Earlier this year, after winning an Oscar for The Elephant Whisperers, when Guneet Monga was about to make her speech, then the music started and she was cut off. She ended up screaming, ‘This is India’s first Oscar, for an Indian film’. When she shouted out, Riz Ahmed, Malala Yousafzai and several other filmmakers cheered in the audience. That moment wasn’t telecast.

As a feature film producer, Guneet says her next dream is to get an Oscar for an Indian feature film. “I also have to go back and finish my speech that was cut off,” she said during a discussion titled, ‘Building the India story globally, one film at a time’ at the recently concluded Dharamshala International Film Festival in Mcleodganj.

In response to the question, ‘Do you believe you are pride of India?’ Guneet replied, “I’m the pride of India. I’m the best producer in India. I do believe that. In 2018, a book on women changemakers had a chapter on me. The last line of the chapter is, ‘Do you think India will win an Oscar?’ and I said, ‘I will win an Oscar.’ I said, ‘I’m winning it, and it’s on the way’. It was 2018. In 2019, we won for Period: End Of Sentence. But on that film I was an EP, so I did not get the trophy. I thought, ‘Oh! I told the universe the wrong thing.’ Then I told the universe ‘I need the trophy’, so now in 2023, I have the trophy. Now, I’m telling the universe (that I want to bag an Oscar) for an Indian feature film. Shorts bohot achhi baat hai, but now feature film because I’m a feature film producer. That’s also happening. I have to also go back and finish my speech that was cut off.”

When I started in independent filmmaking, my dream always was to do something like Monsoon Wedding – something that the whole world watches. You go to a tiny village in some part of the world, and people are like, ‘I have seen your film.’ That dream got fulfilled with The Lunchbox. Then I saw a new dream – of course, I want to win an Oscar. I’m not saying I know how to. But you do so much, and you show up with that intention, and something happens. I definitely wanted to tell brown stories to the world. I now want to do (films on) ‘Crazy Rich Indians’; I now want to do ‘Brown Panther’; I now want to do ‘Indian Jurrassic Park’! I want to cross the threshold of brown films in the billion-dollar industry. I’m going to figure out how to do it in the next decade.”

When I was new in Mumbai I was told, ‘Oh my God! You are too Punjabi, you are too loud.’ I had to learn how to talk. People used to say, ‘You are a hustler,’ and that was a bad word. And I internalized it. I was like, ‘Is it a bad thing to want to make a film and just be so excited about it that everybody who meets you, you tell them – you know this?’

Guneet said that her turning point in understanding films was The Lunchbox, which gained global recognition but couldn’t find any distributor in India. Despite financial constraints, she took it to Cannes and sold it worldwide within 24-36 hours. However, Indian distribution remained elusive. This led her to introspect – what was she missing?

She said, “I need to speak their language. Aap kranti apne kone mein nahi la sakte... You really have to be in the thick of it to bring the change. When Karan Johar came on board for distribution, I saw magic happen. The film earned Rs. 25-26 crore at the box office. It was still the film which had no songs, most of the film is in English. Distribution was mainstream. That made me think that I need to be a part of mainstream.”

In response to a question about the role of a producer, she mentioned that the most underrated aspect is creating an environment that serves the story rather than being self-serving. She underlined that no one is bigger than the story, adding, “And then once it’s ready, people just comment – ‘What is this? Nobody is going to watch it.’ With The Lunchbox, people said, ‘At least let them meet in the end. If they don’t meet, at least put a bell so the audience knows he has come home.’ For The Elephant Whisperers, everyone said, ‘Put a voiceover – get the biggest actor in the world who works for wildlife.’ But we insisted, ‘No, the indigenous community needs to have a voice. It’s a decision-making process every day.’”

“I didn’t know it would happen during our Caribbean trip, but believe me, I was ready in case it did,” says the ABCD: Any Body Can Dance actress, Lauren Gottlieb, about the sweet surprise she received from boyfriend and now fiancé Tobias Jones, who slipped a ring on her finger during their recent holiday.

It was an emotional moment for the dancer-actress seeing Tobias go down on his knees. Lauren shares, “He did such a wonderful job planning it and to see him get down on one knee was surreal. The location in Aruba was such that it made the whole scene look so dreamy. We called both of our families after the proposal and everyone was thrilled.”

Tobias, who is a video creator, and Lauren have been dating for over a year. Elaborating on how they met, she says, “We collaborate on a lot of content together. That’s actually how we first met and started working on projects, long distance. I would shoot in Los Angeles and he would edit from London. As soon as we met in person we knew this was it. I’ve slowly been moving my life to London.”

We ask if they are planning to get married anytime soon and Lauren replies, “We haven’t discussed our wedding yet. We are still in the engagement celebration mode. I’m super keen to get married, but for now I am just enjoying this phase.”

She signs off saying, "Having a partner who believes in you and is there for you no matter what is the most comforting feeling, but what is even better is that we push each other forward so we can build the best life together. I’ve shown Tobias all my songs. He was cheering for me when I performed at the 95th Academy Awards (on the award-winning song Naatu Naatu from RRR). The real challenge would be getting him to learn a Bollywood step."

Oscar-winning lyricist Chandrabose won his first National Film Award for Best Lyrics for the song Dham Dham Dham from the 2021 Telugu film Konda Polam. “My only dream was to win a National Award in my life. I didn’t have a vision beyond it. I’ve been manifesting this for the past 12 years and working really hard for it,” he shares.

The lyricist, who won an Academy Award for Naatu Naatu (RRR; 2022) earlier this year, reveals that “he had high expectation” of winning a National Award when he created the music for Rangasthalam 1985 (2018), “but I didn’t. And now, it has finally happened”.

While the 53-year-old is extremely happy about the win, he is surprised he hasn’t been appreciated as much as he expected: “After getting the Oscar, I was flooded with messages. And now that I have won the National Award, only a handful of people congratulated me. My wife asked, ‘Why are media people not calling you?’ [I think] Maybe they are tired of me (laughs) or since several Telugu people have won this time, the attention is divided.”

Chandrabose, however, is celebrating the fact that this recognition, in both the national and international arenas, has greatly benefitted him. “This year has been very fruitful for me. People in the industry now trust my sense of work. They are confident that I will give it my all. A nod by people from across the world has given them an assurance in my abilities and I am now getting a lot of offers,” concludes Chandrabose, dedicating this award to his village for being his “biggest teacher”.

From getting married to winning a coveted statuette for her documentary The Elephant Whisperers, the past few months have been nothing short of eventful for Guneet Monga. Now, the Oscar-winning producer just wants to take a pause — and the month of May seems to be her designated downtime.

“April was really busy; my show Gutur Gu released. In May, my film with (actor) Sanya Malhotra [will be out]... I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really want to take some time off. Shaadi bhi kari, Oscar bhi [jeeta], aur do-teen releases bhi hain. Literally for me, it’s ‘everything everywhere all at once’,” says Monga, in a witty reference to the award-winning film of the same name.

An Oscar win would naturally translate into more offers, and so is the case with the 39-year-old: “Yes, there is a massive influx of work offers, both nationally and internationally. But I have just not had time over the last month... I am literally telling people, ‘Meet me in June.’”

In all of this, has she had the chance to process her historic win? “I’ve had no time to do that! [But] I am just grateful for all of it and for the love the country has been giving us,” she says.

And to reciprocate this love, Monga has been carrying the trophy along everywhere, letting people hold it and feel it: “It (the statuette) is for the whole country, so why not? All of us manifested it together!”

When producer Guneet Monga was cut off midway during her speech after winning an Academy Award, it drew ire. But, a section of internet users also noticed how Chandrabose got just a second or two to speak after lifting the Oscar for Naatu Naatu (Best Original Song). The lyricist, however, has “no complaints”.

He tells us, “Keeravani sir (composer M M Keeravani) was given 45 seconds, but he spoke for 30 and the music started playing. I got just one second to speak. The only word I uttered was ‘namaste’ and that was enough. I always say we don’t need hours to make history; even one second will do.”

But, never in his wildest dreams did Chandrabose imagine the RRR (2022) song would bring India glory on a stage like the Oscars. What made it stand out, he feels, is the “local flavour” it had. “The song has a rural setting. It reflects my childhood and the village I grew up in. It came straight from my heart. Since we incorporated elements of our culture in it, people in the West found it fresh. I believe that’s the definition of art — taking local culture to the global stage,” says the lyricist, who wrote “90% of the song in 45 minutes”.

“It then went to Rajamouli sir (S S Rajamouli, director) for approval. He liked it and passed it on to Keeravani sir to work on the composition. He worked on it for a long time. Sometimes, the lyrics would not fit the tune, or the tune had to be changed to retain the lyrics. After several versions and discussions, the very first tune was locked,” he recalls.

Chandrabose is elated at the overwhelming response the song continues to get from all quarters. Sharing how it is almost like a “mantra” (chant) today, he adds, “Americans, Japanese... everyone is dancing to the song, without understanding the lyrics. It’s like the veda mantra. We may not understand [entirely] what it means, but there is a sort of energy that gets us addicted to it. Everybody connects with the rhyming of words (in Naatu Naatu), the sounds and the phonetics of it,” says the lyricist, who has also penned songs for the film Pushpa: The Rise (2021), besides several other projects.

S S Rajamouli’s RRR (2022) had a long Oscar campaign in the US, which eventually came to an end when one of its songs, Naatu Naatu, won the Oscar in the Original Song category. Now, in an interview with Humans Of Bombay, actor Ram Charan’s wife, entrepreneur Upasana Kamineni Konidela, shares how important it was for her to be there for Charan, which included their trips to the US for the Oscar as well as the shooting of RRR.

She says, “I was there on the set of Naatu Naatu with him (Charan) in Ukraine where they were filming the entire routine. I just had to be there for him because he was physically shaking, and he needed as much support as he could get! During the dancing and things like that. LA (during the Oscars) was like a great vacation for me, and to be with him at that time was really nice [too]. Everyone around me was so warm, I didn’t even expect it. This was unknown territory for us, but everyone was so warm, it was really nice.”

Konidela acknowledges that Charan has been there for her through her tough times at work: “He (Charan) has been with me through some of my really, really tough times at work, and of course he is there with me during all my successes as well.”

Konidela and Charan have been married for over 10 years and are expecting their first child together this year. They announced their big news in December 2022, just as the Oscar buzz began for RRR. 

Guneet: It is intuitive, but producing is an art. The process is not everyone’s cup of tea and is extremely underrated. In our country, producing is seen as somebody putting in the money. Before taking up any project, I have a conversation with myself about what it is that we are bringing to light and if there is some innovation in it. Though a film is the director’s brainchild, we are holding the light for the director and making sure that this journey is as smooth and beautiful as possible.

Kartiki: While I was driving back from Ooty to Bengaluru, I spotted a three-month-old elephant calf, Raghu. The calf was walking by the road with his trunk wrapped around Bomman’s (protagonist’s) arms. It came across as a beautiful connection between a human and an elephant. It made me think, why is this elephant calf with a human being? That’s when I got to know the bittersweet reality of Asian elephants losing their habitat at a rapid pace due to encroachment and climate change... I wanted to put that out in the world, through the story of a sacred bond between the couple (Bomman and Bellie) and an elephant.

Kartiki: Observing animals in an ecosystem is a challenge because you never know what will happen next. It requires a lot of patience. Plus, the [way towards the] Nilgiris was shut due to Covid, as the officials wanted to protect the 20 indigenous communities. On top of it, I got a bad bout of Covid-19. We got worried if there is a chance of elephants getting the infection. These were some of the challenges. However, the biggest challenge was disconnecting from your human emotions. When Raghu (the elephant) was taken away, the entire crew was in tears, however, we couldn’t do anything but record.

Guneet: The love showered [on the documentary] has been beautiful. The OTT platform (Netflix) on which the documentary came on has a wide reach. It is like putting a hoarding on the moon. After the launch [of the documentary], the first love came through fan art globally. In my 16 years of filmmaking, I had never seen this kind of fan art. Kids started responding to it. One thing led to another and we went from strength to strength. It’s unprecedented what happened. We were shortlisted and in March, we won the Oscars. It has been a very beautiful journey.

Kartiki: It was a very easy decision to make. Right from the beginning, I wanted to give the indigenous people a voice. From all my past experiences, when you have a narrator come in, it takes away from the personal bond between the couple and the viewers. The couple had so many beautiful messages to take the story forward. I feel that when there is a narrator, there is always a different interpretation.

Guneet: The Elephant Whisperers (2022) won Best Documentary Short film — a first for an Indian production. Besides this, I was also the executive producer of Period. End of Sentence. (2018) which had won an award in the Documentary Short Subject category at the 91st Academy Awards. An Oscar is definitely the biggest award in the world in our industry. Now, it happens to be in the West and we can’t do anything about it. It is because of the Oscars that we are going places. It is a celebration of filmmaking.

I feel everything adds up in life. Whenever I talk to young people, I tell them to do as many internships as possible. My first internship was with Hindustan Times here in Delhi. It gives you exposure and confidence. My childhood was tough, but full of dreams. My parents were beautiful and gave me hope and ambition. They made me a fierce and an independent person. In my world, my life was beautiful despite all the chaos, property feuds and fights. My parents protected me from it and let me dream. And such exposures continue to help me.

S S Karthikeya, line producer and son of director S S Rajamouli, recently set the record straight on the controversy surrounding the promotion of RRR ahead of the Oscars. In a recent interview, he clarified that the team spent Rs. 8.50 crore on promoting the film in the US, not the Rs. 80 crore claimed by filmmaker Thammareddy Bharadwaj.

Before the Oscars, there was a massive controversy following Thammareddy Bharadwaj’s allegation that “the team spent Rs. 80 crores” on promoting the film in the US. This led to criticism casting aspersions about the legitimacy of RRR’s Oscar campaign.

Karthikeya shot back at the critics saying, “We didn’t have a huge studio backing us like some of the other nominees in the race, so everything came out of our pocket. Our initial plan was to spend Rs. 5 crores to generate interest in the film. We divided the campaign into three phases and spent Rs. 2.5-3 crores just in the first phase.”

Karthikeya explained that the money went towards social media campaigns, email blasts, paper advertisements, and most importantly, screenings in New York and Los Angeles.

Karthikeya said, “We had two PR teams in New York and one in Los Angeles ensuring we were getting good press coverage. The second phase was the nominations, and though we thought we could wrap it up in under Rs. 6 crores, it cost us Rs. 8.5 cores in total.”

Clarifying that the team did buy tickets to the Oscars, Karthikeya said, “Mr NTR, Mr Ram Charan, Prem Rakshith, Kaala Bhairava, Rahul Sipligunj were invitees. Keeravaani babai and Chandrabose garu were the nominees. For the rest of us, the nominees had to write an email to the Academy, requesting them to let us attend. We bought tickets on the lower level for $1500 each and on top for $750 each.”

Karthikeya added, “RRR became so huge, it became a phenomenon. But thinking we could buy an Oscar is a joke, it’s a 95-year-old credible institution. You can’t buy the audience’s love or what Steven Spielberg or James Cameron said about the movie. They’ll say what they want to say. ”

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Ever since the team behind the film RRR (2022) returned from the Academy Awards, reports about them having spent Rs. 80 crore on the Oscars campaign have been doing the rounds. Addressing these in a recent interview, filmmaker S S Rajamouli’s son, producer SS Karthikeya, said, “An Oscar can’t be bought. People’s love can’t be bought.”

In a conversation with Galatta Plus, he explained that makers spend on a campaign to get their films noticed. But, the amount being reported wasn’t accurate. “We wanted to wrap up things in Rs. 5 crores. But we ended up spending Rs. 8.5 crores on the campaign. Special screenings were arranged in a couple of cities in the USA. We thought we needed more shows in New York, where we were lagging behind,” he said.

There were also reports about the team spending $2,500 to attend the Oscar ceremony. On how much was actually spent, Karthikeya clarified, “People like Ram Charan, Jr NTR (actors), Prem Rakshit (choreographer), Kaala Bhairava, Rahul Sipligunj (singers), MM Keeravani (composer) and Chandrabose (lyricist) were officially invited. Each of these nominees have a few seats that they can accommodate for people they’d like to bring. But, they have to send out a mail to the Academy and tell them who they’re bringing along. So, there are classes of seats and they have to be paid for. We paid around $1,500 per seat in the lower level and $750 per seat for the top level. That’s about it.”

RRR, which earned over Rs. 1,200 crores globally during its theatrical run, is the first Indian production to bag an Oscar for Best Original Song.

India created history at the 95th Academy Awards by winning two Oscars, one in Best Original Song category Naatu Naatu (RRR, 2022) and the other for Best Documentary Short film category The Elephant Whisperers (2022). Days after this development, M M Keeravani, the composer of Naatu Naatu, has now revealed that Guneet Monga, producer of The Elephant Whisperers was hospitalized after her win.

While talking about his excitement on receiving his first Oscar, Keeravani went on to reveal that it was ‘not to an extent where you go breathless’. In an interview with Galatta Plus, Keeravani said, “The universe was listening to my prayers and it happened. But it was exciting only, but not to an extent where you go breathless, like the fellow award winner – Guneet Monga. She was not given time to speak her words, so she went breathless and she was hospitalized also.”

Reacting to her speech cut short on stage at the Oscars as her film The Elephant Whisperers won an award in the Best Documentary Short Film category, Monga had earlier expressed her shock.

“There was a shock on my face. I just wanted to say it’s India’s first Oscar in Indian production, which is such a huge thing. My heart started racing as I couldn’t have come so far and not be heard. Western media is pulling up The Academy that I did not get to speak. People are so offended that I did not get the chance to deliver my speech. There are videos and tweets online expressing disappointment that I couldn’t get to speak. This was India’s moment taken away from me,” she had said.

Singer Rahul Sipligunj, who performed the history-making, now-global hit Naatu Naatu (RRR, 2022) along with singer Kaala Bhairava at the 2023 Oscars, feels “extremely grateful” for the opportunity. “To be at the Dolby Theatre and perform on that stage was a dream come true,” he exclaims. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, beating out Rihanna and Lady Gaga. 

Sipligunj, 33, won the third season of Telugu Bigg Boss and then went on to make songs on his own. But he says that Naatu Naatu is what changed his life: “Credit goes to M M Keeravani sir and S S Rajamouli sir. Also, the song is viral because of the two superstars, Ram Charan and Jr NTR, and the hook step. It wouldn’t have been possible with just one person.”

When asked about the absence of the two actors on stage during the act, Sipligunj says, “If they had appeared on stage, it would have been a big blast! But I don’t know what happened.” 

Ask him about meeting singer Rihanna, who had a green room next to theirs, and he shares, “She heard us (Bhairava and I) as we were talking about how we needed a picture with her. Then she approached us and congratulated us. She was so humble and so beautiful.”

India’s recent twin triumphs at the 95th Academy Awards was a historic moment, and so was witnessing the team of the Telugu action drama RRR (2022) erupt into joy upon winning the Oscar for Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu.

However, it has now emerged that the film’s director S S Rajamouli had to pay Rs. 20 lakhs per ticket to attend the Oscars live at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and so did the film’s lead pair Ram Charan and Jr NTR.

As is the tradition, the only members of the team who received invites to attend the event were Naatu Naatu composer M M Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose. The 49-year-old filmmaker, who was at the Oscars night along with his wife and son, also purchased invites worth $25,000 each for the rest of the team that attended the event.

The information has drawn sharp reactions from fans on social media, who have expressed their surprise at the film’s team not being given a pass, while some are also upset that everyone in the team, except Keeravani and Chandrabose, were seated in rows towards the end.

The Elephant Whisperers, a Tamil language documentary short, directed by docu filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, created history at the 95th Oscars by becoming the first Indian film produced by an Indian production to win an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Film category. The heartwarming documentary follows an ageing couple Bomman and Bellie — in South India, who foster orphaned elephants. The film shows how they co-exist with nature and share their space and home with lost elephants, who they raise as their own children.

Overwhelmed with joy, and now back in India, Guneet Monga exclusively spoke to Bombay Times after the massive victory. Excerpts...

It will take time for all this to sink in. It feels like a beginning of a new chapter for Indian cinema. This is the first Oscar for an Indian production. My team and I are thrilled to have represented India on a global stage. We are grateful for all the love that this story of indigenous people, an orphan baby elephant Raghu and the caretakers Bommon and Bellie, have received. This documentary touched the hearts of audiences worldwide. It’s a huge honour for us and I dedicate this award to our beautifully diverse country, India. I am glad to be able to serve this vision of bringing women filmmakers to the forefront while winning nothing short of an Oscar.

It was majestic to witness the live performance of Naatu Naatu and watch the song win an Oscar for India. I was almost dancing in my chair and I’m proud that we could share this moment and global stage with S S Rajamouli sir, M M Keeravani, Chandrabose, Ram Charan and Jr NTR. I’d also like to mention that I’m proud of Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes. The film may not have won, but Shaunak is one of the most promising filmmakers to look out for from India. All three nominations made 2023 a glorious year for India at the Oscars.

I am in awe of Michelle Yeoh’s speech (who won the Best Actress award), especially when she said, “Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you that you are past your prime.” I think she spoke for every woman in the world.

I was very disheartened about my speech being cut off. There was shock on my face. I just wanted to say it’s India’s first Oscar in Indian production, which is such a huge thing. My heart started racing as I couldn’t reach so far and not be heard. Western media is pulling up the Academy that I did not get to speak. There are also tweets and videos online expressing disappointment over it. This was India’s moment taken away from me. But then, I thought it’s okay, I will come back here and I will make sure I am heard. I have got multiple opportunities to share my thoughts and it’s heartening to receive all the love.

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History was made at the 95th Academy Awards when The Elephant Whisperers (2022) produced by Guneet Monga and directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, won the Best Documentary Short Film statuette. The 41-minute documentary narrates the tale of an orphaned elephant calf, Raghu, put in the care of mahouts, Bomman and Bellie. The Oscar win brought focus to the care of elephants and made the world stand up and take notice of Indian stories, including her film, which has paved the way for change, says Monga. 

Elaborating on how the victory created a positive impact for the welfare of elephants in Tamil Nadu, says, “We witnessed the power of storytelling after the win. The state government announced Rs. 1 lakh from the CM Relief Fund for each of the 91 elephant caretakers in the two camps of the state, as a token of appreciation. It also allocated Rs. 9.1 crores to build homes for mahouts and Rs. 5 crores has been allotted to develop an elephant camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. CM MK Stalin has also felicitated Bommon and Bellie.” Happy with the difference she has managed to make, Monga adds, “We will continue to tell stories that matter and stories that make a difference.” 

What makes this award more special for Monga is the fact that “two women won it”. She shares, “I’m so proud and honoured that Kartiki (who debuted with the film) and I were the only two women representing India at the Oscars this year and won the first award for an Indian production. This is historic and a message for my fellow women.” 

Sharing the joy of witnessing fellow artistes make India proud on the Oscars stage, Monga tells us, “It was majestic to witness the live performance of Naatu Naatu (RRR, 2022) and win an Oscar. I’m so proud that we could share this moment with S S Rajamouli sir, MM Keeravani, Chandrabose, Ram Charan and Jr NTR.”

Acknowledging Shaunak Sen, Monga adds, “I’m so proud of All That Breathes (2022). The film may not have won, but Shaunak is one of the most promising filmmakers from India to look out for. All three nominations made 2023 a glorious year for India at the Oscars.”

Three days since his Oscar win, M M Keervaani’s atypical acceptance speech at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre still brings a smile to the faces of Indian fans. His uncle, K V Vijayendra Prasad, however, cuts a composed figure when discussing the musician’s win at the biggest awards night.

“When he was young, I was the one who would take him around to producers and directors to make him a music director. This victory is as much mine as it is his. I am so proud of what he has achieved today,” says Prasad, who also penned the film RRR, which bagged Keeravaani the Academy Award for Naatu Naatu.

Having witnessed the now-global track’s journey from when it was penned till it was filmed, Prasad says he knew it had immense promise, but never “in my dreams thought it would win the Oscar”. “Only in the last few months did we begin to feel that we had a chance,” he says, adding that when the news was announced, he “thanked our Guruji for his blessings” and “prayed for humility so that this win doesn’t go to our heads”.

The win has evidently reignited discussion about the film’s sequel. While team members Jr NTR, Ram Charan, and S S Rajamouli have all spoken about RRR 2 at Hollywood events, it was as early as March 2022 that Prasad had told this paper that the script had sufficient fodder for the making of another edition. At the time, the team was revelling in the film’s box-office success, and Prasad had said that part two could “be set outside India”. 

It was at the film’s success party that the director-writer duo knew that another edition was indeed warranted. “I had an idea that I shared with [Rajamouli]. He liked it, and now we will develop it. Both the lead actors will return for the sequel and will play the same characters.” 

With the attention of international audiences on the film, does he find the expectations attached with the next edition daunting? “I don’t live my life according to the expectations of others. I approach every script with a fresh and unique perspective. There is no pressure, only pleasure in writing stories.”

At the moment, however, he doesn’t intend to train his attention on the sequel. Prasad has his hands full with other film commitments, including Rajamouli’s next with Mahesh Babu. “Mahesh Babu’s script is my only priority right now, and nothing will steal my attention from it. I don’t feel any pressure to complete RRR 2, though it is underway,” he says of the action-adventure drama, apparently based on real-life events.

As though being part of two mammoth projects isn’t daunting enough, Prasad, 80, will also venture into direction in a matter of months. In fact, he has been restricting the writing offers coming his way to kick off his directorial venture, Bhagwa Dhwaj, by April 24. “However, nothing will be done until Mahesh Babu’s script is completed.”

Bhagwa Dhwaj is a big-budget historical drama that will trace the genesis of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He tells the story of the right-wing Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation, which was founded in 1925 by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. The Hindi film, he says, will be dubbed in several languages, and dramatized for the big screen. Even as we ask him when casting for the multi-starrer will commence, we already know the answer — “After Mahesh Babu’s script is ready.”

All That Breathes director Shaunak Sen says he has been flooded with messages of support after his climate change documentary lost out to Navalny at the Oscars. “So many chin-uppy messages of encouragement/support since yesterday. We were low for about an hour, but we’re soon distracted into equanimity amidst the whirl of glittery people and things. Brain is still to wrap around the fact that this is the end of this chapter,” the director wrote on Instagram.

“Next we’ll be working hard to figure India distribution,” he wrote of the film that’s yet to release in India, adding, “For now, very very nice to share this bizarre, swollen day with the brothers, and so many members of our crew. Hugest congratulations to the winning films from India!”

Naatu Naatu from RRR and The Elephant Whisperers emerged as winners in the Original Song and Documentary Short Film categories at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday. The documentary previously won the World Cinema Grand -Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and the Golden Eye award for the best documentary at the 2022 Cannes.

Set in Delhi, All That Breathes follows siblings, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who have devoted their lives to rescuing and treating injured birds, especially black kites. The director says, “Anyone who lives in Delhi is aware of the air as kind of a dark and tactile object. I did not think that I was making a film on air pollution at all. The basis of the story is the relationship between the brothers and how they continue treating so many birds, second – the broader landscape of Delhi, and third – the bird itself.”

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Of the three Indian entries for the 95th Academy Awards — two documentaries and a feature film — nominated in different categories, two brought home the coveted trophy. Guneet Monga Kapoor’s The Elephant Whisperers and the song Naatu Naatu from RRR (2022) won awards in their respective categories. However, Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes (ATB) lost to Daniel Roher’s Navlany in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. Following this, Sen penned a heartfelt Instagram post with a series of pictures in the order of how “the day progressed”.

Taking the loss with a pinch of salt, Sen and his team posed with a moping face. His last Insta Story also showed the actual celebration by the team showing “how it actually ended”. He acknowledged the “chin-uppy messages of encouragement” and wrote, “We were low for about an hour, but were soon distracted into equanimity amid the whirl of glittery people and things. Brain is still to wrap around the fact that this is the end of this chapter.” 

Sen’s carousel featured team pictures gracing the champagne carpet and his caption read, “For now, very very nice to share this bizarre, swollen day with the brothers and so many members of our crew.” Sen extended accolades to the winning Indian films too.  

All That Breathes, a documentary addressing climate change in India, previously won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and the Golden Eye award for the best documentary at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

After SS Rajamouli’s RRR scripted history at the 95th Academy Awards by winning the Best Original Song Oscar, the film’s scriptwriter V Vijayendra Prasad called it a moment of triumph for the entire film fraternity of India.

Prasad, who is also the father of the film’s director SS Rajamouli, sounded elated with the news of RRR bagging the coveted golden statue for the chartbuster Naatu Naatu. “For long, I had wished for our movies to make waves in Hollywood. Despite having such rich content, we could never really find a foothold beyond Indian shores. That our film made it to the Oscars and won an award is a moment of triumph for the entire film fraternity of India. Our entire film fraternity can and should celebrate this moment of glory because we have, at last, been able to showcase the wealth of talent that we possess. It is such a vast market out there,” Prasad said.

He also said that a sequel to RRR is in the works. “Our country’s richness lies in our storytelling. My son had a conversation with acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who told him never to compromise on our culture of storytelling,” he added.

Naatu Naatu has had a great run during the Hollywood awards season over the last few months. Before entering the Oscars fray in January, the song also won the Golden Globes for the Best Original Song category.

The newborn elephants, made famous by the Oscar-winning Indian documentary, The Elephant Whisperers, are attracting a large crowd of tourists at the Mudumalai Theppakadu elephant camp. The film revolves around a family adopting two infant orphan elephants in Tamil Nadu.

Ranjitha, a guard from the camp who monitors and takes care of the elephants at Theppakadu, says that Raghu and Ammu have been getting many visitors in the last two days. “No special arrangements have been made for the public, but people visit them in the mornings and evenings. People who know about The Elephant Whisperers winning an Oscar click pictures from a distance. Occasionally, I even inform visitors about the film’s achievement,” she says.

The camp doesn’t allow people too close to the elephants. “But there is a spot from which they can view and interact with them safely,” she says.

However, Bomman, the caretaker who features in the film, says that Mudhumalai Camp has always been a major tourist attraction, with visitors frequenting it throughout the year.

With RRR bagging its biggest honours at the Oscars, it’s no surprise that S S Rajamouli is turning heads in Hollywood with his larger-than-life movies, including Baahubali and Magadheera.

Among those taking notice is Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron, who spoke to Rajamouli after RRR won the Best Foreign Language Film at the Critics’ Choice Awards earlier this year. “Because of all the work and passion you’ve put in… all that must be yours. If you ever wanna make a movie over here (Hollywood), let’s talk,” Cameron told the RRR director.

Now, with the Oscars’ win, Rajamouli’s stock has skyrocketed, positioning the filmmaker as a candidate to helm Hollywood projects.

RRR’s lead actor Ram Charan, too, believes Rajamouli has the qualities to direct a Hollywood movie. “Rajamouli is a talented director and his fans want him to direct a big Hollywood film,” said Charan, adding that he hoped to see him direct a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Director S S Rajamouli had his eyes set on an Oscar for RRR from the word go. From the casting to the promotions, everything was meticulously planned. How he got Ram Charan Tej and Jr NTR, the reigning stars of Telugu cinema, to team up is quite a story.

He invited them home separately, without letting on that the other would be there. “I have a project in mind and I want to tell you that I would like to cast both of you in it. Let me know if you agree,” he told them. In the Telugu industry, unlike Bollywood, stars like to act only in solo hero films. So, the casting was Rajamouli’s ‘coup’.

Interestingly, ‘RRR’ was just a working title where the three ‘Rs’ stood for Rajamouli, Ram Charan Tej and Rama Rao. But the title stuck and was later expanded as ‘Roudram Ranam Rudhiram’ in Telugu and ‘Rise Roar Revolt’ in English.

It was the film’s circuit of international film festivals that sparked the Oscar buzz. Starting December 2022, RRR travelled to more than 35 film festivals and won awards in several of them. At the Hollywood Critics Association awards, RRR won five awards, including Best Original Song and Best International Film.

It won the Critics Choice Movie awards for Best Song and Best Foreign Language Film. The Golden Globes, where Naatu Naatu bagged Best Original Song, was the biggest win and, thereby, a huge morale booster.

FEELIN’ GROOVY: Naatu Naatu singers Rahul Sipligunj (right) and Kaala Bhairava

Oscar luck must be written in the stars. Or else how do you explain a 33-year-old from the Old City of Hyderabad wowing the Oscar stage when he wasn’t even supposed to have originally recorded the song that has taken the film world by storm? Rahul Sipligunj’s musical journey began in the lanes of Dhoolpet when he was barely out of his teens. And now he has not only seen Naatu Naatu bag Oscar glory but also got to perform the song along with co-singer Kaala Bhairava on arguably the film world’s biggest stage.

Rahul began by posting song videos on YouTube before he got to sing for the film ‘College Bullodu’ in 2009 and earned rave reviews with ‘Ranga Ranga Rangasthalana’ from the Sukumar-directed ‘Rangasthalam’. He would go on to find fame with his victory in the Telugu ‘Bigg Boss’ and also sing for several music directors.

But when the makers were ready with Naatu Naatu, Rahul was asked if he would sing only the track for the song, which is a sort of a trial version to confirm that everything is right musically. The music director thereafter gets the song sung by a singer of his choice.

But M M Keeravani decided he would get the song sung by Rahul himself. The rest is the stuff of magic. Some of the Oscar glitter also lends a different sheen to Dhoolpet — a locality known for artisans sculpting Ganesha idols in multiple hues that had achieved notoriety due to dealers of arrack and ganja. Now, it finds itself on the movie map thanks to its very own ‘gully boy’.

Before the show, Rahul tweeted in typical Hyderabadi style, “Today is going to be my big dayyyyy! Bless me chichaasss. Love you all.” Later, posting a photo with Keeravani, he wrote, “Congratulations to my guru Shri M M Keeravani sir on winning the Oscar. He believed in me and made me hold the prestigious award.”