When ‘Naatu Naatu’ was released on YouTube in the November of 2021, its identity was that of an energetic dance number featuring two massive stars of Telugu cinema. It quickly went on to become a chartbuster, giving rise to lakhs of reels and fan-made creations in the months to follow. When Western moviegoers began discovering the song in mid-2022, the enthusiasm and jubilation transcended boundaries and cultures.
A couple of weeks back, when RRR was screened at the 932-seater TCL Chinese IMAX theatre in Los Angeles, clips of patrons dancing in groups. It is a common sight in India but the fact that the song instilled a never-before-seen enthusiasm among viewers hailing from a different sociocultural background seemed to indicate its innate joy and universal quality.
Although the adulation it garnered in the West came across as surprising initially, we all began to understand the hype and excitement surrounding the zestful MM Keeravani composition.
Its Oscar nomination, a first for an Indian song, was almost sealed in the weeks leading up to the Nomination day. It has already earned its place in the history of Indian cinema and it only remains to be seen how long the song will keep spreading joy and continue to make India and its filmmaking community proud.
Thaman s, Music composer
It’s a wonderful achievement. What the team has managed to do is brilliant. AR Rahman sir laid the path a couple of years back, and SS Rajamouli sir and MM Keeravani sir are taking it forward.
It’s an inspiration for the generations to come and this nomination will open many doors for many musicians like myself. It is very inspiring to be very honest. I mean, we rarely get such awards, right? They (foreign musicians) work on a single film in a year and manage to bag awards whereas we, Indian musicians, work on 6-7 movies, producing 40-45 songs every year but rarely receive such validation on a global level. This nomination is quite motivating.
Sai Madhav Burra, Dialogue writer of RRR
Awards mean a lot to artists. When our work is rewarded and validated, it motivates us to work harder. When we win an award, we try to aim for a bigger prize. In that sense, the fact that ‘Naatu Naatu’ got recognised by an award that every artist in the world aspires to win is a matter of pride for not just Telugu cinema, but for the entire Indian film fraternity.
I am finding it hard to articulate the happiness I am experiencing at the moment. The entire Indian film industry is indebted to MM Keeravani garu and Chandrabose garu. Honestly, none of us expected the film to go to the level of Oscars when we were making the film.
But seeing the intense reactions to the film and the song over the past couple of months ensured us that the song will secure a nomination. I firmly believed that Naatu Naatu will be nominated. The song’s global success shows the power of Telugu folk music. This is a fitting recognition of our Telugu folk music.