The energetic song “Naatu Naatu” from the movie “RRR” is already a global viral hit, the Oscar nomination is the icing on the cake. Two Indian films also have a chance of winning the trophy.
The dance scene to the song “Naatu Naatu” in the Indian hit film “RRR”
Two Indian men in western clothing are standing in front of a magnificent palace, surrounded by English ladies in sumptuous dresses and no less noble dressed gentlemen. The scene depicts a confrontation between English colonizers and their Indian subjects in early 20th century India.
“No salsa, no flamenco. Do you know Naatu?” the Indians ask as they start dancing, raising a lot of dust and breaking all conventions. The whole thing finally culminates in a real dance duel between Indians and English. The English women support the two rebels – to the dismay of their male compatriots ?wmode=transparent” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>
Giant worldwide success – also thanks to TikTok
“Naatu Naatu” means “dance, dance” in Telugu, a language spoken by more than 80 million people in southern India. The song of the same name comes from the movie “RRR”, the title of which stands for “Rise, Roar, Revolt”. It is a mix of action film and musical and tells the heavily fictionalized story of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, who rebelled against the British colonial rulers in the 1920s.
M.M. Keeravani recently won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Song and an award in the same category at the US-Canadian Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles. Then he made it onto the shortlist for this year's Oscars, – and on February 24, 2023, the hopes of many Indians were fulfilled: Naatu Naatu was among the last five nominees in the “Best Song” category. Recent awards and international recognition have added to the song's already tremendous success. TikTok users from all over the world dance the moves from “Naatu Naatu”.
What is this Special about “Naatu Naatu”?
The song has an intoxicating energy. Parvathaneni Rambabu, founder of the Indian PR firm Cinejosh, writes on his website that the powerful kicks and the dust raising make the dance so appealing, as does the fact that it is a metaphor for the victory over the colonial power England. Chris Willman describes “Naatu Naatu” in the film magazine “Variety” as “a dance sequence that is perceived worldwide as one of the most exciting film scenes of 2022”. The song is a “film music adrenaline rush”. His energy could possibly carry him away from the competition at the Oscars.
One aspect that makes “Naatu Naatu” and its worldwide success so special for Indians is that “RRR” is not a Bollywood production from Mumbai, i.e. a film in Hindi, but one produced in southern India , so-called “Tollywood” film in Telugu.
Most expensive Indian film production
Indian film “RRR” gains worldwide success for song “Naatu Naatu”
In addition, “RRR” with a budget of the equivalent of 62 million euros is the most expensive Indian film to date. The dance scene for “Naatu Naatu” alone cost 1.7 million euros. It was filmed in front of the baroque Marienpalast in Kyiv, the ceremonial residence of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, about six months before the start of the Russian war of aggression.
TM Natarajan, who was in charge of choosing the locations for the film 'RRR', told Indian news website The News Minute that they had to negotiate with Kyiv city officials, including Mayor Vitali Klitschko, to secure the obtain filming permission. The city of Kyiv, after hearing about the excellent reputation of director S.S. Rajamouli and it became clear that the film could be very successful.
What are the chances of winning the Oscars?
If popularity were the main criterion, then “Naatu Naatu” would definitely win an Oscar. At the Golden Globes, the song topped out works by established superstars like Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. So the hopes of being nominated for the Oscar final round are very high. Director S.S. Rajamouli is already very satisfied with his great success. He made his film for the audience and not for the critics. As of January 15, “RRR” had been in Netflix's top ten non-English language films for 16 weeks – longer than any other film. The film has grossed over $100 million since it opened in March 2022.
Scene from “The Light That Dreams Are Made Of” by Pan Nalin
Other Indian productions are hoping for an Oscar
Not only “Naatu Naatu” can hope for an Oscar – as best film song – also the short documentary “The Elephant Whisperer” by Kartiki Gonsalves was nominated. It's about an elderly couple who tend to abandoned elephant calves. Also in the final 5 was Shaunak Sen's “All That Breathes” as a contender for Best Documentary. It is about the work of two brothers in New Delhi who are rescuing black kites, a species of raptor. The film won the Jury Prize for Best International Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.
India's official entry in the International Film category, Nan Palin's coming-of-age story “The Light, “What Dreams Are From” was not nominated.
The Oscars will be presented on March 12th at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
This text was adapted from the English by Philipp Jedicke. It was updated on 1/24/23.