Throwback to when Naatu Naatu shook the Oscars and left Hollywood starstruck!
The 95th Academy Awards gave us an unforgettable moment in history when Naatu Naatu from RRR bagged the Best Original Song award, making it the first-ever Indian production to win in this category. The electrifying beats, the foot-thumping choreography, and the sheer cultural pride of this Telugu track outshined Hollywood giants like Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
Oscars? More like the Naatu Naatu takeover! The 95th Academy Awards in 2023 witnessed a moment that no one, yes, not even the Hollywood biggies, saw coming. Naatu Naatu, the infectious dance anthem from S.S. Rajamouli¡¯s blockbuster RRR, waltzed its way past industry heavyweights and made history as the first song from an Indian production to bag the Oscar for Best Original Song. And let¡¯s be real, no one was prepared for the cultural reset that followed!
A historic and proud moment for India.
¡ª Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) March 13, 2023
Heartiest Congratulations to the entire team of #RRRMovie as #NaatuNaatu wins the Oscar for the Best Original Song.@RRRMovie pic.twitter.com/BwfchOFIin
While we gear up for the 97th Academy Awards, let¡¯s take a moment to revisit the sheer madness, the electrifying stage, and the unbeatable energy that made Naatu Naatu the ultimate Oscar banger.
The underdog that outdanced the big guns
Competing against the likes of Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Tell It Like a Woman, Naatu Naatu had some serious contenders. But what made it unbeatable? Its raw, unfiltered, desi energy. Composer M.M. Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose crafted a song that wasn¡¯t just a beat, it was an emotion, a revolution, a swag statement that hit harder than any Hollywood-produced soundtrack.
At the ceremony, the song was performed live, complete with its viral high-energy choreography and iconic suspender-snapping moves. Hollywood elites couldn¡¯t help but groove, and social media? Exploded.
#NaatuNaatu wins the #Oscar for best Original Song .#SSRajamouli & team has done it
¡ª Arun Yadav ?? (@BeingArun28) March 13, 2023
Indian South Cinema on the Rise ? !!
Congratulations India ??#RRRMovie | #AcademyAwards | pic.twitter.com/wxk9ATwqPd
What¡¯s in a name? Everything!
Unlike its competitors, Naatu Naatu wasn¡¯t just about fancy beats or star power, it was a cultural manifesto. As Keeravani once explained, the term Naatu stands for something deeply rooted in one¡¯s own identity, raw, ethnic, and unapologetically local. And that¡¯s precisely what this track embodied: the real sound of India.
Shot in front of Ukraine¡¯s Mariinsky Palace (pre-invasion), the song became a massive pop culture moment. From dance reels to wedding performances, Naatu Naatu fever spread faster than a trending TikTok challenge!
Bollywood, take notes!
India has bagged ten Oscars in total, but Naatu Naatu set a new precedent, it proved that Indian cinema can make global audiences feel the music, not just hear it. The historic win has already influenced future Indian entries at the Academy Awards, setting expectations sky-high for upcoming years.
As we count down to the 97th Oscars, one thing¡¯s for sure, Naatu Naatu didn¡¯t just win an award; it won an era!
Listen to Naatu Naatu (original) here:
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