India shone at the 95th Academy Awards in Los Angeles with two Oscar trophies, as The Elephant Whisperers won the Best Documentary Short Subject, and “Naatu Naatu” song from Telugu film RRR won for Best Original Song, becoming the first Indian song to win an Oscar.
Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, The Elephant Whisperers is a heartwarming film on the deep bond between a pair of elephants and their humans. The 40-minute film on Netflix features, as Gonsalves said, the ‘sacred bond between us and the natural world and respect for indigenous communities’.
The Oscars for Naatu Naatu were awarded to composer MM Keeravaani, who sang a version of The Carpenters’ hit “Top of the World” as his acceptance speech, and lyricist Chandrabose. The famous track is directed by SS Rajamouli and features actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR. The Telugu song beat heavy-weight competitors – Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once, and “Applause” from Tell It Like A Woman. The song, “Naatu Naatu” had won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in January. It was also performed live during the Oscar ceremony by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, and danced by Lauren Gottlieb. Deepika Padukone – the third Indian to attend as a presenter after Persis Khambatta and Priyanka Chopra – introduced the performance.
