Kashmir to Korea: It’s Naatu Naatu time, always!

Ram Charan and Chang Jae-bok, Korean Ambassador to India, match steps to the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu at the meet

RRR is a “pure desi film” that has been embraced by audiences all over the world, Ram Charan emphasised at the G20 session on film tourism he attended in Kashmir
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; May 24, 2023)

During a G20 session held on film tourism in Srinagar, Ram Charan told Indian and foreign delegates that while he usually prefers to talk very little about his achievements, he never gets tired of discussing RRR.

‘RRR ISN’T JUST MINE, IT’S INDIA’S FILM’
Ram Charan said, “I shy away from talking about my achievements, that’s how detached I am from my work. However, when it comes to RRR, it’s a different story. It’s not merely my movie, my song, or my Academy Award. It’s not my director (S S Rajamouli) or my composer (M M Keeravani won best original song for Naatu Naatu) who won it, it’s the people who won it. It’s the people who have taken it to the Academy (Awards) and across the globe. ”

‘I LOOK AT KASHMIR IN AWE’
Apart from recalling his visits to Kashmir as a child, Ram Charan also spoke about his love for the place. He said, “No matter what we hear about Kashmir, this is such a surreal feeling to be here,” adding, “I feel like a tourist when I come here, because this place is something I look at in awe. This is a beautiful untapped place. I want this beautiful paradise to remain like this.”

‘WE SHOT NAATU NAATU FOR 17 DAYS’
Sharing filming experience and how the Naatu Naatu transcended boundaries, Charan said, “When I did the Naatu Naatu song, we shot that song for 17 days. Even now when I talk about this song, my knees hurt. I don’t know (how they did it), you just do it for the passion of the song. It was the highest grossing film in India and we were more than happy, and I actually moved on to my next project. Then we got a call saying that, at Chinese theatres in LA, some audience members are appreciating your film and that video of people enjoying it in a theatre went viral...,” adding, “I am just proud of the fact that the West or the East have taken interest in our films and our emotions which are so rooted to our culture and traditions, not in any other countries’ feelings or emotions. A film with a true Indian director, true Indian producer, true Indian actors and a true Indian emotion went across the globe and achieved what it achieved. I’m just proud and I thank my director (S S Rajamouli) for doing this. It is not a Hollywood studio. This is a pure desi film.”