On Monday, Alia Bhatt joined the shoot of S S Rajamouli’s RRR, one of the most ambitious pan-India films on the floors currently. The period drama, set in the 20th century, will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

The story revolves around two real-life freedom fighters, Komaram Bheema and Alluri Sitaram Raju, played by Jr NTR and Ram Charan. Alia, who plays Sita, is paired with Ram Charan and plays a significant part in the ideological fight between the two heroes.

Ajay Devgn, who plays a nationalist guru to the lead actors, has already shot his extended cameo. Alia will be at the Ramoji Rao Film City in Hyderabad for 10 days filming her portions. A set of Delhi from the era had been recreated there and was left standing all through the pandemic. Earlier, she had shot and dubbed for Ayan Mukerji’s action fantasy adventure, Brahmastra, with steady beau Ranbir Kapoor.

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Alia Bhatt continues to time-travel through her films — after exploring the 1960s with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi, she has gone further back in time to the 1920s. The actor began shooting for S S Rajamouli's ambitious period drama, RRR, in Hyderabad on Monday. After an unforeseen break due to the pandemic, the filmmaker had returned to Ramoji Film City in October with his leading men NT Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan, determined to give shape to his multi-lingual magnum opus. In the two months, the director has shot a chunk of the movie, including a major action sequence.

"Alia, who makes her Telugu debut with the film, was expected to join the unit on November 2. However, her dates had to be shuffled, and she started shooting this week. Though a week-long schedule is on the cards, it could well extend to 10 days. On the first day, she filmed an emotional sequence with Ram Charan and Rama Rao Jr. Alia will have two more schedules next year before Rajamouli sir calls it a wrap," reveals a source.

Mounted on a lavish budget, RRR is set in the early 20th century and traces the lives of two revolutionaries — Alluri Sitarama Raju, played by Charan, and Komaram Bheem, essayed by Rama Rao Jr. As Sita, Bhatt plays the love interest of Raju and serves as the ideological compass, as the two heroes fight against the British Raj and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The source adds, "Though largely fictionalised, the story — written by K V Vijayendra Prasad — draws instances from the two heroes' continued fight against the establishment to assert the rights of the tribal community in Telangana region. However, the film steers clear of many crucial real-life events, including the Rampa Rebellion, which led to Raju's death."