FILM #38
OF 39
95TH ACADEMY AWARDS | 2023 OSCARS CHALLENGE
“RRR”
MARCH 6, 2023
ZEE5
DAY 42
OF 48
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures
(Original Song)
“NAATU NAATU”
Music by M.M. Keeravaani
Lyrics by Chandrabose
Performed By Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava
I don’t connect with films from India and the Bollywood subsection. Because of that, I tend to avoid those films altogether. Not technically a Bollywood film (it’s Telugu), “RRR” fell into the same category for me. Something about the over-stylized production value and overexuberant musical numbers brings zero emotion out of me. I appreciate what “RRR” does for inclusion and equality, but overall, it’s just not to my taste.
The story begins with a kidnapped girl taken by a British governor to Delhi. A guardian who protects the girl’s village sets off to retrieve her. On the opposite side, an Indian Imperial Police officer gets tasked with finding the guardian and stopping him from taking the girl. The two unknowingly become friends, unaware of their intentions. Eventually, their newfound friendship gets tested in some epic battle sequences.
One element of “RRR” that impressed me was the visual effects. Films outside Hollywood are not known for having the greatest CGI, but “RRR” changes that with some of the most realistic animal renders to date. That must come from being the most expensive Indian film ever made. The song “Naatu Naatu” was enjoyable, but the dance choreography made it. There were better songs than that one. S. S. Rajamouli has done a great job of reaching the masses, bringing Indian film to people who may not have been familiar with it. Unfortunately, it couldn’t change my perspective on that area of cinema.
PREVIOUS NOMINATIONS
M.M. Keeravaani
| First-time nominee |
Chandrabose
| First-time nominee |
A fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s.
Directed by S.S. Rajamouli
Variance Films
March 25, 2022
187 minutes
ACCOLADES
Chicago Indie Critics Awards — Best Original Song [Winner]
Critics Ass. of Central Florida Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
Critics Choice Awards — Best Song [Winner]
Denver Film Critics Society Awards — Best Original Song [Winner]
DiscussingFilm Critics Awards — Best Original Song [Winner]
Georgia Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
Gold Derby Awards — Original Song [Winner]
Golden Globe Awards — Best Original Song – Motion Picture [Winner]
Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards — Best Song (Nominee)
Hollywood Critics Ass. Creative Arts Awards — Best Original Song [Winner]
Hollywood Music In Media Awards — Song – Onscreen Performance (Nominee)
Houston Film Critics Society Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
International Online Cinema Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
Latino Ent. Journalists Ass. Film Awards — Best Song Written for a Film (Nominee)
Music City Film Critics’ Ass. Awards — Best Song [Winner]
North Carolina Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Original Song [Winner]
North Dakota Film Society Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
Online Film Critics Society Awards — Best Original Song [Winner]
Satellite Awards — Best Original Song (Nominee)
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”
2. “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
3. “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”
4. “This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
5. “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
2. “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”
3. “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”
4. “This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
5. “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”
