‘RRR’ Roars Again: The Telugu Blockbuster Wins Best Foreign Film, Best Song at Critics Choice Awards
- The awards followed its Golden Globe win for the foot-tapping number “Naatu Naatu” by M.M. Keeravani, which is sung by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR” (Roudram, Ranam, Rudiram) continued its winning streak by winning best foreign language film and best song for “Naatu Naatu” at last night’s Critics’ Choice Awards. The awards come a week after the Golden Globe win for “Naatu Naatu,” the foot-tapping number by M.M. Keeravani, which is sung by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
In the Best Foreign Language Film, “RRR” was pitted against “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Argentina 1985,” “Bardo” “False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” “Close,” and “Decision to Leave.” “Naatu Naatu” was nominated along with “Carolina” ( “Where the Crawdads Sing”), “Ciao Papa” ( “Pinocchio”), “Hold My Hand” ( Top Gun: Maverick), “Lift Me Up” ( “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and “New Body Rhumba” (“White Noise”).
In his acceptance speech, Rajamouli thanked the women in his life — his mother, his sister-in-law, his wife, and his daughters. “My mother Rajanandini, she thought school education was overrated and she encouraged me to read comics and story books and she encouraged my creativity,” he said. My sister-in-law Srivalli, who became like a mother to me, she always encourages me to be the best version of myself.” He said his wife Rama, who is a costume designer of his films, is “the designer” of his life. “If she is not there, I am not here today. To my daughters, they don’t do anything, just their smile is enough to light my life up.”
In a series of tweets, composer M.M. Keeravani shared photos with James Cameron at the awards ceremony and said the Oscar-winning director had watched the film twice and complimented him for his music.
Set in 1920s India, “RRR” centers around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), their fictional friendship and their fight against the British Raj. It also stars Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Olivia Morris.
Fans, critics, actors, filmmakers, and first-time Indian movie watchers have been praising the film for Rajamouli’s vision, high-octane fight sequences and Keeravaani’s rousing musical soundtrack. It is Rajamouli’s second film to attain success after “Baahubali: The Conclusion.”
The film is included in the Oscars shortlist announced last month. Last week, it made it to the BAFTA longlist for the ‘film not in English language’ category.