India’s day of glory:'Naatu Naatu', 'The Elephant Whisperers' script history on Oscar stage

PTI, NEW DELHI, MARCH 13, 2023: "Naatu Naatu", the irrepressible, fun number from the film "RRR", and documentary short "The Elephant Whisperers" made Oscar history for India on Monday with one Academy Award each, the two wins showcasing cinema beyond Bollywood and the growing might of the Indian non-feature segment. This is the first time two India-made productions have bagged the cinema world's biggest prize. 

Dancers took over the stage at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre, recreating the hugely popular hook steps from the four-minute Telugu track, and actor Deepika Padukone introduced the song to loud cheers. It was not just a night for India. 

The 95th Academy Awards will also be remembered for recognising Asian talent with "Everything Everywhere All at Once" bagging seven awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, Best Actress for Malaysia's Michelle Yeoh and Best Supporting Actor for Vietnamese American Ke Huy Quan. 

"All That Breathes",Shaunak Sen's climate change documentary set in Delhi, lost out to Canada's "Navalny" on Russian dissident leader Alexei Navalny in the Documentary Feature category. 

The win for "Naatu Naatu", "Naacho Naacho" in Hindi, composed by M M Keeravaani and penned by Chandra bose in S S Rajamouli's blockbuster film, is the fourth non-English song to win an Oscar in the category and the first song in foreign language since "Jai Ho" in 2009 to bag the prize. 

 "The Elephant Whisperers", by Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga, which explores the bond between humans and an abandoned elephant calf in a Tamil Nadu sanctuary, is India's first win in the Documentary Short category. 

 "Smile Pinki" and" Period. End of Sentence", both set in India, had also won in the same category but they were foreign productions. Gonsalves dedicated her win to motherland India'. Her producer Monga did not speak but struck an exultant pose, lifting the coveted golden statuette high in the air. "... To all the women watching. 

The future is audacious and the future is here. Let's go! Jai hind, "Monga wrote in an Instagram post moments later. The trophy for Original Song was presented to Keeravaani and Chandra bose by "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" co-stars Janelle Monae and Kate Hudson. "Naatu Naatu" was competing against "Applause"(sung by Sofia Carson) from "Tell It Like a Woman", "Hold My Hand"(Lady Gaga) from "Top Gun: Maverick", "Lift Me Up" (Rihanna)from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "This Is a Life" (SonLux, Mitski, David Byrne) from "Everything Everywhere All at Once". 

 An overwhelmed Keeravaani broke into song to describe his feeling. "I grew up listening to The Carpenters and now here I am with the Oscars. There was only one wish on my mind, so was Rajamouli's and our families' -- 'RRR' has to win Pride of every Indian must put me on the top of the world," Keeravani said in tune to The Carpenters' much loved 1970ssong "Top of the World".Chandrabose simply signed off with a "Namaste". 

As is the custom, all five nominees get their Oscar moment by performing the song on stage."Naatu Naatu", which translates into bucolic in Telugu, has had everyone swaying to its catchy rhythm this entire award season. When its turn came, Padukone found herself pausing at least thrice to let the cheers subside. 

 "Do you know Naatu Naatu'? Because, if not, you are about to," she said. And the dancers from different ethnicities took over, kicking their legs, tap dancing and moving in perfect sync against the backdrop of Ukraine's presidential palace where the song was shot in the film. On stage were singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava. Onceover, the audience, including the who's who of Hollywood and world cinema, gave them a standing ovation.