Bop Of The World!

The method behind the magic of M.M. Keeravani and the making of the song that won India an Oscar

- Rahul Devulapalli

Like the main dancer swaying at the festival of a local goddess,
Like an aggressive bull jumping in the dust of the fields,
Like playing with a stick while wearing wooden slippers,
Like young boys gathering in the shade of a banyan tree,
Like eating a red jowar roti with red chilli paste,
Listen to my song. Naatu, Naatu...

On-screen, brothers in arms Raju and Bheem made arrogant British men fall to their feet with their dance of rebellion. Off-screen, cousins M.M. Keeravani and S.S. Rajamouli were in sync, too. Together, they and other members of their clan sculpted a film, in particular a song, that leapt across barriers of language and music to set feet tapping all over the world.

“When we first saw the song on the screen, it gave me goosebumps,” said Jeevan Babu, a keyboardist who worked on RRR and who is a close associate of Keeravani. “It was as if all our hard work had paid off.”

On March 12, powered by goodwill, countless TikToks and an intense PR campaign, ‘Naatu Naatu’ won best original song at the 95th Oscars—a first for an Indian production. “I’m on top of the world,” Keeravani told reporters afterwards.

What worked for ‘Naatu Naatu’ could be any number of reasons: The urge to root for an underdog, the catchy tune with a repeatable chorus, the fantastic choreography, or even, as cynics might argue, the jury feeling good about themselves for being inclusive and voting for an outsider.

“‘Naatu Naatu’ has all the flavour of a traditional Indian song,” said Malayalam lyricist M.D. Rajendran, who has worked with Keeravani. “That was the reason for its success. Keeravani has delivered a truly original Indian song.”