Senthil Recalls 25 Years Memories Creating Magic With Rajamouli

Like a man chasing light through a forest, K.K. Senthil Kumar has spent 25 years turning simple stories into grand visuals. From Sye to Baahubali and RRR, his long run with Rajamouli feels like a journey made of sweat, chaos, and quiet pride. He laughs when asked how it all began. Honestly, none of us knew we’d come this far. Every film felt like the first one. Rajamouli sir never repeats himself, and that keeps you on your toes.

He doesn’t talk like a technical guy. He talks like someone who’s lived inside the movies he shot. There’s no rulebook for visuals, he shrugs. Sometimes it’s about what the story wants, sometimes it’s just about instinct. Rajamouli always says, don’t make it look pretty, make it feel true. You can tell he still gets excited remembering those crazy shoot days, running behind cranes, fighting the light, chasing one perfect frame that lasts two seconds on screen.

Over the years, the world changed around him, film stock vanished, cameras shrunk, LEDs took over, audiences moved to phones. Yeah, it’s wild, he says. Everyone’s watching differently now. But for me, it’s still about what they feel when they watch. If that emotion hits, then it’s all worth it. His next projects, Swayambhu and The India House, he says, are totally different worlds, one raw, one classy, and that’s what keeps him from getting bored.

He grins when asked if he’s ever fully happy with his work. Never, he says. Even when we re-released Baahubali, I was fixing colors again. That’s how it goes. You always think, maybe I can do it better next time. And then, softer, But yeah… seeing Telugu cinema get the respect it deserves now, that feels special. Feels like we all built something real.