RRR Original Song "Naatu Naatu" Lands on Oscar Shortlist and Fans Are Celebrating
'Tis the season... Awards Season! The 95th Annual Academy Awards are coming in March, and yesterday saw the release of the shortlist of nominees. While nothing is guaranteed to be nominated, the list gives movie fans a better idea of what will be honored on the big day. Some of our favorite comic book films from 2022 are in the running for some awards, including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Batman, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Another movie to make the list is RRR, which was one of the biggest and most celebrated films of the year. The Telugu-language film from director SS Rajamouli is the most expensive Indian movie in history, and it's on the Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song for Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, and Rahul Sipligunj's "Naatu Naatu." In honor of the song making the list, many folks have taken to Twitter to celebrate.
"Here we go... #NaatuNaatu becomes 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 to be shortlisted for the Academy Awards! 🤩🙏🏻 THANK YOU everyone for supporting us throughout our journey ❤️," the official account for RRR posted. "#RRRMovie's 'Naatu Naatu' sliding onto that #Oscars shortlist for Best Song as if there were any doubts. It's unforgettable, irrepressible & infectious. Next up: winning that gold trophy," @Lulamaybelle tweeted. "Indian cinema couldn't have marked their presence at the Oscars with a better film & a better song than Naatu Naatu. @ssrajamouli Garu, U r a visionary who is taking Indian cinema to greater heights. U r already a winner in our❤️," @LakshmiManchu wrote.
"Naatu Naatu" is going up against 14 other songs for a nomination spot at the Oscars. The other contenders include Giveon's "Time" (Amsterdam), The Weeknd's "Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)" (Avatar: The Way of Water), Rihanna's "Lift Me Up" (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Son Lux, Mitski, and David Byrne's "This Is A Life" (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Gregory Mann's "Ciao Papa" (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio), Rita Wilson's "Til You're Home" (A Man Called Otto), Selena Gomez's "My Mind & Me" (Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me), Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell's "Good Afternoon" (Spirited), Sofia Carlson and Diane Warren's "Applause" (Tell It Like a Woman), Jazmine Sullivan "Stand Up" (Till), Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand" (Top Gun: Maverick), Norah Jones and J. Ralph's "Dust & Ash" (The Voice of Dust and Ash), Taylor Swift's "Carolina" (Where the Crawdads Sing), and LCD Soundsystem's "New Body Rhumba" (White Noise).
Is RRR Getting a Sequel?
Considering the popularity of RRR, it was only a matter of time before a sequel was announced. During a recent Q&A, Rajamouli confirmed that a story for the sequel is being written by V. Vijayendra Prasad, his father and writing partner. "My father is the story writer for all my films," Rajamouli said during the screening. "We've discussed a big about [the RRR sequel] and he's working on the story." According to Variety, this RRR sequel is still in the "very early" stages of development, which means there are no official details, but it sounds like a sequel will eventually be made.
Which song are you rooting for to win Best Original Song at the Oscars? Tell us in the comments!