Actor Anupam Kher’s second directorial in more than two decades, Tanvi The Great, will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this May. Anupam shares that he wanted the film’s journey to start from “the Maha Kumbh of cinema”.

“I directed Om Jai Jagadish in 2002, but that was not my story. After that, I didn’t direct any film. I wanted it to come from within me, an Indian film for international viewing. I’ve been waiting to direct another film for 23 years now,” says the 70-year-old.

Anupam adds that he has made the film with a theatrical release in mind: “The film has an Indian character, but it’s a universal film. That’s why I am spending money, taking actors there (Cannes) — it’s a huge kharcha. But I want to put the film on a pedestal. You will not ask Martin Scorcese if his film will release in theatres or OTT! I am not comparing myself to these greats, but when you are making a film with passion, uska jo marzi hashr ho, you make it for the cinemas.”

Ask Anupam, who has worked in international projects such as Silver Linings Playbook (2012), whether Indian films and talent are seen differently now, and he says, “It certainly has changed, but I have not made this film as a crusader. It has an international appeal which is why I signed on internationally known people such as (composer) MM Keeravani and (sound designer) Resul Pookutty, both Oscar winners. My DoP (Keiko Nakahara) is Japanese.”

Academy Award and Golden Globe winner MM Keeravani feels that the popularity of Indian music is largely based on movies, thanks to the visualization.

“You don’t see the singer, composer or programmer on screen, so the association and recall value of a song is largely based on the actor it features. But ultimately, a song has to be enjoyed through your ears. When you start to do that, you would ask for Md Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar or an Anand Bakshi playlist and not rely on, say, a Shah Rukh Khan or Aamir Khan song,” said the Naatu Naatu composer.

At a recent session at the Pune International Film Festival, Keeravani also touched upon changes in music production, and his introduction to Marathi music.

“I was introduced to Marathi music by Amol Palekar and his wife Sandhya Gokhale. They suggested some albums to me and that is how I started listening to Marathi film and non-film music. It’s also how I got introduced to Babuji’s (Sudhir Phadke) work.”

The composer says that collaborations are welcome, but people should find what they are good at and do it perfectly. “In Mohabbatein, which had three young couples and one older couple, there was a common love theme in all four pairs instead of four different themes. That formula worked. So, there’s no problem in experimenting, even in music,” he says, adding, “We have now registered that creating a background score is different from composing songs. There are no hard and fast rules to making music and there is no harm in dividing the work. However, there should be harmony among the people working together.”

Talking about the inclusion of AI and technology in music, Keeravani says, “AI can only assist or tell you how to do a task. As AI is not telling you what to do, it won’t become a replacement for human intelligence. A bullock cart and a car will both take you to your destination, albeit at different speeds. But someone has to steer the car or the cart. Usage of AI is very similar to that.”

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“I don’t understand Hindi language, but I thoroughly enjoy Hindi music”

“Budget is an essential part of music production that is often ignored”

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

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.

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. ”

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.”

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.”

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 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.”

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.”