S.S. Rajamouli 's Indian epic RRR received an Oscar nomination this morning for Best Original Song " Naatu Naatu ," but it missed out on crossing into other major categories despite strong campaigning and a groundswell of support.
"Naatu Naatu," with music by M.M. Keeravaani and lyric by Chandrabose, has had folks dancing in the aisles for months and was considered a shoo-in for an Academy nod. The song previously won top honors at the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes and was the first song from an Indian film to be shortlisted for an Oscar. (Indian composer AR Rahman previously won Best Original Song and Best Original Score for his work on Slumdog Millionaire which was a British production).
However, coming off of a New York Film Critics Circle win for Best Director and with Rajamouli making the rounds and charming at screenings and Q&As for Academy and guild members, there seemed to be potential in further Oscar nominations.
Oscar Nominations 2023: Deadline's Complete Coverage
Some eyebrows were raised when RRR, the fictionalized story of real Indian freedom fighters which was a massive box office success at home and crossed over to U.S. audiences as well, grossing over $155M globally, was not selected as India's Best International Feature Oscar submission. The country opted instead for Last Film Show which, while shortlisted in that category, did not advance today. With no disrespect to that movie, it seems even more a shame in hindsight that India did not put forth RRR .
Oscar Best Picture Winners Through The Years — Photo Gallery
Still, Rajamouli, and his growing fanbase, shouldn't be deterred given the global impact of RRR which has expanded the playing field for Telegu cinema. The director is next set to helm a feature starring Mahesh Babu and previously told Deadline his father is developing an idea for an RRR sequel featuring the same characters.
RRR's official Twitter account celebrated today's nomination:
- 6 Oscar nomination predictions that we really hope come true
- The Oscars Made the Right Call
- JoJo puts her best foot forward in a strapless gunmental gown as she walks Grammys red carpet
- RRR director SS Rajamouli says he doesn't like Academy Award-winning film Parasite
- For Mental Health Month: 31 Songs That Show How to Keep a Positive Outlook
- Oscars Temporarily Changes Rules, Streaming Movies Now Eligible
- Oscars: Academy Board Of Governors To Meet And Announce Eligibility And Rules Changes As Coronavirus Continues Rocking Industry
- The 40 best HBO series streaming right now
- Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, films releasing on streaming platforms now eligible for Oscars
- Streamed films eligible for Oscars -- but only for this year
- The best iPhone apps (April 2020)
- Oscars Extend Eligibility to Streamed Films Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
- Streaming films eligible for Oscars, but for 1 year only
- Furious 7 Was Almost Canceled After Paul Walker's Death
- Nat Geo Limited Series ‘The Right Stuff’ Moves to Disney Plus
- Golden Globes 2012: George Clooney faces stiff competition – from himself
- Recap: Some Men Are Heroes
- Coronavirus live updates: Modoc County violates California’s stay-at-home order
- “Hollywood” Has A Limited Idea Of What Progress Looks Like
- Netflix's "Hollywood" Oversimplifies The Lives Of The Stars It Tries To Honor
‘RRR’ Scores Historic Oscar Nomination For Best Original Song, But Shut Out Of Other Major Races have 522 words, post on deadline.com at January 24, 2023. This is cached page on Movie News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.