By: Entertainment DeskHyderabad | November 16, 2025 03:29 PM IST 4 min readSS Rajamouli has maintained that despite the rich mythological iconography in his movies, he’s not a practicing Hindu. In fact, he considers himself an atheist who follows the Hindu dharma — which he claims even precedes the Hindu religion. He reiterated his atheist side at the grand event of his upcoming film, Varanasi, in Hyderabad on Saturday evening.The filmmaker clarified at the event that thanks to a power glitch, parts of the Varanasi teaser, that his team was about to unveil at the event, got leaked online. He blamed a drone for capturing the teaser footage when it was being played at the venue before the event as part of a technical check.SS Rajamouli’s disappointment in what transpired was evident when he took to the stage during the event. “This is an emotional moment for me. I don’t believe in God. My dad came and said Lord Hanuman will take care of things from behind. Is this how he takes care – thinking of this, I am angry,” said Rajamouli in Telugu, audibly choking. “My wife is also fond of Lord Hanuman. She behaves as if he’s her friend and converses with him. I got angry at her as well,” he added.Rajamouli’s reiteration that he doesn’t believe in God has confused social media yet again. That’s because all his recent global blockbusters, from the Baahubali franchise to his most recent crossover hit, RRR in 2022, have striking visuals taken from Hindu mythology. There’s the parallel between Lord Shiva and Prabhas’ titular character in Baahubali. And then there’s the silhouette of Ram Charan as Lord Rama in the climactic action sequence of RRR. He confirmed at the event that even a key action sequence of Varanasi is inspired by the Ramayana, and that he got goosebumps watching the lead actor Mahesh Babu dressed up as Lord Rama on set.“Many people think Hinduism is a religion, it is in the present context. But before Hinduism the religion, there existed Hinduism the dharma. It is a way of life, it is a philosophy. If you take the religion, I am also not a Hindu, but if you take the dharma, I am very much a Hindu. What I am portraying in the film (RRR) is actually a way of life that has existed for many, many centuries and aeons,” Rajamouli had said at Beyond Fest in 2022.Also, in the same year, in an interview to New Yorker, he explained why he’s the odd one out in his family of believers. “I remember, as a young kid, I had doubts after reading stories about the Hindu gods. I used to think, this doesn’t seem real,” he said, adding, “Then I got caught up in my family’s religious fervour. I started reading religious texts, going on pilgrimages, wearing saffron cloth, and living like a sanyasi (ascetic) for a few years. Then I caught onto Christianity, thanks to some friends. I’d read the Bible, go to church, all kinds of stuff. Gradually, all these things somehow made me feel that religion is essentially a kind of exploitation.”Rajamouli revealed he “began moving away from religion” after his cousin and Telugu writer Gunnam Gangaraju introduced him to Russian-American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. “I read those novels (The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) and was greatly inspired by them. I didn’t understand a lot of her philosophy, but I understood the basics of it.”Story continues below this adAlso Read: ‘Atheist’ SS Rajamouli reveals he didn’t pray to God even as his wife ‘bled profusely’ after road accidentHowever, he also argued why he remains invested in the Indian mythological epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata despite moving away from religion. “I did start pushing away from those texts’ religious aspects, but what stayed with me was the complexity and the greatness of their drama and storytelling,” he said.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:SS Rajamouli