02 July,2026 08:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic via Instagram
Acclaimed filmmaker SS Rajamouli has added yet another global honour to his growing list of achievements. The RRR and Baahubali director was honoured with the Julliat 2026 recognition during his visit to the Institut Lumière in Lyon, France, where screenings of Eega and RRR were also held to packed audiences.
Sharing glimpses from the special ceremony on Instagram, Rajamouli revealed that the visit turned into an emotional experience after Thierry Frémaux, director of both the Institut Lumière and the Cannes Film Festival, surprised him with the honour.
The filmmaker recalled being taken through the historic streets where cinema was born before arriving at the Mur des Cinéastes (Wall of Filmmakers), which features plaques dedicated to legendary filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino and Francis Ford Coppola.
Rajamouli wrote, "Visited the Lumière Museum and the screening room where Eega and RRR were screened to a full house in Lyon, France."
He further shared that he was overwhelmed when he noticed a plaque covered with a red cloth, only to discover that it carried his own name.
"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," he wrote, thanking the Institut Lumière for the recognition.
Rajamouli has steadily cemented his place among Indian cinema's most celebrated filmmakers with blockbusters such as Eega, the Baahubali franchise and RRR. His films have not only shattered box office records but have also earned worldwide acclaim.
Over the years, the director has received several prestigious honours, including the Padma Shri, four National Film Awards, a New York Film Critics Circle Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and two Saturn Awards.
His global success reached another milestone when 'Naatu Naatu' from RRR became the first song from an Indian film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 95th Oscars.
Meanwhile, Rajamouli's cinematic universe continues to expand. The teaser for the animated feature Baahubali: The Eternal War, directed by Ishan Shukla, has already been unveiled, with the first instalment scheduled to release in 2027.
