LOS ANGELES: RRR's Oscar-nominated dance number, Naatu Naatu, which was become the film's visiting card throughout its path-breaking run in the West, will be performed live at the awards ceremony. The official announcement about singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava performing the number live at the ceremony came through The Academy's Twitter account.
The song, composed by MM Keeravaani and penned by Chandrabose, won the Golden Globe awards earlier this year, becoming the first Asian song to achieve the feat and added another feather to its cap by fetching an Oscar nomination. The song, with over 120 million views on YouTube, has enjoyed tremendous popularity since its online premiere and became a sensation among foreign viewers. The song has sprawled countless reenactments of the dance steps, choreographed by Prem Rakshit and performed by lead actors NTR Jr and Ram Charan in the film, which have attained an iconic status by now.
Just days ago, the Korean Embassy in India shared a video of Korean Ambassador Chang Jae-bok and the embassy staff grooving to the beats of the song. Responding to the video, Ram Charan tweeted, "Jjang! Coolest dance moves ever. Thank you for all the love towards Naatu Naatu."
Naatu Naatu will be competing with '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 in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars, set to be presented on March 12 at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)