As someone who loved RRR, I kept praying for its nominations at the Academy Awards 2023. I just knew it was going to be there. And when I finally discovered it has been nominated for best original song, I felt so happy I can't describe it in words. RRR, our RRR, finally went on to score a nomination for the best original song, becoming the first Indian film to do so. Could it get any better than this?
I was quick to share this news on my social media. I was initially afraid the film might get completely snubbed, but no sir, that was not destined to happen. The film making it to the Oscars is a very proud moment for all of us Indians. The song Naatu Naatu, which has been nominated, is one of the best sequences in the film and the amount of love it has received alone shows not all songs in movies are fillers added for elongating the duration; some songs do serve a purpose to the plot, and if the dance choreography is spot on, nothing can stop them from becoming memorable. Naatu Naatu is a vivid example of this.
Although we're still far away from the win, this nomination alone marks a big success for the film. It sends the message for all Indian film industries that originality wins in the long run. It's very refreshing to see an Indian song win so much acclaim and accolades in an era of remixes. Bollywood, especially, should take notes. Just taking old songs and rehashing them in the modern style is not going to work forever. Hence, to see an Indian song releasing in that same era and earning so much acclaim is nothing short of satisfying. This nomination is a win in itself, and a success that means a lot for the Indian cinema as a whole. Not only will it encourage makers to come up with more original songs rooted in the Indian soil, it will also boost the reach of Indian music worldwide.
Plus, RRR now officially will have the Oscar tag forever. I wish other aspects of the film were also recognized by the Academy, but even recognizing a song is enough to make my day. With this, I leave you with the song (in its original language) in case you haven't watched it yet. Even if you did, I'm sure it wasn't your first time! Enjoy.
