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The verdict is out. The hugely popular song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from RRR has created history by winning the prestigious Academy Award, popularly known as the Oscars, for the best original song. The award went to music composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose. This is the first Oscar win for a song from a Telugu film, and the second Oscar ever to be bagged by an Indian music composer, after AR Rahman and Gulzar won it for ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. ‘Naatu Naatu’ had been a frontrunner in the best original song category at Oscars 2023, having already won the Golden Globe for ‘best original song - motion picture’.
Accepting the award, music composer MM Keeravani said, “I grew up listening to the Carpenters. And now, here I am, with the Oscars”. He went on to hum a line from ‘Top of the World’ by Carpenters, with the words changed to mention director Rajamouli and RRR. "There was only one wish on my mind. So was Rajamouli's and my family's. RRR has to win, pride of every Indian, and must put me on the top of the world," Keeravani sang. He thanked The Academy, Rajamouli’s son and line producer of RRR SS Karthikeya, and the film’s distributor in the United States Variance Films. "Love you all, thank you," Keeravani concluded, while Chandrabose said "Namaste."
So far, ‘Naatu Naatu’ has won a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, and a Hollywood Critics Association Film Award.
The 95th Academy Awards ceremony was held on Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The other four nominees in the best original song category are ‘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.
Before the winner was announced, the best original song nominees were performed live on the 95th Academy Awards stage. ‘Naatu Naatu’ was performed by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, who sang both the Telugu and Kannada film versions. The Oscars were hosted by American TV personality Jimmy Kimmel this year, with actors from across the world — including Deepika Padukone — presenting awards in the 23 categories.
‘Naatu Naatu’ was composed by MM Keeravaani, written by lyricist Chandrabose, and choreographed by Prem Rakshith. Featuring the film’s lead actors Ram Charan and Junior NTR in suspenders, the song involves a dance-off at a party, and was shot at Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s official residence, known as Mariinskyi Palace. The word ‘naatu’ roughly translates to raw and rustic. Lyricist Chandrabose has talked in an interview about writing the song based on his childhood memories of his life and parents. Choreographer Prem Rakshith has said that he came up with more than 118 hook steps for ‘Naatu Naatu’.
In 2009, ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire became the first song by Indian artists to win the Oscar for best original song. For the same film, Resul Pookutty won the Academy Award for best sound mixing, while AR Rahman also won best original score. Before that in 1992, filmmaker Satyajit Ray was presented with the Academy Honorary Award. Ten years prior to that in 1982, Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian artist to win an Oscar, in the best costume design category, for Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.
In 2019, Period. End of Sentence, a film set in India that talks about the taboos around menstruation, won the Oscar for best documentary short film. Backed by Indian producer Guneet Monga, the documentary was directed by award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi. This year, another' film co-produced by Guneet Monga – The Elephant Whisperers directed by Kartiki Gonsalves – won the best documentary short award. Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes, a film about two brothers in Delhi who care for injured black kites, was nominated for best documentary feature but lost to Navalny.