Exclusive: Singers from India, dancers from LA for ‘Naatu Naatu’ Oscar show; Keeravani to be on stage

Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava. “Naatu Naatu.” LIVE at the 95th Oscars.

Tune into ABC to watch the Oscars LIVE on Sunday, March 12th at 8e/5p! #Oscars95 pic.twitter.com/8FC7gJQbJs

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 28, 2023

Kaala Bhairava on performing Naatu Naatu at Oscar show

In an exclusive interview with South First, Kaala Bhairava expressed immense joy at his upcoming live Oscar performance.

“It is indeed an incredible feeling. I cannot describe my delight in mere words. To get an opportunity to perform on the world’s biggest stage feels exhilarating,” he shared his excitement.

Earlier, music composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose attended the Academy Luncheon in mid-February and joined the Class of 95 nominees for a group photo.

During the event, Keeravani gave attendees a sneak peek of the live performance of Naatu Naatu. He stated the rehearsals have already begun and expressed excitement about the collaborative effort involved.

“We have performers and singers from India and many dancers from LA. It’s going to be an excellent display of teamwork,” Keeravani said.

M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose tease what fans can expect from #RRR‘s “Naatu Naatu” Oscar performance. #AcademyLuncheon https://t.co/i5wEon5eiV pic.twitter.com/Bj1OKgZMr8

— Variety (@Variety) February 13, 2023

No Oscar Naatu Naatu performance by Ram Charan, Jr NTR

Kaala Bhairava would be leaving for the US on 5 March to join the team for Oscar rehearsals. He also revealed that Ram Charan and Jr NTR would not be performing Naatu Naatu on the Oscar stage.

“Rahul and I would be performing the song for about two to two-and-a-half minutes on stage along with dancers from LA. Naanna (dad) would be on stage conducting the composition,” Bhairava added.

On the global acceptance

The Naatu Naatu song gained immense popularity beyond the film (RRR) with over 122 million views on YouTube.

It even inspired a TikTok challenge where users showcase their attempts at acrobatic dance moves. The challenge became a hit with many users participating in it.

South Korean Ambassador Chang Jae-bok also posted a 53-second rendition on Twitter which garnered over 4.8 million views since 26 February.

𝐍𝐚𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝐍𝐚𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝐑𝐑𝐑 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 – 𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚

Do you know Naatu?

We are happy to share with you the Korean Embassy’s Naatu Naatu dance cover. See the Korean Ambassador Chang Jae-bok along with the embassy staff Naatu Naatu!! pic.twitter.com/r2GQgN9fwC

— Korean Embassy India (@RokEmbIndia) February 25, 2023

Kaala Bhairava on the reasons for success of Naatu Naatu

There has been some confusion regarding the meaning of the word ‘Naatu’, which has often been inaccurately translated to simply mean “dance”. However, in the Telugu language idiom, the word has a more nuanced meaning and it loosely translates to “something earthy, native, and colloquial”.

Singer Kaala Bhairava. (bhairavudu/Instagram)

“In fact, the dance number in the film begins as a response to the British characters who mock the lead actors for not being knowledgeable about high-cultured dance forms like flamenco and salsa,” Kaala Bhairava told South First.

The singer-music composer also emphasised the difficulty in translating the idiom across languages.

“At that juncture in the film, the core emotion was to exhort everyone to embrace their native dance forms which are just as much an art form as any Western style. We intended to get that emotion across.”

According to Kaala Bhairava, the universal emotions of friendship and camaraderie portrayed in Naatu Naatu and the film were the underlying reasons for their widespread appeal across cultures and languages.

“The dance moves are beautifully synchronised to reveal the budding camaraderie between the two lead characters. Given the stupendous acceptance across the globe, I think, we were successful in getting these emotions across,” Kaala Bhairava signed off.