RRR
Oscars called out for casting non-South Asian dancers in ‘Naatu Naatu’ live performance
The live performance of the high energy “Naatu Naatu”, from the Indian blockbuster “RRR”, received a standing ovation at the Oscars. The song, that went viral worldwide, is the first song from an Indian film to win an Oscar.
Despite all the positivity surrounding the song, the live performance at the award show has been called out as many netizens pointed out that “none of the dancers were of Indian descent”.
International media have identified the two men who danced the key roles — played in the film by South Indian actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR — as Billy Mustapha and Jason Glover, who are Canadian and American, respectively, reports NDTV.
Several netizens have openly criticized this, stating that using non-South Asian dancers weakens the song's anti-colonial message in the film, set in pre-independence India.
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Bollywood star Deepika Padukone introduced the thrilling performance of “Naatu Naatu” at the Oscars, which was sung live by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, the singers behind the now worldwide popular number.
The authenticity ended there, said many, as none of the dancers appeared to be South Asian, yet were misidentified as such.
Although Indian audiences enthusiastically enjoyed the performance, which was undeniably exciting and a highlight of the Oscars event, the South Asian community in the United States protested the lack of representation.
"The Oscars Naatu Naatu performance was meant to have been a tremendous celebration of pride for all of us, and yet we were left feeling empty-handed and rejected," US-based dancer Joya Nandy Kazi wrote on Instagram.
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“Two brown passing guys sang a song about colonialism with lyrics that said no dance is as wonderful as a villager's dance. They were fantastic, but why weren't two skilled dancers from our own community selected as leads with a mostly South Asian ensemble?” — Joya asked.
“The colonists are the butt of the joke of this song, and trying to replicate the movie scenario even with a bunch of men who should represent the natives as anything other than South Asian leaves me balancing between being stunned and smiling at the absurdity. We need to do better," she said.
Shivani Reddy, a Telugu-American film critic, told CBS News, “It just felt very exclusionary that the one race they didn't include was the one that was supposed to be represented because of the film and where it's from…It's unfortunate because there are so many South Asian dancers that I know that are in the industry trying to get into those spaces that just don't get afforded those opportunities. And for the one time that we maybe could have gotten access, we were denied.”
Raj Kapoor, Oscars producer, said in an interview that the initial intention was for lead actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR to dance to “Naatu Naatu”, overseen by “RRR” choreographer Prem Rakshith.
Read More: First Indian film song to win Oscar: ‘Natu Natu’ from ‘RRR’ makes history
“In late February, we were informed that Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao Jr would be attending the Oscars, but they did not feel comfortable performing the live number on stage. The change was brought on because of their other professional commitments and the limited amount of time to rehearse,” Kapoor stated.
“Naatu Naatu”, from SS Rajamouli's mega hit “RRR”, won the Oscar for Best Original Song, beating out Lady Gaga's “Hold My Hand” and Rihanna's “Raise Me Up”, among others.
1 year ago
2022 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies
Though unveiling new surprises in the new year has started, there is a shadow of 2022 inside everything. Film festivals are echoing the buzz of South Indian movies of yesteryear. After the pandemic, a bunch of cinemas was released in the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries. However, not all movies got the same success. Let's take a look at the IMDB’s list of the highest-grossing South Indian movies in 2022.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies in 2022
KGF Chapter 2 ~ USD 160 million worldwide
This sequel to the 2018 hit film K.G.F: Chapter 1 was directed and written by Prashant Neel. After establishing himself as the king of the Kolar Gold Fields, the killer Rocky must now deal with adversaries and government officials. Moreover, another bigger challenge before him is his own past.
Produced by Hombale Films, the Kannada film starred Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Prakash Raj, and Archana Jois. The period action film released on 14 April 2022 grossed USD 124 million domestically. It currently has an IMDb rating of 8.3.
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RRR ~ USD 150 million worldwide
Directed by SS Rajamouli, this Telugu film is currently the jewel of the Indian film industry. Because it won the Best Song award at this year's Golden Globes. The DVV Entertainment production was co-written by Rajamouli himself along with V Vijayendra Prasad.
The main story is set in the 1920s, depicting the friendship of two Indian revolutionaries, Raju and Bhima, and their deadly struggle against the British Empire. N T Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan were in the lead roles. And they were accompanied by Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Sharan, and Samuthirakani.
Released on 25 March 2022, the film grossed USD 117 million in India alone. This blockbuster has a current rating of 7.9 on IMDb.
Read More: Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023
Vikram ~ USD 69 million worldwide
It was a Tamil film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, produced and starring Kamal Haasan. The script of the action thriller was written by Rathna Kumar and Lokesh. This second installment of the Lokesh cinematic universe after Kaithi (2019) released on 3 June 2022.
Apart from Kamal, the film also starred Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Kalidas Jayaram. The film grossed over USD 16.9 million from the Indian subcontinent. The film's current IMDb rating stands at 8.4.
Ponniyin Selvan 1 ~ USD 63 million worldwide
This epic adventure Tamil film was directed by Mani Ratnam. The movie's writing team consisted of Elango Kumaravel, B Jayamohan, and Ratnam himself. Its story was adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel Ponnayan Selvan. Produced by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, this historical action film released on 30 September 2022.
Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
The film's large ensemble cast includes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Karthi, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Shovita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lakshmi, R Sarathkumar, and Prakash Raj. The story of the film revolves around the early life of Arulmoji Varman, the famous emperor Chola prince from 947-1014 AD.
The film became the first Tamil movie to gross more than USD 69 million from all over India. The current IMDb rating of the movie is marked at 7.8.
Kantara ~ USD 56 million worldwide
This action thriller film was produced by Hombale Films of the Kannada cinema industry. The film will show the conflict between a Kambala champion and an upright forest official Murali. The movie was written and directed by Rishabh Shetty who also played the lead role.
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Released on 30 September 2022, the film crossed USD 24.6 million in net collections domestically on its 30th day. After six weeks, the film started breaking Baahubali 2's record. The film currently has a rating of 8.4 on IMDb.
1 year ago
Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023
Indian films are popular around the world for their versatile storylines, bold acting performances, wonderful music, exotic dance choreographies, and talented cinematographies. In the 80th edition of this prestigious Golden Globes awards festival, the Indian film RRR has made its place in two categories. Let's take a closer look at the action film RRR and its success at the Golden Globes 2023 festival.
Golden Globes Awards: A Look Back
An organization of journalists and photographers called the HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association), formerly known as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association founded the Golden Globe Awards in 1944. Their aim is to honor the valuable works of small and big screens around the world.
The awards ceremony was held at 20th Century Fox that year, with The Song of Bernadette winning Best Picture. Jennifer Jones won Best Actress for the film and Paul Lucas won Best Actor for another movie Watch on the Rhine.
Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
The Golden Globe awards for foreign language films began in 1949 with the awarding of the Italian film Bicycle Thieves. And the Best Original Song debuted as a new category in 1962. Lyricist Ned Washington and music scorer Dimitri Tiomkin were honored at the time for the title song of the movie Town Without Pity.
Everything about the Incredible Action Film RRR
The film's title is derived from the initials of the Telugu words "Raudram Ranam Rudhiram" which literally means "Fierce Death Blood". And the original title is followed by the words "Rise Roar Revolt" in English, abbreviated as RRR, and the key to the movie's plot.
The epic action film was directed by renowned South Indian filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli. Along with him, V Vijayendra Prasad co-wrote the DVV Entertainment production. The film's cast members are NT Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgan, Shriya Sharan, Ray Stevenson, and Samuthirakani.
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The story is about two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Komaram Bheem and Aluri Sitarama Raju. Set in the 1920s, the plot revolves around their fictional brotherhood and friendship and their war against the British Empire.
With a budget of USD 72 million, the movie is the most expensive film by far in Indian history. On its first day of release in theaters on March 25, 2022, it recorded the highest opening day by grossing USD 30 million worldwide.
A few box office records were attached to its name grossing USD 175 million worldwide. The main achievements were the third-highest-grossing Indian cinema, the second-highest-grossing Telugu film worldwide, and the highest-grossing movie in the domestic market, beating Rajamouli's previous film Baahubali-2.
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RRR’s Achievements in Golden Globe
The two categories that RRR was nominated for at the Golden Globes were Best Picture Non-English Language (formerly Foreign Language) and Best Song – Motion Picture.
RRR's co-nominees for Best Foreign Language Film were Argentina, 1985, Germany's All Quiet on the Western Front, Netherlands, France, Belgium's Close, and South Korea's Decision to Leave. RRR lost out to Argentina, in 1985, like the rest of the nominees.
On the other hand, for Best Song – Motion Picture, RRR's MM Kiravani, and Chandra Bose were up against Roeban Katz, Guillermo del Toro, Rihanna, Ludwig Goransson, Bloodpop aka Michael Tucker, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift. Keeravani and Chandra Bose beat everyone to win this award for the song Natoo Natoo.
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Not only at the box office, but the film's visuals, acting by the lead actors, storytelling, and cinematography have also been praised by Western audiences, Hollywood critics, and artists alike. After conquering the world, RRR was finally released in a few major states of the United States.
The response from the western audience has been remarkable, especially the Natu Natu song, Jr. NTR's attack scene with the animals has won their hearts. All in all, the Indian action film has been able to overcome the barrier of a completely different language to create an impression in the mind of every viewer.
1 year ago
India’s 1st Golden Globe: High-energy dance number ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’ wins best song award
SS Rajamouli’s South Indian blockbuster ‘RRR’ won the best original song for ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the Golden Globes.
The film, which earned over Rs 1,200 crore globally, was also nominated for the Best Non-English Language Film. ‘Argentina, 1985’ from Argentina won in that category, reports NDTV.
Read more: Telugu Film RRR: Lifetime Record Breaker and the Pride of Indian Cinema
‘RRR’ director and stars – Rajamouli, Jr NTR and Ram Charan – represented the film at the Golden Globe Awards.
Jr NTR and Ram Charan play freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetharamaraju in the period drama, set in British India during the 1920s. The ensemble cast also includes Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn as well as British actors Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody and Olivia Morris.
Read more: 10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in December 2022
‘RRR’ has already won international honours including Best Director for Rajamouli at the New York Film Critics Circle awards.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael hosted the 80th Golden Globes from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, with little of the fanfare that usually opens such ceremonies.
1 year ago
Telugu Film RRR: Lifetime Record Breaker and the Pride of Indian Cinema
Following the legacy of superhero fever in international films, the Telugu film RRR movie takes the audience to the highest peak of entertainment. This movie not only became a box office hit, but also left Bahubali behind. Not to mention, the Telugu film titled RRR appeared as a symbol of the progressive nature of Indian cinema. Released on March 25, 2022, the excellent performance of the movie shocked the film-enthusiasts. Thanks to the RRR-crew, the cinema has gone far beyond its targeted destination, even though the production has been delayed several times. Let's take a closer look at the interesting facts and features of the RRR movie.
RRR Plot: A Tale of Two Revolutionaries
This historical film depicts the context of British India in the 1920s. According to the storyline, during the reign of the British government, Rama Raju, - a devoted Indian police officer, took charge of capturing Komaram Bheem, - a formidable tribal leader. The story advanced through different incidents, and some clamor of inevitable clashes began to ring. In this film the dimensions of conflicts kept changing and those were full of twists. Above all, the mighty expeditions of the two Indian revolutionaries take precedence.
SS Rajamouli (Srisaila Sri Rajamouli) wrote the screenplay of this epic action drama with the story of KV Vijayendra Prasad (Koduri Viswa Vijayendra Prasad). The dialogues of this film were written by Sai Madhav Burra. The overall creative teamwork helped to boost the performances of the actors.
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2 years ago