James Cameron to Rajamouli: ‘Give Me a Camera’

James Cameron, who is preparing for the release of the latest Avatar movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, recently had a virtual interaction with director SS Rajamouli as part of the film’s promotional activities in India. During the interaction, Cameron clearly admired Rajamouli’s work and spoke about his curiosity to visit the sets of Varanasi starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra. The producer didn’t stop with the praise; He went one step further and offered to shoot scenes for the film.

Thanking Rajamouli for promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash despite his busy schedule, Cameron said, “I know you are very busy in Varanasi right now. If I can reciprocate when your new movie is released, please keep me in mind. I love dialogue with other filmmakers. I think we need more of that.”

He then extended an open invitation, adding, “I’d love to come to your set. Can I come watch you create your magic sometime? I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. You’ve been shooting for a while, right? You’ve got plenty of time. Let me know when you do something fun — maybe something with tigers.”

Before signing, Cameron doubled the offer. “I’ll keep you. I’ll come to your set. You can give me a camera – I like to run it. I can do a few shots for you, maybe a second crew.”

When the director of Avatar offers to step behind the camera for an Indian blockbuster, it’s more than a compliment; one of the rare headline-grabbing moments of global filmmaking camaraderie.