Renowned filmmaker SS Rajamouli recently made cinematic history by becoming the first person in India to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment of James Cameron’s globally celebrated Avatar franchise, ahead of its Indian theatrical release on December 19. The exclusive screening was followed by an engaging and candid conversation between the two visionary directors, bound by a shared passion for epic storytelling and large-scale theatrical experiences.

James Cameron joined the interaction via video link from New Zealand and thanked Rajamouli for taking time out of his demanding shooting schedule. Acknowledging Rajamouli’s ongoing work on Varanasi, Cameron said he hoped to continue such creative exchanges in the future. “When your next film is ready, I’d love to reciprocate and have a dialogue. We need more conversations like this between filmmakers,” Cameron remarked.

Expressing his gratitude, Rajamouli described the experience as deeply special. “Among 1.45 billion Indians, you made me the first to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash,” he said, adding that the film made him feel “like a child in a theatre.” He also fondly recalled how the original Avatar enjoyed an extraordinary theatrical run of nearly a year in IMAX cinemas in Hyderabad.

Cameron, who has previously praised RRR, expressed his admiration for Rajamouli’s filmmaking and shared his desire to visit one of his film sets in India. “May I come to your set sometime and watch you create your magic?” he asked. Rajamouli warmly welcomed the idea, saying the entire Indian film industry would be thrilled by such a visit. Cameron, in a lighter moment, joked that he would love to drop by when Rajamouli is filming “something fun… maybe with tigers,” referencing an iconic sequence from RRR.

The conversation also touched upon the universal challenges filmmakers face, including pre-release anxiety and the ongoing effort to draw audiences back to theatres in a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape.

Produced by 20th Century Studios, Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to release in India in six languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada—continuing the franchise’s tradition of wide-reaching global appeal.