«Naatu Naatu» by RRR Wins Oscar: Songwriters Celebrate Making History

M.M. Keeravani, the songwriter behind T-RRR’s “Naatu Naatu,” celebrated his Oscar win for Best Original Song on Sunday by singing a cover of The Carpenters’ 1973 hit “Top of the World.” Keeravani remarked that he grew up listening to the duo and now had the opportunity to experience the Oscars himself.

The song “Naatu Naatu” from Indian movie RRR has made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song, with co-songwriters Armaan Malik and Chandrabose taking home the prestigious award. This accomplishment marks the first time an Indian movie has won in this category.

Malik, who performed the song at the ceremony, addressed the audience before accepting the award. “There was only one wish on my mind that RRR has to win, and it must put me on the top of the world,” he said with Chandrabose by his side.

The duo are the second and third Indian songwriters to win an Oscar in the Best Original Song category, with A.R. Rahman taking home the award for “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire. Although the production was classified as British due to the Danny Boyle-directed movie being set in India, Malik and Chandrabose are the first to make history with an Indian movie.

The Telugu language film song “Naatu Naatu” from the blockbuster RRR has earned a nomination for the 93rd Academy Awards. This is the first time a Telugu song has been nominated by the Academy.

The song, originally composed by M.M. Keeravani, beat out some tough competition such as the David Byrne/Son Lux/Mitski collaboration "This is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once, Rihanna's "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Lady Gaga and BloodPop's "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick, and Diane Warren's 14th Oscar nominated song, "Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman.

RRR, directed by SS. Rajamouli, has become a worldwide success, grossing a total of $160 million and making it the third highest-grossing Indian film and the second highest-grossing Telugu film ever.