, a wildly audacious tale of revenge… starring a fly. Good news: this offbeat entertainment is in theaters on June 24.
Telugu popular cinema owes a debt of gratitude to S.S. Rajamouli, the Indian filmmaker who brought it to the world’s grandest screens. In Europe, outside the diaspora, many discovered him with the fantasy duology Baahubali, an epic fresco packed with visually Dantean ideas, at one time available on Netflix. Others discovered him through his latest film to date, RRR, an ultra-spectacular blockbuster, a globally discussed success and winner of the 2023 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
But before all that, he had already proven his relentless genius with the improbable Eega. Having acquired the rights to his recent films, distributor Carlotta offered them a fresh (small) theatrical release, including for this 2012 oddity, which at the time had mostly played at festivals. And trust us: this avenging fly deserves that you brave the heat for it (with a water bottle, of course).
Getting the Fly, Literally
Nani is a young man in love with his neighbor Bindu, who works for an NGO. It’s through her activities that he meets Sudeep, an industrialist who falls for her as well. He brings out the whole toolkit of a pushy suitor, but nothing seems to spoil the budding chemistry between Nani and Bindu. A premise of a romantic comedy that Indian popular cinema often produces, and to which Rajamouli adheres to every rule. Until the antagonist attempts to kill the hero… and succeeds!
Eega quickly deprives the audience of its main character, leaving the field clear for the infamous Sudeep to woo Bindu or hurt him. But the said protagonist isn’t done yet, because he reincarnates… as a fly. And it is in this form, once he has gathered his memories, that he swears to take vengeance on his killer. Some might think he picked the least practical creature to accomplish his goal. But that would be underestimating S.S. Rajamouli and his unyielding inventiveness.
That dedication is evident: in 2012, with only a few million dollars at his disposal, he launched production on a film running more than two hours with a CGI insect as its hero. Of course, digital effects were relatively rudimentary by the standards of the moment, even within Indian cinema. But as is often the case with the director, what matters is the intensity of the pivotal sequences, which here reach epic proportions, such as the intervalling sequence that comes just before the intermission.
Epic, indeed. Yesterday and today, regardless of budget, Rajamouli has always treated his stories with gravity. And while Eega is a brilliant parody that pushes the revenge genre to extravagant, almost farcical lengths, it does not mock its characters. On the contrary, it goes out of its way to idolize them, winning over audiences with grand musical numbers and mythic poses.
A true crowd-pleasing feat, it seeks galvanization at any cost, even if it bends genre archetypes a little. The human form of the hero vanishes from the equation early on; besides Samantha, the real star is inevitably the villain, interpreted by Soudeepa. The actor, who came to public attention in the early 2000s, relishes a deliciously burlesque role of a fly-obsessed madman who spends half the film fighting an opponent barely visible to those around him.
All in all, it’s an experience to see on the big screen, ideally with others, even if screenings will be scarce and mostly in Paris. Otherwise, it’s also available on DVD and Blu-ray since June 16, 2026. In the meantime Varanasi, expected for 2024, and the already announced sequel to RRR loom on the horizon.
