India has woken up this morning delirious with joy as news came in of not one but two wins at the 95th Academy Awards, Oscars 2023.
Musicians MM Keeravani and Chandrabose won the Oscar for Best Original Song (Naatu Naatu from legendary director SS Rajamouli’s film RRR), and Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga brought home the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film.
Father-son duo share Oscar glory
The song Naatu Naatu found two mentions at the glittering Academy Awards ceremony at Los Angeles, first as it was presented live on stage at Dolby Auditorium by popular singer Kaala Bhairava, and then as Kaala Bhairava’s father and musician extraordinaire MM Keeravani ascended the stage to receive the prized gong.
“Naatu Naatu” from #RRR wins Best Original Song at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ndiKiHfmID pic.twitter.com/d7ZSoRps2d
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
It was an unusual acceptance speech that got him several rounds of applause.
MM Keeravani is a man of few words, but he has mastered the art of bringing the house down across his many public appearances in America.
Naatu Naatu by singers Rahul Sipligunj has already won a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award this year, and hopes were high for an Academy Award. It has been such a runaway hit, that it is no surprise at all that it has won.
Naatu Naatu has made history as India’s first entertainment win at the Oscars. Leaving behind names such as Lady Gaga, Diane Warren and Rihanna, it was pitted against songs such as ‘Applause’ from Tell It Like a Woman, ‘Hold My Hand’ from Top Gun: Maverick, ‘Lift Me Up’ from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and ‘This Is a Life’ from Everything Everywhere All at Once.
PM Narendra Modi was one of the first to offer his congratulations. “Exceptional! The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come. Congratulations to @mmkeeravani and @boselyricist and the entire team for this prestigious honour. India is elated and proud,” he tweeted.
NTR Jr, who starred in the song and the film with actor Ram Charan, is also attending the Awards event at Los Angeles. He reacted happily to the RRR feat at the Oscars.
“I cannot find the words to express my elation right now,” he said. “This is not just a win for RRR but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning, showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love.”
Ram Charan on #RRR winning an Oscar: “It felt like it happened for India.” https://t.co/ujNG9eMzvb pic.twitter.com/Qa5pfwEEyF
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
Tollywood megastar and actor Ram Charan’s father, Chiranjeevi was also quick to react to the historic moment.
He tweeted, “#Oscarsa would have still been a dream for India but for One Man’s vision, courage & conviction @ssrajamouli ! A Billion Hearts filled with Pride & Gratitude ! Kudos to every member of the Brilliant Team of @RRRMovie”.
The song became one of India’s all-time hits almost as soon it was released. It had not only citizens but others as well shaking a leg (such as the Korean ambassador to Indi and his entire staff, in a viral video only weeks ago).
In an interview to Variety magazine, Keeravani had said: “The Naatu Naatu song has to make you forget everything –and not just the viewer who is watching the movie, but the characters from the story, too, need to forget every other thing happening around them and pay their full attention towards the song. And the coda, the end part of the song, consists of so much stamina, you cannot call it merely a song – it is an action sequence.”
Well, the song did make the star-studded audience at the 95th Academy Awards everything else for a moment, and just surrender to the high-octane energy of the anthem that ‘RRR’ has gifted to the world.
READ ALSO: RRR’s Naatu Naatu in Golden Globes win
