“Naatu Naatu” creates history by winning an Oscar. If anyone thinks that catchy beats or an addictive hook or lyrics can make a song a global phenomenon then there could be a possibility. However, beyond any debate “Naatu Naatu” has got it all.
It is a Telugu song, and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava are the singers. Naatu Naatu released in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. This song crossed geographical boundaries for its multi-lingual presence. So far, the original version(Telugu) of the song has 144 million views on YouTube. The Hindi version “Naacho Naacho” has 313 million views on YouTube. This song wins a Golden Globes in the Original song category which happens the first time for any Asian-Indian song. PM Narendra Modi congratulates their team for this huge success. This song competed with 14 other songs, but finally, Oscar nominators nominates this song.
“Naatu Naatu” gets an extraordinary public response in The southern parts of India. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka have witnessed maximum streaming. This song becomes the most successful song in its genre for the decade. Lahari Music’s digital head Naveen K. Manoharan says “There have been more than 875+ million streams on all music platforms and YouTube.” He also added, “There’s been a massive response outside India with about 140+ Million streams.”
MM. Keeravani aka MM Kreem composed “Naatu Naatu” with Chandrabose’s lyrics. In a discussion, he said this song was made with the 6/8 beat in the song, which is a rare occurrence in the Western world. Maybe, for this reason, captured the attention for its uniqueness.
Singer Sipligunj started his career with independent music and started associated with Keeravani for more than a decade now. He said, “It’s been a blessing. ‘Naatu Naatu’ altogether is on another level. Grateful to sir for trusting and making me sing in all four languages,”. NTR Jr and Ram Charan added an energetic and enthusiastic dance sequence, that helps to score major points the in the Oscar. More than that with the help of social media like Tik Tok and Instagram Reels helps significantly to get more popularity.
Choreographer Prem Rakshith had to try over 115 variations of the hook steps before finalising the one that made the cut. “It’s a challenge to choreograph two stars. Each superstar has his own style. For ‘Naatu Naatu’, it was difficult to take two styles and put them in one,” he told AajTak. The magic creates after taking more than 40 retakes to shoot the song in 23 days.
Journey of Naatu Naatu in 2023 Oscar:
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ s shortlists and announced across 10 categories in December based on members’ votes. All members are invited who satisfy a minimum viewing requirement from all territories to participate in the preliminary round of voting. Resul Pookutty, who took home an Oscar for his work on ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ said, “Getting shortlisted itself is a great thing and a nomination is as good as a win!”
‘Jai Ho’ track singer Mahalaxmi Iyer, which won the Oscar in 2008 said, “To make it to the Oscars a song should have a great melody which touches a chord. There should be combinations of notes of Indian scales, ragas or rhythm patterns or the uniqueness of Indian instruments and their sounds. The public response also does count.”
Industry connotation:
Faridoon Shahriyar, a well-known film journalist says “‘Naatu-Naatu’ getting this recognition is richly deserved.” “A lot of credit goes to SS Rajamouli for believing in the music and film.” This award gives international success that holds much significance for the entertainment industry. It helps standing out as a departure from the West’s conventional appreciation of Indian cinema. This non-Bollywood films claim a nationwide presence domestically. “It’s a very big moment right now for Indian cinema,” said Faridoon. “MM Keeravani has given an outstanding song and we have a very good chance at the Oscars.”
“Music in itself is speaking a more cohesive language where ideas and possibilities are now limitless,” added ‘Jai Ho’’s singer Iyer. “The audience is gaining and enjoying newer sounds and styles.” Singer-composer Arko Pravo Mukherjee said “As global attention falls on films, music and arts from a region in general, it lifts the people into the limelight and attracts not just awards and recognition, but also an opportunity for new endeavours and collaboration,”
Singer-songwriter Rimi Nique added, “As the world is becoming more global and intertwined, Indian songs finally have the chance to grace the ears of those who make decisions for what’s the ‘best song’ for these prestigious titles.”
Big Numbers at Box Office:
‘RRR’ made with Rs 550 cr is India’s biggest budget film till now. It earned more than Rs 1,200 cr at the box office.
This movie gets big success on the big screen, it receives an extraordinary response on OTT platforms. This movie launched on Zee5 in Telugu language and then Netflix in Hindi and English language. But Disney+ Hotstar is the latest to stream in Telugu again. The film earned a massive amount, with Zee5 alone paying Rs 325 cr for streaming rights in all South languages. Rajamouli released this film in five languages, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. And after this huge success, it is decided to make the film available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese.
Before signing off Lahari Music’s Manoharan said, “It’s very important that we get tracks that appeal to all sections of music lovers and this universal appeal is what we look for while acquiring content from a music labels point of view.”
