M M Keeravaani and Chandrabose, writers of RRR's Naatu Naatu, on making Oscars history

The viral tune is the first from an Indian-made film to be nominated at the Academy Awards

Lyricist Chandrabose, left, and composer M M Keeravaani could soon win an Oscar for Naatu Naatu. AP

One of the biggest cinematic success stories of 2022 was RRR.

Written and directed by S S Rajamouli, the action epic is a fictional retelling of Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem's (N T Rama Rao Jr) friendship and battle against the British Raj. At more than three hours long, RRR was reportedly the most expensive Indian film in history, coming in at a cost of around $67 million (5.5 billion rupees).

But it has more than repaid this sum, breaking several box-office records for an Indian film. Spurred on by the universal acclaim it has received from critics, RRR has so far made around $160 million (12 billion rupees) worldwide, as audiences have flocked to see Rajamouli’s bombastic storytelling and the film’s mesmerising mix of action, adventure, melodrama, costume drama and music.

Viewers have been entranced by RRR to such an extent that audiences have become raucous with excitement during key sequences, while they’ve also broken out in song and dance at other points.

This is especially true of the gargantuan dance-off partway through RRR. This scene sees Raj and Bheem on the cusp of being ejected from a British lawn party, only for the pair to out-dance their adversaries, all to the song Naatu Naatu. Anyone who has heard it will have had the insanely catchy melody and lyrics caught in their heads for days, weeks and maybe even months after seeing the film.

Naatu Naatu’s songwriter M M Keeravaani and lyricist Chandrabose have already been widely rewarded for their work. Over the last two months, the duo have picked up the Critics Choice Awards, Hollywood Critics Association, Houston Film Critics Society and Golden Globe Awards for the song. They’ve also been nominated for Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday.

It's the first time in history a song from an Indian-made film has been nominated in that category.

“To get appreciation in your homeland is very natural and good,” Keeravaani tells The National. “But when you get it outside your territory, that's something great. Hollywood is known for its quality and richness. It’s been a pioneer in many aspects of technology and storytelling. So this is a very big opportunity for us to get global attention for Indian music and culture.”

Keeravaani is hopeful that this is just the beginning when it comes to Hollywood recognising movies and music from Indian and Telugu cinema.

“I feel India has got so many stories to tell. It is very rich in culture. Hopefully, it will be the beginning of world audiences looking into Indian music, culture, literature and stories. There are many Indian writers whose work needs to be translated into different languages so the world knows our stories.”

Chandrabose is delighted to see audiences from across the world being “carried away by the stamina” of Naatu Naatu.

“Even the western audience, who was not very well versed with the language, got a euphoria from the song that they also join in and dance around with the other audience members. That was wonderful to witness. That was mind-blowing," he says.

Another key reason for Naatu Naatu’s popularity is the role that it plays in RRR. For Keeravaani, the sequence is about helping to teach somebody a lesson in the right way, even after they’ve offended you.

“If the other person is rude, you don’t need to be rude. Mahatma Gandhi said once: ‘An eye for an eye makes the world blind.’ Vengeance doesn’t need to be violent. But to safeguard your dignity, you need the right spirit of fighting back. All of these elements are packaged into the song.”

That’s exactly what Rajamouli told Chandrabose when he approached him about writing the lyrics.

“He told me, ‘Don't be disrespectful to others. Don't degrade others. Don't criticise others.’ In the song, you can talk about your abilities and your energies.”

Chandrabose was so inspired by his initial meeting with Rajamouli that he came up with four lines of the song while he was driving home. “I recorded it on my cell phone. The next day I finished 90 per cent of the song in 45 minutes,” he adds.

Keeravaani also had the same discussion with Rajamouli. He wanted the characters to use the music and their dance moves as weapons to fight back against the British villains trying to kick them out of the party.

“They needed to retaliate and fight back with the song," Keeravaani says. "So it needed to showcase their own identity, stamina, energy, and celebrate their ethnicity, culture, motherland and themselves.”

But while Chandrabose and Keeravaani were able to write 90 per cent of the song within the first day, it took them another year to finish it. That also included filming the Naatu Naatu dance sequence, as Rajamouli needed 30 days to just rehearse the number, and then another 30 to film it.

The results have been more than worth it, though. While we still don’t know if Keeravaani and Chandrabose will walk away with the Oscar for Best Music (Original Song), it has already been confirmed that Naatu Naatu will be performed during the ceremony. This will only help to increase the amount of spontaneous dancing at the Oscars, while also spreading Indian culture even further.