Filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli has achieved another historic milestone on the global stage. The visionary director was honoured with a permanent plaque on the Mur des Cinéastes at the Institut Lumière in Lyon, France, placing his name alongside some of cinema's greatest filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, and Francis Ford Coppola. The special honour came after screenings of Eega and RRR, both of which played to a packed audience at the museum's screening room.
Sharing the emotional moment on social media, Rajamouli revealed that his visit to Lyon had already become unforgettable even before the surprise ceremony. He wrote, "Visited the Lumière Museum and the screening room where Eega and RRR was screened to a full house in Lyon, France. Thierry Frémaux, the director of the Institut Lumière and the Cannes Film Festival, was gracious enough to introduce me." The filmmaker expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and the overwhelming response from movie lovers in France.
Rajamouli then recalled how Thierry Frémaux had something unexpected planned for him. "Then he said he had planned a surprise and walked me through the very street where cinema was born. I was already emotional for everything that was happening around me." The director described the experience of walking through the historic birthplace of cinema as deeply moving, unaware of what was waiting for him just ahead.
The biggest surprise came when Rajamouli noticed a wall filled with plaques honouring legendary filmmakers. "There is this wall full of plaques. Names of legends like Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola… and then I noticed a plate covered with a red cloth. My mind went blank." Moments later, the plaque bearing his own name was unveiled, making him part of the prestigious Mur des Cinéastes. Reflecting on the honour, he added, "I don't even know what to say for the honour of having my name permanently placed on the Mur des Cinéastes, along with the greats. Only gratitude. Deeply, deeply humbled. Thank you Institut Lumière for a memory I will carry for a lifetime."
The plaque was unveiled by Thierry Frémaux, director of both the Institut Lumière and the Cannes Film Festival, during a special ceremony in July 2026. The recognition further cements Rajamouli's growing international stature following the worldwide success of RRR, with the honour taking place on the very street regarded as the birthplace of cinema. The full-house screenings of Eega and RRR also reflected the filmmaker's enduring popularity among international audiences.
On the professional front, Rajamouli is currently busy filming his next highly anticipated project, tentatively titled Varanasi. The globe-trotting action adventure stars Mahesh Babu in the lead role alongside Priyanka Chopra, and is already one of the most anticipated Indian films in production. Following this latest international recognition, fans are eagerly awaiting what the celebrated filmmaker has in store next.