It is quite rare when songs garner international acclaim, even more rare when the acclaim comes in the form of an Academy Award. Yet, changing the direction of Indian music, Naatu Naatu made history in 2023.
For dance numbers, the main aim is to capture the attention of the audience. It cannot definitely be boring, and although catchy choreography goes a long way in salvaging a song, it is an indomitable hook that a dance number relies on for its popularity. With Naatu Naatu, it was as if M. M. Keeravani hit the jackpot. It is also a given fact that with a blockbuster movie, music becomes an additional factor that ropes in a number of views.
What compelled the Academy to choose Naatu Naatu?
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is usually presented to music makers who work in the film industry. One of the foremost rules of the Academy states “An original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture. There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually presented) of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the motion picture or as the first music cue in the end credits.”
For such definite specifications, it was absolutely necessary for the creators to think out of the box. Did you know that it took the production team over 19 months to finalize on the final outcome? Keeravani himself composed about 20 different tunes to fit smoothly into a particular point in the script. After a series of indecisive affairs, Naatu Naatu‘s tune was finalized by the team based on a voting process involving their inner circle.
Such careful consideration led to the production of a work of art which then impressed the board of judges of the Academy!
Behind the Scenes
With lyrics suggesting the ethnic and the native, the word naatu can be translated as something pertaining to the countryside. Award-winning songwriter Chandrabose had allegedly taken half a day to come up with 90% of the song. But it took him about 1.7 years to write the remaining 10%. Truly fascinating!
For director SS Rajamouli, it was important to introduce the powerful track at a veritable point. In his own words, “I think the biggest achievement for me was incorporating how the song comes into the film, without breaking the narrative”. It is safe to say that not only did he succeed but he also immortalized a party anthem that will be remembered for generations.
Naatu Naatu also won the Golden Globe in 2023 for Best Original Song. With so many awards already under its turf, the song continues to be a real mood-maker!
