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Golden Globes 2023: ‘RRR’ song ‘Naatu Naatu’ casts its spell, wins Best Original Song
Los Angeles, Jan 11 (IANS) India is all set to bring in the Golden Globe 2023 home as the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from S.S. Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘RRR’ won the Best Original Song, Motion Picture at the 80th Golden Globes. ‘Naatu Naatu’ was in competition with ‘Carolina’ from “Where the Crawdads Sing”, “Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio”, “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. To receive the honour was music composer M. M. Keeravani, who was accompanied with his wife Srivalli. He dedicated the award to Rajamouli
and participation from the Indian diaspora in several countries, including Mauritius, the UAE, the US, Qatar, and Oman. Addressing a special Ministry of External Affairs briefing on the upcoming PBD, Secretary, Consular & Diaspora, Ausaf Sayeed said that diaspora will play a very important role in the developmental trajectory of India. “In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat over the next 25 years -- as we look up to India in 2047 -- we feel that the diaspora will play a very important role in the developmental trajectory of India,” he said. Sayeed said that this year’s PBD is significant as it marks 75 years of India’s Independence. The formal inauguration of the PBD convention with the theme -- ‘Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal’ -- will be done by Prime Minister and the actors Ram Charan and NTR Jr. While accepting the award, he said: “Thank you very much for this prestigious award: “This award belongs to SS Rajamouli for his vision, I thank him for constantly believe and supporting my work. N.T. Rama Rao and Ram Charan who danced with full stamina.” ‘RRR’ stars NTR Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody and Olivia Morris. It centres around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, their fictional friendship and their fight against the British Raj. Set in the 1920s, the plot explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country. New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated music composer M.M. Keeravaani and Team ‘RRR’ for their win at the Golden Globes. He tweeted: “A very special accomplishment! Compliments to @mmkeeravaani, Prem Rakshith, Kaala Bhairava, Chandrabose, @Rahulsipligunj. I also congratulate @ssrajamouli, @ tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan and the entire team of @RRRMovie. This prestigious honour has made every Indian very proud.” Describing the win as a “most well-deserving achievement”, mega star Amitabh Bachchan complimented the team in Telugu as well: “Vijayniki abhinandanalu RRR, miru bharatadesarn garvapadela cesaru (Congratulations on you win, ‘RRR’! You have brought honour to your country.)” Conveying his reaction, industrialist Anand Mahindra tweeted: “Dance and the world dances with you. Thank you #RRR, thank you #NaatuNaatu for winning at the #GoldenGlobes and showing us what India’s global brand should be: A country that can make people sing & dance together. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.” Mahesh Babu, who is set to work with S.S. Rajamouli on his next movie, wrote: “Watching the world
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cheer for an Indian film is a dream come true!! This year couldn’t have started on a better note! Congratulations @mmkeeravaani garu, @ssrajamouli sir, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan & the entire team of #RRR... Many more to come!!” Anupam Kher also joined in the celebrations by tweeting: “What a moment for #IndianCinema! Congratulations to the entire team of @RRRMovie! Specially to the masters @mmkeeravaani & @ ssrajamouli! And to our friends @ AlwaysRamCharan & #JrNTR! They literally danced into the hearts of audiences worldwide! Jai Ho!”
Los Angeles, Jan 11 (IANS) When Marc Malkin of ‘Variety’ asked Ram Charan if he would like to be a Marvel superhero, the ‘RRR’ hero responded at once: “Absolutely. Why not?” And when he was asked about his favourite Marvel superhero, he said without thinking much: “Tony Stark.” He was referring to the character Robert Downey Jr plays in the Iron Man franchise. “Or maybe Captain America, why not?” Ram Charan added as an Chran added: “He spanked the babies too.” On the positive response ‘RRR’ has been getting in the run-up to the awards, Rajamouli said: “It humbles me that I get love from so many people.” In the same spirit, NTR Jr had told ‘Variety’ in another red carpet interview: “We thought we had a winner, but it turned out to be more than a winner ... you don’t expect this to happen.” Earlier, the actor had tweeted: “Congratulations Sirji on your well-deserved #GoldenGlobes award! I’ve danced to many songs throughout my career but #NaatuNaatu will forever stay close to my heart...@mmkeeravaani” Cheering the win, ‘Los Angeles Times’ tweeted (and promoted the profile it carried of Rajamouli): “Last night, the audience at #RRRMovie’s sold-out Chinese Theater screening swarmed the stage to dance during the ‘Naatu Naatu’ number. Today, composer M.M. Keeravani won the Golden Globe for best original song.”
The ‘underdog’ wins against Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga: ‘Variety’
Los Angeles, Jan 11 (IANS) The Indian hit turned global phenomenon ‘RRR’ went one for two at the Golden Globes on Tuesday night (Wednesday early morning), missing out on best non-English-language picture to ‘Argentina, 1985’ but triumphing for best original song with the viral sensation ‘Naatu Naatu’, writes ‘Variety’. The song entered the race as an underdog, with music superstars Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga and director-songwriter Guillermo del Toro also competing in the category. But awards interest in ‘RRR’ has picked up in recent weeks as the crowd-pleasing action-drama-musical has transcended cult status to earn serious attention, ‘Variety’ notes. The song’s Globes win increases anticipation that ‘Naatu’ will become the rare song by Indian composers to get an Oscar nomination later this month; it already made the Academy’s 15-song shortlist, the Hollywood bible points out. The night before the Globes, Rajamouli, music composer M. M. Keeravani (popular among Hindi filmgoers as M. M. Kreem) and the film’s two leading men, Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr., convened in America for the first time at a raucous screening at LA’s iconic TCL Chinese Theatre, sponsored by the American Cinematheque and Beyond Fest. The screening had sold out in just over 90 seconds, and the audience whooped and screamed throughout the three-hour-plus film, with dozens taking to the floor in front of the Chinese’s IMAX screen for a ‘Naatu Naatu’ dance-a-thon, ‘Variety’ reports, before finally settling down for a nearly hour-long Q&A with the four guests. ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ maker J.J. Abrams was a surprise guest introducing the Chinese screening. In his introduction, he called ‘RRR’ “a film I love and a filmmaker I so admire. ... I love its exuberance. I love its friendship. I love its heart. I love what it says about fighting for what’s right. I love the music. “I love the insanity. The fever-dream madness of this movie is more fun than you’ll have in a theatre -- (more) than I can imagine having in any other film.”
Team ‘RRR’ makes a style statement with sarees, sherwanis and bandhgalas
Los Angeles, Jan 11 (IANS) As India bagging a Golden Globe for the number ‘Naatu Naatu’ has made headlines, the Indian attire sported by the ‘RRR’ family too grabbed eyeballs at the prestigious event. ‘RRR’ brought home the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in Motion Picture for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’, however, the film lost out the bigger share of the pie -- that of the Best Motion Picture NonEnglish award to the Argentine film ‘Argentina, 1985’. It was Ram Charan, his wife Upasana, M. M. Keeravaani, his wife Srivalli S. S. Rajamouli and his better half Rama Rajamouli, who unlike any other global star chose to flaunt the Indian wear at the ceremony. Ram Charan looked every inch dapper in an all black Kurta paired with straight pants and sunglasses. His wife Upasana dolled up in a printed saree. Rajamouli chose a black kurta, red dhoti pants and a crisp red dupatta while his wife Rama, a costume designer, opted for a green and orange Kanjeevaram saree. Keeravaani seemed to join the gang with a black kurta and straight pants. His wife chose a bright yellow and orengish-red nine-yard wonder. Jr. NTR looked every inch handsome as he opted for a black suit paired with a bow-tie and a white shirt. ‘RRR’ centres around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, their fictional friendship and their fight against the British Raj. Set in the 1920s, the plot explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country.
PRAVASI BHARTIYA DIVAS 2023
Over 3,500 registrations from nearly 70 nations for 17th PBD
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) For the upcoming 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), India has received an enthusiastic response from its diaspora with more than 3,500 registrations from nearly 70 different countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The NRI convention, which will be held from January 8-10 in Indore, will see ministerial level delegations from Mauritius, Malaysia, Panama, afterthought. “We have some amazing superheroes in India too,” he pointed out. “How about you invite one of our heroes over here?” Talking specifically about ‘Naatu Naatu’, he said: “My knees still wobble talking about it today. It was a beautiful torture and look where it has got us.” Was the ‘RRR’ director S.S. Rajamouli hard on them during the terrific action sequences? Rajamouli said: “I took care of them like babies. No one ever got hurt.” To this, Ram
Narendra Modi on January 9. Five plenary sessions are planned for the PBD with themes of healthcare, soft power, Indian workforce and women, Sayeed said during the briefing. He added that four of these sessions would be headed by cabinet ministers for the first time. Additionally, a town hall has been planned, where G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant as well as coordinator Harshvardhan Shringla will give a presentation on India’s G20 presidency. The first day, January 8, will be celebrated as Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which will be organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs. Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur will deliver opening remarks along with External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar during this session of the convention.
‘World looking at India with hope’, says PM Modi at Pravasi Divas event
Bhopal, Jan 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Monday that the entire world was keenly looking at India with hope. He was addressing the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city. After welcoming a large gathering of NRIs, who have arrived here from several countries to participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, PM Modi said that every Indian-origin person living in foreign countries ‘is brand ambassador of India’. “As India has achieved high growth in several sectors, and especially despite Covid-19 pandemic, the entire world is watching us keenly. They are trying to know how India is strengthening its power despite hurdles. This is going to happen more because India is going to be progressive in coming years. And therefore, the role of each Pravasi Bharatiya living in different countries has increased,” Modi said. During the over 30-minute address, PM Modi briefly spoke in English also. He appealed to the gathering of NRIs to get the knowledge about India’s culture, diversity, democratic values, power of youth and many more in depth and spread the knowledge in countries they are living. “The more you will understand about India, the better you will be able to tell new generations and NRIs in your countries. How India is growing, and what the possibilities are for new generations need to be taught so that more and more people come to India for research in every field,” the PM added. The Prime Minister further said that India not only has the capability of becoming a knowledge centre but also a skilled capital. He said India’s youth has values, skill, honesty and strong determination towards work. “Many Indian-origin people are contributing in building the nations they are living in now. I would appeal that a documentary should be made about the struggle of such people, whose role was making their present countries acknowledge them. We need to understand their struggle and courage to tell our new generations,” Modi added He also requested that every Pravasi Bharatiya should know about India’s progress. India has also taken the presidency of G20 which is a great opportunity to show India’s sustainability goals and become an example of Jan Bhagidari for the world. He further added that India got the opportunity to host the G20 summit where leaders of top 20 countries will assemble at one stage. “But, let me tell you that, India will use this occasion to make it as a ‘Jan Bhagidari’. Our idea is to take it beyond diplomatic event and to aid on a new thought and practice in G20 groups,” the PM said.
