Music composer MM Keeravaani received the Best Original Song Oscar for RRR song “Naatu Naatu” at the 95th Academy Awards. In his speech, Keeravaani paid tribute to The Carpenters and now according to actor Ram Charan, one of the lead cast of the film, SS Rajamouli is such a perfectionist that he made Keeravaani rehearse his acceptance speech as well.
Recalling the kind of rehearsals that went into the making of “Naatu Naatu”, Charan called Rajamouli the “beautiful torture” as he spoke at India Today Conclave 2023. He added, “You won’t believe it, but I heard my composer’s speech. The Oscars is timed to 45 seconds, they shut the mike after that. My director is so particular that he made my composer rehearse that speech 15 to 20 times so it stops at 45 seconds.”
MM Keeravaani sang his version of The Carpenters song “Top of the World” after receiving the Oscar for Best Original Song along with lyricist Chandrabose. “There was only one wish on my mind, so was Rajamouli’s and my family’s, RRR has to win, pride of every Indian and must put me on top of the world,” he sang, as the crowd reacted with cheers and laughter.
Later, Richard Carpenter of The Carpenters fame shared a video on Instagram where he along with his daughters, Mindi and Tracy, performed a rehashed version of the song and congratulated Keeravaani on his win.
Talking about MM Keeravaani, Ram Charan added, “He is so adorable, nobody has sung like that, The Carpenter song and Mr Carpenter replying to that, that was the moment.”
“Naatu Naatu” became the first Indian song to win the Best Original Song award at the Oscars.
