Los Angeles: There's no stopping 'RRR' success. The Oscar-nominated song 'Naatu Naatu' from S.S. Rajamouli's RRR will be performed at the 95th Academy Awards by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava in their Oscar debut.
The cross-cultural hit is nominated in the original song category alongside "This Is A Life" from "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "Applause" from "Tell It Like a Woman," and "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," all of which are part of the scheduled performances for the 95th annual ceremony, Variety reported. The song's music is composed by M.M. Keeravaani, while its lyrics are written by Chandrabose.
David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu and Son Lux will also take the stage at the Oscars to perform "This Is a Life," the Oscar-nominated song from Everything Everywhere All at Once, as will Rihanna, who will sing the Oscar-nominated song "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Before entering the Oscars, the song bagged awards on the global stage. In January, 'Naatu Naatu' won the Golden Globes in the 'Best Original Song' category. Five days later, 'RRR' bagged two more awards at the 28th edition of the Critics Choice Awards. One is for the best song and another is for 'best foreign language film.' Since then, 'RRR' and 'Naatu Naatu' are riding high on the global chart.
'Naatu Naatu' was shot as a part of the final leg of the shooting. Filming for it took place at the Mariinskyi Palace (Ukraine Presidential Palace) in Kyiv, a few months before the onset of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
The song was also released in Hindi as 'Naacho Naacho', in Tamil as 'Naattu Koothu', in Kannada as 'Halli Naatu' and in Malayalam as 'Karinthol'. Its Hindi version was sung by Rahul Sipligunj and Vishal Mishra.
What makes the song appeal to the masses is its universal appeal through a joyous vibe and a hook of a dance step that's a rage. Also, the culture of the country is reflected in the lyrics with every line evoking sentiments about the food and the flora and fauna of the nation.
The hook step, performed by Jr NTR and Ram Charan, went viral on social media and the duo often recreated the viral portion of the dance in the film's promotions.
The 95th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be broadcast live on March 13 in India.