In this sequence, Bheem (Jr. NTR) and Ram (Ram Charam) take on a British Bully (Eduard Buhac), a percieved member of British high society who wants to eject them from his decadent lawn party (with the lovely backing set-piece of the Mariinsky Palace, with the scene being filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine before the onset of the Russian invasion). Importantly, Prem Raksith, the film’s choreographer highlighted how Rajamouli wanted the dancing styles of Ram and Bheem to “match each other” and this would cause great difficulty and long, often times arduous days on set, but of course the sequence would not live up to Rajamouli’s expectations if it wasn’t exactly how he invisioned the scene panning out. The actual dance move emulates a jig-like routine often called the hook-step, with many simulataneous movements from the arms and legs. Furthermore, despite the intense speed and synchronization seen thorughout, none of the choreographed sequence was artificially sped up, as per the film’s editor Sreekar Prasad. One of the most compelling shots from this sequence displayed how important cinematography is in creating a compelling dance sequence. In this shot, Rajamouli films Bheem and Ram facing the camera while maintaing mirroring styles side-by-side.

The song, in and of itself, also just slaps. The drums and the overall chorus create a track which possess an energy and authenticity unlike anything I’ve heard before. M.M. Keeravani, the songs composer, likened the sounds to the traditional folk songs which are often celebrated in local Telanganan villages. The usage of duffs, an Indian skin drum, also brought about this magnetic tempo and overall energy which formulated this award-winning piece. Overall, the song would recieve many accolades and become an era-defining leap forward for Indian cinema and foreign films worldwide, but of course the Academy’s decision to award ‘Naatu Naatu’ with the Best Original Song stood out among the rest. Janelle Monae’s meme-inducing repition of the film’s title and Keeravani’s Carpenters reference matched the electric atmosphere once their name was called. ‘Naatu Naatu’ and RRR‘s critical success remains poignant in the growth and progression of foreign cinema, an often forgotten category or genre for many American movie goers. Hopefully, the success of RRR and its soundtrack will pave the way for other Indian filmmakers to recieve success and adoration on the level of ‘Naatu Naatu’.

Rapold, Nicolas. “‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’ Is a Worldwide Hit, but It Draws on Very Local Traditions.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/movies/rrr-song-naatu-naatu.html.