“His Personal Beliefs are Nobody’s Concern”: Ram Gopal Varma Jumps to Fellow Atheist SS Rajamouli’s Defense Amidst ‘Varanasi’ Firestorm
RGV Backs SSR: Why Ram Gopal Varma’s Support for Rajamouli’s Atheist Confession is the Week’s Biggest Entertainment Story
In a dramatic turn of events that has ignited the public square and dominated entertainment headlines, veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) has fiercely thrown his support behind his younger colleague, SS Rajamouli (SSR), following the massive nationwide controversy sparked by Rajamouli’s atheist confession. The controversy erupted after Rajamouli’s statement regarding his non-belief in God and his remarks about Lord Hanuman at the grand announcement event for his upcoming Mahesh Babu-starrer, Varanasi.
Never one to shy away from a debate—especially one touching on religion and free expression—RGV’s intervention is being seen as a powerful, albeit characteristically provocative, defense of an artist’s right to separate their personal philosophy from their professional output. The timing of RGV’s comments, coming just days after the Varanasi event, makes this the breaking news that shifts the conversation from public outrage to a broader debate on artistic freedom in a culturally sensitive landscape.
The Breaking Stance: RGV’s Unfiltered Defense of Rajamouli
Ram Gopal Varma, a self-declared and historically outspoken atheist himself, publicly expressed his amusement at the widespread protest against the director of the Baahubali franchise. RGV’s core argument centered on the clear distinction between a filmmaker’s personal worldview and the themes they choose to explore on screen.
In an exclusive statement, RGV dismissed the outrage with a sharp, logical retort that echoed the sentiment of the film fraternity and rationalist circles.
“Just because he makes films with a religious undertone, it doesn’t mean he has to be a believer. I’ve made a film about ghosts. It doesn’t mean I believe in ghosts: I don’t! In fact, my new film Police Station Mein Bhoot is a ghost story. But I still don’t believe in ghosts. A filmmaker’s personal beliefs should not come into the picture. Rajamouli is a master storyteller. His personal beliefs are nobody’s concern,” RGV asserted.
This analogy—equating making a mythological epic to directing a ghost story—powerfully encapsulates the perspective that cinema is a medium for storytelling, not necessarily a reflection of the director’s faith. RGV’s support is a bold, no-holds-barred endorsement, reinforcing the idea that an artist’s craft transcends their private ideology.
The Controversy’s Catalyst: What Rajamouli Said at the Varanasi Event
The immediate cause of the firestorm was the Varanasi Globetrotter event on November 15, 2025, where SS Rajamouli, while speaking about a technical failure during the film’s production, made an unexpected and candid admission. Rajamouli openly confessed to being an atheist.
More controversially, he recounted a personal anecdote that many interpreted as a ‘dig’ at faith, specifically mentioning Lord Hanuman. He reportedly stated that when his father, the celebrated screenwriter K. V. Vijayendra Prasad, suggested relying on Hanuman’s blessings for success, he felt “angry.” He followed this by mentioning his wife’s devotion to the deity, stating he even got angry at her for conversing with Lord Hanuman “as if he were her friend.”
The confession and the specific remark provoked an immediate and widespread backlash across social media and certain media outlets. Netizens criticized the director for making such remarks at a public event dedicated to a film (Varanasi) whose title and initial glimpses suggest a connection to deep cultural and religious themes, especially given his past success with mythologically-inspired blockbusters like Baahubali and RRR.
The Stark Contrast: Mythology in Cinema vs. Personal Atheism
The reason Rajamouli’s comments caused such a stir lies in the perceived contradiction between his personal atheism and his professional success. SSR’s films, particularly Baahubali and RRR, are masterclasses in cinematic storytelling that draw heavily and skillfully from Hindu mythology, epic poetry (like the Ramayana and Mahabharata), and cultural history.
Critics of the filmmaker argued that an atheist who benefits financially and artistically from retelling stories rooted in devotion should exercise greater sensitivity. The debate boils down to whether an artist is obligated to believe in the subject matter they depict. RGV’s defense directly addresses this point by highlighting the universal nature of storytelling. His point is that an artist is an interpreter of human condition and narrative, not necessarily a devout spokesperson for the subject.
As RGV himself pointed out, while both are atheists, he has historically gravitated towards “godless films” like Satya and Company, whereas Rajamouli has embraced mythology. This contrast highlights the two different paths an atheist filmmaker can take in Indian cinema, yet RGV is defending the validity of Rajamouli’s path.
The Deeper Conversation: Atheist Voices in Indian Cinema
The public spat has brought to the forefront the long-standing, yet often muted, tradition of prominent atheist and rationalist voices within Indian cinema. Both Ram Gopal Varma and SS Rajamouli stand alongside other legendary figures like Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, and the late Akkineni Nageswara Rao, all of whom have been documented as non-believers, yet have contributed immensely to mythological and devotional genres.
For example, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, a well-known atheist, famously played spiritually profound characters like Kabir Das in Sri Ramadasu. Similarly, RGV himself directed Govinda Govinda early in his career, a film that dealt with temple robbery and devotion.
This historical context strengthens RGV’s defense: the tradition of an atheist or rationalist artist portraying or directing religious content is not new; it is a testament to the fact that cultural stories and myths hold intrinsic narrative power that is separate from religious faith. The uproar against Rajamouli, therefore, seems to be less about a break from tradition and more about the current, intensely polarized public discourse on religion.
RGV’s Own Trail of Controversy
Ram Gopal Varma’s support is potent because he is perhaps the industry’s most polarizing and relentlessly outspoken figure on matters of faith, sex, and politics. RGV has himself faced legal troubles for allegedly mocking Hindu gods and sacred texts like the Ramayana and Mahabharata on social media.
His history of courting controversy gives his current defense a powerful weight: he is not defending a colleague from a safe distance, but rather standing up for a principle—the separation of art and personal belief—that has defined his own tumultuous career. His willingness to provoke and simplify complex cultural issues (as with the ‘ghosts’ analogy) provides a clear, rational counter-narrative to the emotional outrage.
Moving Forward: The Future of Varanasi
Ram Gopal Varma’s defense injects a new layer of complexity into the Varanasi narrative. While the controversy initially posed a threat to the film’s public image, RGV’s intervention successfully shifted the conversation from Rajamouli’s ‘blasphemy’ to a debate on freedom of expression. Rajamouli has yet to issue a formal retraction or further clarification, relying on his close sources to state that he was simply “speaking his mind” and that his belief has “no bearing on his cinema.”
The Varanasi film, a big-budget spectacle starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra, which is set to be the first Indian film to be entirely ‘filmed for IMAX,’ now carries the additional weight of this socio-cultural debate.
The entertainment world will be closely watching as the controversy continues to unfold, but for now, RGV has provided a powerful, clear, and characteristically controversial lifeline to a fellow director caught in the crosshairs of a polarized public.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What was the exact controversy involving SS Rajamouli?
SS Rajamouli sparked a controversy on November 15, 2025, at the Varanasi announcement event when he openly confessed to being an atheist. He compounded the issue by recounting an anecdote about getting “angry” at his father for suggesting reliance on Lord Hanuman’s blessings after a technical failure, which many interpreted as a dismissive remark against the deity and religious sentiment.
2. Why did Ram Gopal Varma support SS Rajamouli?
RGV supported Rajamouli to defend the principle of artistic freedom and the separation of a filmmaker’s personal beliefs from their professional work. As a fellow atheist and controversial figure, RGV argued that Rajamouli’s personal non-belief should not concern the public, using the analogy that a director making a ghost film doesn’t have to believe in ghosts.
3. Is Ram Gopal Varma also an atheist?
Yes, Ram Gopal Varma is a well-known and staunch atheist. He has often been outspoken about his rationalist views, which have also led to several controversies throughout his career.
4. Does Rajamouli’s new film Varanasi have religious themes?
The film’s title, Varanasi, which is one of India’s most sacred cities, and the imagery from the teaser have led to widespread speculation that the film will tap into mythological or devotional elements, a genre Rajamouli previously mastered with Baahubali and RRR. This contrast between the subject matter and his personal atheism is what fueled the public outcry.
5. Have other atheist Indian filmmakers made religious or mythological films?
Yes, there is a historical precedent in Indian cinema. Noted atheists like the legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao and director Mani Ratnam have worked on projects with deeply spiritual or mythological themes, suggesting that an artist’s craft and cultural storytelling ability are often independent of their personal faith.
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