India ‘overjoyed and proud’ to have won two Oscars, says Modi

Two Indian movies Oscar winners during a historic evening for Asian productions. India is “mad with joy and proud”, declared Narendra Modi, the country’s Prime Minister. Naatu Naatu from indian film RRR won the Oscar for Best Original Song and The Elephant Whisperersfor Best Short Documentary.

the impetuous Naatu Naatu (“dance, dance”) of the high-octane action film, was the favorite of the competition. He had already won Golden Globe for Best Song in January. “The popularity of Naatu Naatu is global. This will be a song that will be remembered for years to come.”said the Prime Minister on Twitter, congratulating the whole team “for this prestigious honor”.

First Oscar for an Indian song

The song is the first from an Indian production to win an Oscar. Among the nominees in this category were hold my hand by Lady Gaga For Top Gun: Maverick And Lift Me Up by Rihanna For Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. According to SS Rajamouli, director of RRRthe frantic sequence of Naatu Naatu was filmed in front of the official residence of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2021, before the invasion of his country by Russia.

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Produced last March by South India’s Telugu-language film industry, the film has met with huge word-of-mouth success, both in India and abroad where viewers have not resisted. to start dancing in the aisles of cinemas. Favorite of the competition and the first Indian song to ever win an Oscar, Naatu Naatu had already been awarded a Golden Globe in January. RRR tells the story of two colonial-era revolutionaries and echoes Hindu mythology, offering action scenes galore.

An evening “historical” for india

Narendra Modi also praised director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga for their documentary The Elephant Whispererswhich takes place in Mudumalai National Park in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. “Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainability and living in harmony with nature”said the Prime Minister on Twitter.

The film tells the story of an orphan elephant, Raghu, entrusted to Bomman and Bellie, an indigenous couple, celebrating the bond that develops between them, at the same time as the beauty of nature. “Tonight is historic because it is the first Oscar for an Indian production”rejoiced Guneet Monga, one of the producers of the film, on her Twitter account.

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