Oscars 2023 had a special RRR moment as singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava performed the Academy Award-nominated ‘Naatu Naatu.’
The rousing RRR anthem received a standing ovation and huge applause.
Deepika Padukone, who introduced the team at the 95th Academy Awards had to stop multiple times, as she was interrupted by cheers. Dressed in black, Deepika smiled at the interruptions and carried on. She called the song a global sensation and a banger as she spoke about how audiences across the world are dancing to the chartbuster.
‘Do you know Naatu, because if you dont, you are about to,’ she announced.
The song was originally shot at Ukraines Presidential Palace in Kyiv and the setting was recreated on the Oscars stage, as dancers, including Lauren Gottleib, performed the now-globally-recognized dance steps,
The song ended with the guests at Dolby Theatre on their feet and a beaming SS Rajamouli and the RRR team, including composer MM Keeravani, actors Ram Charan and NTR Jr.
The song went on to win Best Original Song, scripting history for an Indian production and continuing its awards run, having won a Golden Globe in the same category earlier.
The song has earned a massive popularity across the world. On YouTube, the song got over 124 million views and also became a viral sensation on social media.
Kartiki Gonsalves-directed short ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ also won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, making it a historic occasion for Indian filmmaking on the biggest stage for cinema in the world.
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ won 7 awards out of its 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis and Best Director awards for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, apart from other technical nods for Original Screenplay and Editing.
First-time nominee Brendan Fraser had a much-celebrated comeback, as he won Best Actor for ‘The Whale.’