"Naatu Naatu"
Single by M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose featuring Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava
from the album RRR
LanguageTelugu
Released10 November 2021
Recorded2020
StudioJB Studios, Hyderabad
Genre
Length3:36
LabelLahari Music
T-Series
Composer(s)M. M. Keeravani
Lyricist(s)Chandrabose
Producer(s)M. M. Keeravani
RRR track listing
  1. "Dosti"
  2. "Naatu Naatu"
  3. "Janani"
  4. "Komuram Bheemudo"
  5. "Raamam Raaghavam"
  6. "Etthara Jenda"
  7. "Komma Uyyala"
Music video
"Naatu Naatu" on YouTube

"Naatu Naatu" (transl. Native, Local, Wild)[7] is an Indian Telugu-language song composed by M. M. Keeravani, with lyrics by Chandrabose and recorded by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava for the soundtrack album of the 2022 Indian film RRR.[8] It was released on 10 November 2021 (released on YouTube as a lyrical video song) as the second single from the album, through Lahari Music and T-Series. The full video song, featuring visuals directly from the film, was released on 11 April 2022 on YouTube.

The song was also released in Hindi as "Naacho Naacho", in Tamil as "Naattu Koothu", in Kannada as "Halli Naatu" and in Malayalam as "Karinthol". The hook step dance involving N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan – the lead actors of RRR – became popular.[9] "Naatu Naatu" became the first song from an Indian film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, as well as the first song from an Asian film to win the former.[10][11]

Background and recording

The entire process of producing the song took over 19 months.[12] Keeravani composed 10 to 20 different tunes based on that particular point in the script. Later, the team finalized this particular tune based on a voting process from their inner circle.[13][14]

Composition and lyrics

Sing about yourself, your strength, your struggle, whatever you want to sing. The one thing not to write is: don't criticize other people.

— Rajamouli's brief to Chandrabose.[4]

The Telugu word naatu (నాటు; nāṭu) variously translates to 'native', 'local', 'countryside', 'raw and rustic', 'ethnic'.[7] Chandrabose wrote the lyrics based on his childhood memories.[4] According to Chandrabose, he wrote 90% of the song in half a day but it took 1.7 years to write the remaining 10%.[15]

The composer Keeravani likened the sound to the traditional beats of folk songs in Indian villages. Keeravani used duffs, an Indian skin drum for the instrumentation and added in mandolins for the melody. The song features a 6
8 beat popular in South Indian music.[16][17][1]

The song was also released in Hindi as "Naacho Naacho",[18] in Tamil as "Naattu Koothu",[19] in Kannada as "Halli Naatu" and in Malayalam as "Karinthol".[20] It was released on 10 November 2021 (released on YouTube as a lyrical video song) as the second single from the album, through Lahari Music and T-Series.[21] The full video song, featuring visuals directly from the film, was released on 11 April 2022 on YouTube.

Critical reception

Onmanorama praised the song and stated, "The mood-lifting beats and the perkiest actors dancing to those beats is just what the fans have been waiting for, ever since the makers announced the magnum opus."[22] A. Kameshwari of The Indian Express wrote "Naatu Naatu offer double the fun as the two actors perform together on screen and create an insane energy, which makes you want to dance too. The RRR song can sure be titled as the best mass track of the year."[23] A review from Mirchi9 criticized the song itself for being ordinary, calling it as "an old-school, serviceable number". However, they praised Rama Rao and Charan's choreography and rapport, calling it as a "visual feast".[24] Matt Patches of Polygon and Wes Greene of Slant Magazine named the musical sequence as one of the best movie scenes of 2022.[25][26]

Alison Herman of The Ringer complimented the idea of the song and wrote "Naatu Naatu is something different: a musical performance that moves the story forward in a movie that isn't primarily musical, challenging the binary of "musical" versus "not" and making the song itself more integral to the film", comparing it with the Academy Award for Best Original Song nominees.[27] Analyzing the song, Sudhir Srinivasan of The New Indian Express stated: "The 274 seconds of the song inspire a rare loss of inhibition; they urge you to let go, give in, trust, and just dance. Worry later, dance now. For those seconds, everyone—the oppressive white man, the meek princess, the Indian rebels—is equal in dance and joy".[28] Firstpost's Ganesh Aaglave praised Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava's vocals.[29]

Accolades

Awards and nominations received by "Naatu Naatu"
Awards Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
Academy Awards 12 March 2023 Best Original Song Won [30][10][11]
Critics' Choice Awards 15 January 2023 Best Song Won [31]
Georgia Film Critics Association 13 January 2023 Best Original Song Runner-up [32]
Golden Globe Awards 10 January 2023 Best Original Song Won [33]
Hollywood Critics Association 24 February 2023 Best Original Song Won [34]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 16 November 2022 Song – Onscreen Performance Nominated [35]
Houston Film Critics Society 18 February 2023 Best Original Song Won [36]
Online Film Critics Society 23 January 2023 Original Song Won [37]
Satellite Awards 3 March 2023 Best Original Song Nominated [38]

Music video

Background and production

"Naatu Naatu" was shot at the Mariinskyi Palace, Ukraine

RRR director Rajamouli conceived "Naatu Naatu" as a kind of fight sequence in which the Indian duo outdance their British counterparts.[17] He also used the song as a foreshadowing for the climax sequence. "I think the biggest achievement for me was incorporating how the song comes into the film, without breaking the narrative," he noted.[17] Rajamouli described the sequence as "the story behind the story" and is like a short film of its own with different sub-plots.[39]

Prem Rakshith choreographed the dance sequences.[40] Rajamouli wanted steps "that would look great with two people doing it together, but not so complicated that no-one could do it."[14] Rakshith choreographed 110 moves for the hook step.[6]

"Naatu Naatu" was shot in August 2021 in Ukraine as a part of the final leg of shooting of RRR.[41][42] Filming took place at the Mariinskyi Palace, the official residence of the president of Ukraine in Kyiv, a few months before the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[43][44] The song picturization took 15 days. The music video featured about 50 dancers and 300 to 400 extras.[14]

Synopsis

The music video is a direct clip from a scene in RRR, which features Raju (Ram Charan) and Bheem (Rama Rao) singing the lyrics and out-dancing the rich British men at a fancy British party, encouraged by Bheem's love interest Jenny (Olivia Morris). By the song's climax, Ram and Bheem ignite a dance battle between themselves and the British men, who each fall down one by one as they fail to keep up; and despite being cheered for, Ram pretends to injure his leg and falls over to allow Bheem to win the battle and impress Jenny.

Reception

Within 24 hours of its release, the song crossed over 17 million views in Telugu (becoming the most-viewed Telugu song), and 35 million views in all five languages on YouTube.[45] It also became the fastest Telugu song to cross 1 million likes.[45] In February 2022, the song crossed over 200 million views in all languages.[46]

Impact

The song received positive reception from audiences, praising the music.[47] The hook step, performed by Jr NTR and Ram Charan, went viral on social media.[48][49][50] Charan and Rama Rao often recreated the viral portion of the dance in the film's promotions,[51][52] as did director Rajamouli at the film's success party with encouragement from Rama Rao.[53]

In an article, Brenda Haas of Deutsche Welle referred to the song as a "global sensation". She further opined and wrote that, "the song's international popularity also underscores the fact that language is no barrier to enjoying music across borders".[54]

At Edison, New Jersey in 2023, numerous Tesla cars were assembled to have a show of light & sound, set to the music of this song.[55]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from YouTube.[56]

Charts

Chart performances for "Naatu Naatu"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
India (Billboard)[57]
Naacho Naacho		 3
India (Billboard)[57]
Halli Naatu		 4
India (Billboard)[57]
Naattu Koothu		 5
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[58] 16
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[59] 3

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Thapliyal, Adesh (10 March 2023). "A Brief History of South Indian Kuthu and Teenmaar Music in 10 Songs". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "నాటు: నిఘంటుశోధన - తెలుగు నిఘంటువు - Online Telugu Dictionary". Andhrabharati. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ↑ Jacobs, Julia (13 March 2023). "'Naatu Naatu' From 'RRR' Wins Best Original Song". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023. As Keeravani explained to The Times, "Naatu means ethnic: something we own ourselves, something completely unique, something that belongs to one's own identity. That is Naatu. Naatu means country. It's a song from the countryside. It's about everything that happened in our own country, in our own village; something you cherish for life."
  4. 1 2 3 Rapold, Nicolas (21 February 2023). "'Naatu Naatu' From 'RRR' Is a Worldwide Hit, but It Draws on Very Local Traditions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023. But one question remains: What is "naatu"? "Naatu means raw and rustic," Chandrabose said.
  5. ↑ Mary, S. B. Vijaya (13 March 2023). "Oscar-winner lyricist Chandrabose weaves magic with his words". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023. The Telugu word naatu means 'rustic or raw' and 'to sow', unlike the Hindi dubbed version which uses the term ' naacho' which means 'dance'.
  6. 1 2 Ghosh, Devarsi (15 January 2023). "The story behind the award-winning song 'Naatu Naatu' from 'RRR'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023. Rajamouli's brief for Naatu Naatu (it roughly translates into home-grown or native) ....
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  8. ↑ "Local Goes Global: Rooted In Telugu Culture, 'Naatu Naatu' Now A World Anthem". Outlook. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (14 April 2022). "'RRR' to 'Beast': Why filmmakers are creating a hook step". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Oscars 2023: RRR's 'Naatu Naatu' wins Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards, MM Keeravani sings ode to India on stage". Indian Express. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Oscars 2023: RRR's Naatu Naatu wins best original song". BBC News. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
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  13. ↑ Pond, Steve (17 November 2022). "How 'RRR' Composers Wrote the Euphoric Tune 'Naatu Naatu'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 Barber, Nicholas (1 March 2023). "The story behind the iconic 'Naatu Naatu' scene in 'RRR': "We wanted it to go viral on social media"". Screen. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  15. ↑ "Naatu Naatu lyricist Chandrabose says he wrote 90 per cent of the song within half a day: 'The rest 10 per cent took 1.7 years'". Indian Express. 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Truitt, Brian (1 March 2023). "'My knees still wobble': How Oscar-nominated 'RRR' song 'Naatu Naatu' became an awards darling". USA Today. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 "'RRR' Composer and Director on How the Song 'Naatu Naatu' Became Such a Rip-Roaring Rouser". Variety. 9 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Aly Goni finds it difficult to follow the hook steps of Ram Charan and Jr. NTR's song 'Naacho Naacho'; VIDEO". 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  19. ↑ "SS Rajamouli's iconic dance for 'Naattu Koothu' sets the stage on fire! - Video viral". 5 April 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "RRR: Viral song Naatu Naatu starring Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao leaves audience galvanized, know about the choreographer here". 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  21. ↑ "RRR Update: Jr NTR & Ram Charan to perform on a high voltage dance number; Single to release on 10 November". PINKVILLA. 5 November 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "'Naatu Naatu' song from 'RRR' has fans on their feet". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  23. ↑ "RRR song Naatu Naatu: Ram Charan, Jr NTR raise a storm. Watch". The Indian Express. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "RRR's Naatu Naatu Is An Eye Feast, But Disappoints Musically". mirchi9.com. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "The best movie scenes of 2022". Polygon. 27 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
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  27. ↑ Herman, Alison (3 March 2023). "'RRR' Deserves to Make Oscar History. Give "Naatu Naatu" Best Original Song". The Ringer. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  28. ↑ Srinivasan, Sudhir (12 January 2023). "The unbridled joy of 'Naatu'". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  29. ↑ Aaglave, Ganehsh (16 January 2023). "RRR: Decoding the energetic song Naatu Naatu that took the world by storm with its impeccable dance moves & upbeat music". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
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  31. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (15 January 2023). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Takes Best Picture at Critics Choice Awards – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  32. ↑ Anderson, Erik (14 January 2023). "2022 Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) winners". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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  34. ↑ ""Everything Everywhere All At Once" leads 6th Annual HCA Film Awards with seven wins" (Press release). Hollywood Critics Association. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  35. ↑ Grein, Paul (17 November 2022). "Rihanna's 'Wakanda Forever' Song, Terence Blanchard Win at 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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  37. ↑ "OFCS Presents: 26th Annual Awards for 2022" (Press release). Online Film Critics Society. 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
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  41. ↑ "'RRR' team reaches Ukraine for last leg of shooting". The News Minute. 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  42. ↑ "Rajamouli and team to shoot a song in Ukraine". The New Indian Express. 6 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
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  45. 1 2 Telanganatoday (16 November 2021). "'Naatu Naatu' mania everywhere". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
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  47. ↑ Adlakha, Siddhant (8 April 2022). "The Electrifying Star Power and Joy of RRR's 'Naatu Naatu' Dance Sequence". Vulture. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  48. ↑ "RRR Director Rajamouli Promised Jr NTR He Would Dance To Naatu Naatu And He Did". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
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  50. ↑ "'Anupamaa' Rupali Ganguly, Aneri Vajani Groove To RRR's Naatu Naatu & It's An Instant Blockbuster - Watch". Koimoi. 24 January 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  51. ↑ MumbaiMarch 21. "Aamir Khan hesitates to do Naatu Naatu step with Jr NTR, Ram Charan. Alia Bhatt says it's easy". India Today. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  52. ↑ "Viral: Aamir Khan Dances To RRR's Naatu Naatu With Alia Bhatt, Jr NTR And Ram Charan". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
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  54. ↑ Haas, Brenda (22 January 2023). "'Naatu Naatu' and other hits that transcend language". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
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  56. ↑ "Naatu Naatu Full Video Song (Telugu)", YouTube, archived from the original on 13 March 2023, retrieved 13 March 2023
  57. 1 2 3 "India Songs: Week of April 23, 2022". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  58. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of March 22, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  59. ↑ "World Digital Song Sales: Week of March 25, 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
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