‘Naatu Naatu’ (Dance Dance) made history when it won a first-ever Golden Globe award for Indian regional cinema in the Best Original Song category ahead of such global superstars as Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
Also nominated for an Oscar later this year, ‘Naatu Naatu’ could be in for a rare double.
The song is from the superhit Telegu movie ‘RRR’, which has become the third most successful movie made in India with global collections of over $175 million. Release simultaneously in 12 languages in March last year, it has been dubbed in over 50 languages since then. Made at a cost of $72 million, it also happens to be the costliest movie ever produced in the country.
Sung by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, it has become a viral sensation. Because of its energetic dance sequence featuring the two heroes (NT Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan), it has already been watched more than 111 million times on YouTube. The Hindi version of the song ‘Naacho Naacho’ has more than 217 million views. There have been countless TikToks and Reels made on it.
‘RRR’ missed a double on the Golden Globe night. It was also nominated for the Best non-English-Language Picture, but lost out to ‘Argentina, 1985’. SS Rajamouli is the director and writer of the movie.
The 80th edition of the ceremony took place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. It was hosted by Jerrod Carmichael, an American comedian, writer and filmmaker.
The award was picked up by MM Keeravani, the song’s composer and songwriter, who said backstage: “I feel amused, thrilled, excited. I feel I am very grateful to the universe.
“It’s a song of celebration. We all wanted to showcase lots of stamina and energy in the song.”
The movie has become a rage in various overseas market, and has taken the US by storm lately, fueled by social media content.
Variety reported that RRR had one of the most raucous screenings at the famous Chinese Theatre on Monday, where tickets were sold out within 90 seconds. Popular Hollywood director JJ Abrams introduced the movie to the full-house crowd that danced and screamed throughout the three-hour-long extravaganza.
In his introduction at the Chinese Theater, Abrams called ‘RRR’ “a film I love and a filmmaker I so admire… I love its exuberance. I love its friendship. I love its heart. I love what it says about fighting for what’s right. I love the music. I love the insanity. The fever-dream madness of this movie is more fun than you’ll have in a theater – (more) than I can imagine having in any other film.”
In an interview at the Golden Globe red carpet, Rama Rao Jr said: “Oh my God! It just blew my mind. The reaction was like nothing less than the reaction back home in theaters. People were yelling and shouting. I just loved it.
“Just the people accepting RRR here is the US is a very big award in itself.”
The movie, set in the 1920s, is about fictional friendship of two real-life Indian revolutionaries and the paths they take to fight against the British Raj.
India has previously won a Best Original Score when musician AR Rahman’s ‘Jai Ho’ won for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. In 1957, V Shantaram’s Do Aankhen Barah Haath won the Best Non-English Language Film. The song and the film were in India’s national language, Hindi.
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