News Analysis India

Tag: Oscar

  • ‘The Last Emperor’: Pioneering composer Ryuichi Sakamoto dies at 71

    By AFP

    TOKYO:  Pioneering composer and green activist Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose score for “The Last Emperor” scooped an Oscar and a Grammy, has died aged 71 after his second cancer diagnosis.

    Having shot to fame in the 1970s with the influential Japanese group Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sakamoto’s electronic innovations helped lay the foundations for synth-pop, house music and hip-hop.

    But he was perhaps best known for his film soundtracks, including for the World War II drama “Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence”, in which he also acted opposite his friend David Bowie as a prisoner-of-war camp commandant.

    The hauntingly catchy track “Forbidden Colours” from the 1983 film, with vocals by David Sylvian, became a global hit for Sakamoto, who also collaborated with Thomas Dolby and punk legend Iggy Pop in the 80s.

    Sakamoto went on to win an Academy Award with his score for the 1987 period epic “The Last Emperor”, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, which tells the story of China’s last emperor Puyi.

    He lived in New York for decades, but his prolific career made him a huge star in his home country, where he was renowned for his strident anti-nuclear campaigning.

    Despite his recent ill health — he survived throat cancer in 2014 — Sakamoto continued to win acclaim for his work, including the score for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 2015 film “The Revenant”.

    In early 2021, the musician said he was undergoing treatment for rectal cancer.

    His management team announced Sunday that he died on March 28th, and a funeral was held for close family only, at his request.

    “We would like to share one of Sakamoto’s favourite quotes: ‘Ars longa, vita brevis. Art is long, life is short,” the team said in a statement.

    ‘The Professor’

    Born in Tokyo in 1952, Sakamoto grew up immersed in the arts, as his father was a literary editor for some of Japan’s greatest novelists, including Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe.

    He discovered the piano at a young age, and has said that Bach, Haydn and Debussy fascinated him as a teenager as much as the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

    He studied composition and ethnomusicology at university — earning him the affectionate nickname “The Professor” in Japan — and started to perform in Tokyo’s burgeoning electronic scene of the 1970s.

    “I was working with the computer at university and playing jazz in the daytime, buying West Coast psychedelic and early Kraftwerk records in the afternoon, and playing folk at night,” he told The Guardian in 2018.

    “I was quite busy!”

    In 1978, he co-founded Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, who died in January.

    Their high-energy techno-pop had an enormous influence on electronic music worldwide, and inspired the synthesised melodies of early Japanese video games.

    Groundbreaking US hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa sampled YMO in the 80s, and some of the Japanese group’s songs became international hits — including “Behind the Mask”, which inspired cover versions by Michael Jackson and then Eric Clapton.

    ‘Citizen of the World’

    After YMO disbanded in 1983, Sakamoto dedicated himself to his solo projects, exploring a plethora of musical styles from prog rock and ambient to rap, bossa nova and contemporary classical.

    He racked up collaborations with avant-garde artists, but also with stars from around the world such as the Cape Verde singer Cesaria Evora and Brazil’s Caetano Veloso, as well as Senegalese star Youssou N’dour.

    “I want to be a citizen of the world,” Sakamoto, who moved to New York in the 1990s, once said.

    “It sounds very hippie but I like that.”

    Sakamoto was also a dedicated environmental campaigner, who became a prominent figure in Japan’s anti-nuclear movement after the 2011 Fukushima meltdown.

    He staged and attended many rallies, and in 2012 organised a mega-concert against nuclear power near Tokyo, featuring his friends Kraftwerk, whose name means “power station” in German.

    He also founded a conservation organisation in 2007 called More Trees, which works to promote sustainable forestry in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

    Sakamoto, who married and divorced twice, is the father of J-pop singer Miu Sakamoto, born in 1980 to the Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano.

    TOKYO:  Pioneering composer and green activist Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose score for “The Last Emperor” scooped an Oscar and a Grammy, has died aged 71 after his second cancer diagnosis.

    Having shot to fame in the 1970s with the influential Japanese group Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sakamoto’s electronic innovations helped lay the foundations for synth-pop, house music and hip-hop.

    But he was perhaps best known for his film soundtracks, including for the World War II drama “Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence”, in which he also acted opposite his friend David Bowie as a prisoner-of-war camp commandant.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The hauntingly catchy track “Forbidden Colours” from the 1983 film, with vocals by David Sylvian, became a global hit for Sakamoto, who also collaborated with Thomas Dolby and punk legend Iggy Pop in the 80s.

    Sakamoto went on to win an Academy Award with his score for the 1987 period epic “The Last Emperor”, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, which tells the story of China’s last emperor Puyi.

    He lived in New York for decades, but his prolific career made him a huge star in his home country, where he was renowned for his strident anti-nuclear campaigning.

    Despite his recent ill health — he survived throat cancer in 2014 — Sakamoto continued to win acclaim for his work, including the score for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 2015 film “The Revenant”.

    In early 2021, the musician said he was undergoing treatment for rectal cancer.

    His management team announced Sunday that he died on March 28th, and a funeral was held for close family only, at his request.

    “We would like to share one of Sakamoto’s favourite quotes: ‘Ars longa, vita brevis. Art is long, life is short,” the team said in a statement.

    ‘The Professor’

    Born in Tokyo in 1952, Sakamoto grew up immersed in the arts, as his father was a literary editor for some of Japan’s greatest novelists, including Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe.

    He discovered the piano at a young age, and has said that Bach, Haydn and Debussy fascinated him as a teenager as much as the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

    He studied composition and ethnomusicology at university — earning him the affectionate nickname “The Professor” in Japan — and started to perform in Tokyo’s burgeoning electronic scene of the 1970s.

    “I was working with the computer at university and playing jazz in the daytime, buying West Coast psychedelic and early Kraftwerk records in the afternoon, and playing folk at night,” he told The Guardian in 2018.

    “I was quite busy!”

    In 1978, he co-founded Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, who died in January.

    Their high-energy techno-pop had an enormous influence on electronic music worldwide, and inspired the synthesised melodies of early Japanese video games.

    Groundbreaking US hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa sampled YMO in the 80s, and some of the Japanese group’s songs became international hits — including “Behind the Mask”, which inspired cover versions by Michael Jackson and then Eric Clapton.

    ‘Citizen of the World’

    After YMO disbanded in 1983, Sakamoto dedicated himself to his solo projects, exploring a plethora of musical styles from prog rock and ambient to rap, bossa nova and contemporary classical.

    He racked up collaborations with avant-garde artists, but also with stars from around the world such as the Cape Verde singer Cesaria Evora and Brazil’s Caetano Veloso, as well as Senegalese star Youssou N’dour.

    “I want to be a citizen of the world,” Sakamoto, who moved to New York in the 1990s, once said.

    “It sounds very hippie but I like that.”

    Sakamoto was also a dedicated environmental campaigner, who became a prominent figure in Japan’s anti-nuclear movement after the 2011 Fukushima meltdown.

    He staged and attended many rallies, and in 2012 organised a mega-concert against nuclear power near Tokyo, featuring his friends Kraftwerk, whose name means “power station” in German.

    He also founded a conservation organisation in 2007 called More Trees, which works to promote sustainable forestry in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

    Sakamoto, who married and divorced twice, is the father of J-pop singer Miu Sakamoto, born in 1980 to the Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano.

  • ‘Oscar was Never Even a Dream’: Brendan Fraser on his Best Actor- win for ‘The Whale’

    Express News Service

    Your success this awards season is being hailed as ‘Brenaissance’ (he also won at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the Screen Actor Guilds Awards). Does bagging an Oscar feel like the culmination of this incredible comeback?

    I honestly don’t know what to say. I never could have dreamed that this would happen to me, but I am so grateful that it has. This award season has been humbling and has given me a chance to take stock of who I am and where I’m going. This win represents a triumph over adversity and a victory for everyone who managed to come together to make a film during the pandemic. Charlie (his character) gave me the opportunity to tell a beautiful and rich story, and The Whale is a film that has the power to save someone’s life. That is the greatest prize of all.

    Did you ever dream of getting an Oscar? Where are you going to keep the statuette?

    Winning an Oscar was never even a dream. My dream was always just to be an actor––a working actor. From the moment I was taken to see a play as a child, I knew this is what I wanted to do, and what I hope I can carry on doing it. I haven’t thought about where to keep the award yet, but it’s a lot heavier than I thought, so somewhere safe.

    What appealed to you about ‘The Whale’?

    I loved the script, and when there is a chance to work with a world-renowned director like Darren Aronofsky, it’s everything you could ask for as an actor. But more than anything, I loved how The Whale is a story of redemption. Right from the very beginning, I felt like I shared the journey of this character in a special way.

    For those who haven’t seen the film yet, how would you describe your character? 

    I play Charlie who is languishing in his two-bedroom apartment which, through his size and physical immobility, has become his world now. He fell in love, and pushed his family aside, which he now regrets terribly. Since that day, he has been progressively putting on weight in an attempt to resolve his mistake, in the most awful way, until he finally finds a way to redeem himself.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Whale’ movie review: Brendan Fraser’s virtuoso performance powers this deeply empathetic drama

    Your physical transformation in the film is incredible. How hard was that process?

    It was a lot of prosthetics, which was pretty tough. Just moving at all was hard, but Charlie’s size and physical limitations are crucial to the character as someone trapped by the weight of the trauma he carries. I actually used to feel a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all of the devices were removed. It gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar because you need to be an incredibly strong person, physically and mentally, to inhabit that physical being. Adrien Morot and his team did an amazing job creating Charlie’s body, which made my part in developing the character so much easier.

    Did you have to put on weight yourself or was it all prosthetics?

    Some of it was me. I sat around during the pandemic playing games and going only to the kitchen and back for snacks, so I had a head-start in becoming Charlie.

    A lot has been made of how you seemed to have disappeared (for almost a decade) after huge successes such as The Mummy series and George of the Jungle. What really happened?

    Honestly, I was fatigued and disenchanted. I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing anymore. I needed time to focus on my personal life and figure out who I was. But I was always an actor and knew I always wanted to come back. I never stopped loving the craft and the art of filmmaking.

    Of all the roles you have played, which do fans want to talk to you about the most?

    I get a whole range. Some want to talk about George of the Jungle, some about Encino Man. Now I already have people talking about The Whale, which is so humbling. But most of all, I guess it’s The Mummy. Like a mummy, that one is always around.

    Which character of yours have you felt closest to?

    There’s a little bit of me in all the characters I’ve played. They are all like me in some way. I believe acting comes from the heart, the people and the places that you know, so they all at least start from a personal place.

    Finally, what is next for you?

    I’m back looking for a job. I’m hoping this win will help.  

    ––Asia Features

    Your success this awards season is being hailed as ‘Brenaissance’ (he also won at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the Screen Actor Guilds Awards). Does bagging an Oscar feel like the culmination of this incredible comeback?

    I honestly don’t know what to say. I never could have dreamed that this would happen to me, but I am so grateful that it has. This award season has been humbling and has given me a chance to take stock of who I am and where I’m going. This win represents a triumph over adversity and a victory for everyone who managed to come together to make a film during the pandemic. Charlie (his character) gave me the opportunity to tell a beautiful and rich story, and The Whale is a film that has the power to save someone’s life. That is the greatest prize of all.

    Did you ever dream of getting an Oscar? Where are you going to keep the statuette?googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Winning an Oscar was never even a dream. My dream was always just to be an actor––a working actor. From the moment I was taken to see a play as a child, I knew this is what I wanted to do, and what I hope I can carry on doing it. I haven’t thought about where to keep the award yet, but it’s a lot heavier than I thought, so somewhere safe.

    What appealed to you about ‘The Whale’?

    I loved the script, and when there is a chance to work with a world-renowned director like Darren Aronofsky, it’s everything you could ask for as an actor. But more than anything, I loved how The Whale is a story of redemption. Right from the very beginning, I felt like I shared the journey of this character in a special way.

    For those who haven’t seen the film yet, how would you describe your character?
     

    I play Charlie who is languishing in his two-bedroom apartment which, through his size and physical immobility, has become his world now. He fell in love, and pushed his family aside, which he now regrets terribly. Since that day, he has been progressively putting on weight in an attempt to resolve his mistake, in the most awful way, until he finally finds a way to redeem himself.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Whale’ movie review: Brendan Fraser’s virtuoso performance powers this deeply empathetic drama

    Your physical transformation in the film is incredible. How hard was that process?

    It was a lot of prosthetics, which was pretty tough. Just moving at all was hard, but Charlie’s size and physical limitations are crucial to the character as someone trapped by the weight of the trauma he carries. I actually used to feel a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all of the devices were removed. It gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar because you need to be an incredibly strong person, physically and mentally, to inhabit that physical being. Adrien Morot and his team did an amazing job creating Charlie’s body, which made my part in developing the character 
    so much easier.

    Did you have to put on weight yourself or was it all prosthetics?

    Some of it was me. I sat around during the pandemic playing games and going only to the kitchen and back for snacks, so I had a head-start in becoming Charlie.

    A lot has been made of how you seemed to have disappeared (for almost a decade) after huge successes such as The Mummy series and George of the Jungle. What really happened?

    Honestly, I was fatigued and disenchanted. I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing anymore. I needed time to focus on my personal life and figure out who I was. But I was always an actor and knew I always wanted to come back. I never stopped loving the craft and the art of filmmaking.

    Of all the roles you have played, which do fans want to talk to you about the most?

    I get a whole range. Some want to talk about George of the Jungle, some about Encino Man. Now I already have people talking about The Whale, which is so humbling. But most of all, I guess it’s The Mummy. Like a mummy, that one is always around.

    Which character of yours have you felt closest to?

    There’s a little bit of me in all the characters I’ve played. They are all like me in some way. I believe acting comes from the heart, the people and the places that you know, so they all at least start from a personal place.

    Finally, what is next for you?

    I’m back looking for a job. I’m hoping this win will help. 
     

    ––Asia Features

  • Oscars 2023: Top leaders, celebrities congratulate team ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    By Agencies

    PM congratulates teams behind ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    PM Narendra Modi on Monday said India is proud and elated with “Naatu Naatu” winning an Oscar, and hailed the song as one that will be remembered for years to come.

    He also congratulated the entire team of Tamil documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” after it created history at the 95th Academy Awards by becoming the maiden Indian production to win in the Documentary Short Subject category.

    Reacting to the peppy, foot-tapping chartbuster from SS Rajamouli’s Telugu period action film “RRR” winning the Academy Award in the Best Original Song category, Modi tweeted, “Exceptional! The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global.

    It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come.

    Exceptional!The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come. Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani, @boselyricist and the entire team for this prestigious honour.India is elated and proud. #Oscars https://t.co/cANG5wHROt
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations to MM Keeravaani, Chandrabose and the entire team for this prestigious honour. India is elated and proud,” he said.

    In another tweet, Modi also congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves, producer Guneet Monga and the entire team of “The Elephant Whisperers” for winning the Oscars.

    “Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature,” the prime minister said.

    AP CM, TDP chief Naidu congratulate ‘Naatu Naatu’ team

    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday congratulated music director M M Keeravani and team for bagging an Oscar for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ in the Music (Original Song) category.

    According to the Chief Minister, the song had amplified notations in a variety of genres, including pace, effect, beat and depth, showcasing the Telugu prowess at an international scale, creating history.

    He conveyed his wishes to the entire unit of the film – ‘RRR’-, directed by SS Rajamouli, for striking the ‘Oscar chord with music to the ears of the global audience.

    ‘ Reddy said the Academy award is the icing on the cake for the Indian cinema which recently celebrated its centenary.

    The #Telugu flag is flying higher!I’m filled with pride on a Telugu song, that so beautifully celebrates our folk heritage, being given its due recognition internationally today. @ssrajamouli, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan and @mmkeeravaani have truly redefined excellence! 1/2 https://t.co/jp75mpiZHv
    — YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) March 13, 2023
    Similarly, N Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo noted that ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the award for best original song at the 95th Oscar awards.

    “This is probably the finest moment for Indian cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special,” said Naidu congratulating Rajamouli, Keeravani, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Chandrabose, Sipligunj, Kala Bhairava and choreographer Prem Rakshit.

    Former VP Venkaiah Naidu, film personalities congratulate ‘RRR’ team on Oscar recognition for ‘Naatu, Naatu’

    Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, superstar Chiranjeevi and several other Telugu film personalities and political leaders expressed joy and pride over ‘Naatu, Naatu’ song from SS Rajamouli’s period action film ‘RRR’ winning an Oscar award.

    “Congratulations to composer Keeravani garu, lyricist Chandra Bose, ace director Rajamouli garu, & the crew of #RRR movie for making history by winning the prestigious #Oscar Award for the Best Original Song for the popular number, #NaatuNaatu,” Venkaiah Naidu tweeted.

    Soundararajan also took to Twitter to congratulate the ‘RRR’ team.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the #Oscars. This is probably the finest moment for Indian Cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/BAKVLsPVxf
    — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations @RRRMovie team You made INDIAN’S& telugu film industry Proud by #Oscar,” she said.

    Chiranjeevi complemented ‘RRR’ director SS Rajamouli, music director MM Keeravani, lyricist Chandrabose and others who were involved in making the song.

    “NaatuNaatu ON TOP OF THE WORLD !!! And THE OSCAR for the Best Original Song Goes To : Take a Bow @mmkeeravaani garu & @boselyricist kaalabhairava7Rahulsipligunj #PremRakshith @tarak9999 @AlwaysRamCharan And the One & Only @ssrajamouli,” he tweeted.

    Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan is one of the heroes in ‘RRR’.

    Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan said the award has made Indians proud.

    The Oscar award and other international recognition to ‘RRR’ would inspire Indian directors, actors and writers, he said.

    State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy also congratulated the ‘RRR’ team.

    Indian celebs hail Oscar wins for ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    “Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh,” Alia, who played a pivotal role in ‘RRR’, reacted to the winning news.  In another post, she congratulated The Elephant Whisperers and its producer Guneet Monga.

    “ufff what a visual! Historic.Congratulations @guneetmonga and the whole team,” she wrote.

    Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram Story and applauded the RRR team.

    Sharing the winning moment, she wrote, “Yesss team.” She also added Indian Flag emoji to the caption.

    “Yay…another win,” actress Mini Mathur wrote on Instagram Story.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the award trumping big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on behalf of the team. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava and composer along with director SS Rajamouli and lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are all present at the big event.

    Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, took to social media to celebrate the double Oscar win for India for the Telugu blockbuster “RRR” and Tamil documentary short “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    Filmmaker Karan Johar called the Oscar win of “RRR” “historic”.

    “Historic!!!! OMG!!!!!!! I was jumping on my bed !!!!! So so so proud! @m.m.keeravani sir @ssrajamouli sir @jrntr @alwaysramcharan” he wrote on Instagram Stories.

    The director said he is proud of the team of The Elephant Whisperers for creating history at the Academy Awards.

    “Guneet!!!! @guneetmonga you did it!!!!! So so so proud of you!!!! You created history! Broke the glass ceiling and more than anything else paved the way applause, Respect and many a salute to you” he posted.

    Ajay Devgn, who also made a guest appearance in “RRR”, called the two trophies for Indian films a “proud moment”.

    “As it is often said, cinema speaks a universal language. Congratulations to the teams of #RRR and #TheElephantWhisperers for their #Oscar wins. It’s a proud moment,” he tweeted.

    Hrithik wrote, “Such a historic, proud & happy moment for Indian Cinema at #Oscars95 ! Many congratulations to the team of Best Documentary Short Film #TheElephantWhisperers & Team RRR for Best Original Song #NaatuNaatu !! More power to you all.

    ” “Wonderful!!! Congratulations to all of you #ElephantWhisperers” tweeted actor Kangana Ranaut.

    The actor also praised “RRR” for making India proud.

    “Congratulations to entire India, RRR, a movie about suppression, torture, killing, colonisation of Indians based on racial grounds gets appreciated on a world platform, number of Indians died just during one Bengal famine were way more than Jews died during holocaust. Thank team RRR” she added.

    Singer Anup Jalota said the song has become famous world over.

    Congratulations to MM Kreem, the director and the team for beautifully picturising the song, he added.

    Sound designer Resul Pookutty, who won an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for 2008 movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, also congratulated the teams of “RRR” and “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    “This is a huge win congratulations to @mmkeeravaani and the team of #RRR” he said.

    “Huge huge congratulations to @guneetm and the team of #elephantwhispers for their #Oscar win @TheAcademy You all created history. Guneet #IToldYouSo” he added.

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu wrote on Instagram, “What an incredible moment. It’s an Oscar baby”

    Actor Rana Daggubati shared a video of the moment MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose won the Oscar and wrote, “The roar of #RRR” “RRR” (Rise Roar Revolt), a pre-independence fictional story, follows two real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) in the 1920s.

    From the moment “Naatu Naatu” won the best original song award at 95th Oscars, social media is abuzz with countless posts about “RRR” and videos from the award ceremony.

    ALSO READ | ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance receives standing ovation at Oscars 2023

    Many shared the clips of the electrifying performance of the Telugu track “Naatu Naatu” by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava from the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre and livestreamed on streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar in India.

    Others shared various videos of the team of “RRR”, including filmmaker SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr NTR, erupting with joy after “Naatu Naatu” was announced as the winner for best original song.

    The ceremony’s host Jimmy Kimmel, however, attracted criticism from some fans for calling “RRR” a “Bollywood movie” during his opening monologue.

    “I believe this is just the beginning”: Jr NTR on Oscar win for ‘RRR’

    ‘RRR’ actor Jr NTR said, “I cannot find the words to express my elation right now. This is not just a win for RRR but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning. Showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love. I would also like to congratulate the team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on their win today bringing another Oscar to India.”

    “Still feels like I am living in a dream”: Ram Charan on ‘RRR’ winning Oscar award

    Expressing gratitude and thankfulness, ‘RRR’ lead actor Ram Charan took to his Twitter account and shared a long note which he captioned, “We have won!! We have won as Indian Cinema!! We won as a country!! The Oscar Award is coming home!”

    Charan wrote, ” RRR is and will always remain as the most special film of our lives and of Indian Cinema history. I can’t thank everyone enough for manifesting the Oscar Award. It still feels like I am living in a dream. Thank you all for the unstoppable support and love. SS Rajamouli Garu and MM Keeravani Garu are the most precious gems of our Indian film industry. Thank you both for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this masterpiece.”

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ lyricist Chandrabose’s wife beams with pride, expresses gratitude to Rajamouli

    As Chandrabose bagged the award, his wife Suchitra expressed happiness.

    Speaking to ANI, she said, “I thank SS Rajamouli sir and his wife and Keeravaani Garu for giving Bose an opportunity to write this song.”

    Chandrabose’s daughter Amrutha also beamed with pride as her father’s song Naatu Naatu won Oscar.

    “It’s a surreal feeling. I am super proud of my dad,” she shared.

    Deepika Padukone gives special shoutout to ‘Naatu Naatu’ at Oscars 2023

    The actresses made it to the Academy Awards stage to give a special shoutout to RRR’s power-packed song ‘Naatu Naatu’ which has been nominated in the ‘Orginal Song’ category this year.

    Before Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava earned a standing ovation for their electrifying performance, Deepika announced the performance and even gave a special mention briefing the audience about the song amidst loud cheers.

    She said, “An irresistibly catchy chorus, electrifying beats and killer dance moves to match have made this song a global sensation. It plays during a pivotal scene in ‘RRR’, a movie about the friendship between real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film’s anti-colonialist themes, it’s also a total banger!”

    ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: Check out the list of winners; ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’, women create history

    She added, “It’s earned millions of views on Youtube and Tik Tok. Has audiences dancing in movie theatres all around the world and is also the first song ever from Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar. Do you know Naatu? Because if you don’t you’re about to. From the film RRR this is Naatu Naatu.”

    Deepika looked exquisite in an all-black off-shoulder velvet gown. She tied her hair into a bun and kept her make-up normal. She accessorized her look with a yellow diamond drop necklace. 

    PM congratulates teams behind ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    PM Narendra Modi on Monday said India is proud and elated with “Naatu Naatu” winning an Oscar, and hailed the song as one that will be remembered for years to come.

    He also congratulated the entire team of Tamil documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” after it created history at the 95th Academy Awards by becoming the maiden Indian production to win in the Documentary Short Subject category.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Reacting to the peppy, foot-tapping chartbuster from SS Rajamouli’s Telugu period action film “RRR” winning the Academy Award in the Best Original Song category, Modi tweeted, “Exceptional! The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global.

    It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come.

    Exceptional!
    The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come. Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani, @boselyricist and the entire team for this prestigious honour.
    India is elated and proud. #Oscars https://t.co/cANG5wHROt
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations to MM Keeravaani, Chandrabose and the entire team for this prestigious honour. India is elated and proud,” he said.

    In another tweet, Modi also congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves, producer Guneet Monga and the entire team of “The Elephant Whisperers” for winning the Oscars.

    “Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature,” the prime minister said.

    AP CM, TDP chief Naidu congratulate ‘Naatu Naatu’ team

    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday congratulated music director M M Keeravani and team for bagging an Oscar for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ in the Music (Original Song) category.

    According to the Chief Minister, the song had amplified notations in a variety of genres, including pace, effect, beat and depth, showcasing the Telugu prowess at an international scale, creating history.

    He conveyed his wishes to the entire unit of the film – ‘RRR’-, directed by SS Rajamouli, for striking the ‘Oscar chord with music to the ears of the global audience.

    ‘ Reddy said the Academy award is the icing on the cake for the Indian cinema which recently celebrated its centenary.

    The #Telugu flag is flying higher!
    I’m filled with pride on a Telugu song, that so beautifully celebrates our folk heritage, being given its due recognition internationally today. @ssrajamouli, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan and @mmkeeravaani have truly redefined excellence! 1/2 https://t.co/jp75mpiZHv
    — YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) March 13, 2023
    Similarly, N Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo noted that ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the award for best original song at the 95th Oscar awards.

    “This is probably the finest moment for Indian cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special,” said Naidu congratulating Rajamouli, Keeravani, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Chandrabose, Sipligunj, Kala Bhairava and choreographer Prem Rakshit.

    Former VP Venkaiah Naidu, film personalities congratulate ‘RRR’ team on Oscar recognition for ‘Naatu, Naatu’

    Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, superstar Chiranjeevi and several other Telugu film personalities and political leaders expressed joy and pride over ‘Naatu, Naatu’ song from SS Rajamouli’s period action film ‘RRR’ winning an Oscar award.

    “Congratulations to composer Keeravani garu, lyricist Chandra Bose, ace director Rajamouli garu, & the crew of #RRR movie for making history by winning the prestigious #Oscar Award for the Best Original Song for the popular number, #NaatuNaatu,” Venkaiah Naidu tweeted.

    Soundararajan also took to Twitter to congratulate the ‘RRR’ team.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the #Oscars. This is probably the finest moment for Indian Cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/BAKVLsPVxf
    — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations @RRRMovie team You made INDIAN’S& telugu film industry Proud by #Oscar,” she said.

    Chiranjeevi complemented ‘RRR’ director SS Rajamouli, music director MM Keeravani, lyricist Chandrabose and others who were involved in making the song.

    “NaatuNaatu ON TOP OF THE WORLD !!! And THE OSCAR for the Best Original Song Goes To : Take a Bow @mmkeeravaani garu & @boselyricist kaalabhairava7Rahulsipligunj #PremRakshith @tarak9999 @AlwaysRamCharan And the One & Only @ssrajamouli,” he tweeted.

    Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan is one of the heroes in ‘RRR’.

    Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan said the award has made Indians proud.

    The Oscar award and other international recognition to ‘RRR’ would inspire Indian directors, actors and writers, he said.

    State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy also congratulated the ‘RRR’ team.

    Indian celebs hail Oscar wins for ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    “Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh,” Alia, who played a pivotal role in ‘RRR’, reacted to the winning news.  In another post, she congratulated The Elephant Whisperers and its producer Guneet Monga.

    “ufff what a visual! Historic.Congratulations @guneetmonga and the whole team,” she wrote.

    Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram Story and applauded the RRR team.

    Sharing the winning moment, she wrote, “Yesss team.” She also added Indian Flag emoji to the caption.

    “Yay…another win,” actress Mini Mathur wrote on Instagram Story.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the award trumping big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on behalf of the team. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava and composer along with director SS Rajamouli and lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are all present at the big event.

    Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, took to social media to celebrate the double Oscar win for India for the Telugu blockbuster “RRR” and Tamil documentary short “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    Filmmaker Karan Johar called the Oscar win of “RRR” “historic”.

    “Historic!!!! OMG!!!!!!! I was jumping on my bed !!!!! So so so proud! @m.m.keeravani sir @ssrajamouli sir @jrntr @alwaysramcharan” he wrote on Instagram Stories.

    The director said he is proud of the team of The Elephant Whisperers for creating history at the Academy Awards.

    “Guneet!!!! @guneetmonga you did it!!!!! So so so proud of you!!!! You created history! Broke the glass ceiling and more than anything else paved the way applause, Respect and many a salute to you” he posted.

    Ajay Devgn, who also made a guest appearance in “RRR”, called the two trophies for Indian films a “proud moment”.

    “As it is often said, cinema speaks a universal language. Congratulations to the teams of #RRR and #TheElephantWhisperers for their #Oscar wins. It’s a proud moment,” he tweeted.

    Hrithik wrote, “Such a historic, proud & happy moment for Indian Cinema at #Oscars95 ! Many congratulations to the team of Best Documentary Short Film #TheElephantWhisperers & Team RRR for Best Original Song #NaatuNaatu !! More power to you all.

    ” “Wonderful!!! Congratulations to all of you #ElephantWhisperers” tweeted actor Kangana Ranaut.

    The actor also praised “RRR” for making India proud.

    “Congratulations to entire India, RRR, a movie about suppression, torture, killing, colonisation of Indians based on racial grounds gets appreciated on a world platform, number of Indians died just during one Bengal famine were way more than Jews died during holocaust. Thank team RRR” she added.

    Singer Anup Jalota said the song has become famous world over.

    Congratulations to MM Kreem, the director and the team for beautifully picturising the song, he added.

    Sound designer Resul Pookutty, who won an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for 2008 movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, also congratulated the teams of “RRR” and “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    “This is a huge win congratulations to @mmkeeravaani and the team of #RRR” he said.

    “Huge huge congratulations to @guneetm and the team of #elephantwhispers for their #Oscar win @TheAcademy You all created history. Guneet #IToldYouSo” he added.

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu wrote on Instagram, “What an incredible moment. It’s an Oscar baby”

    Actor Rana Daggubati shared a video of the moment MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose won the Oscar and wrote, “The roar of #RRR” “RRR” (Rise Roar Revolt), a pre-independence fictional story, follows two real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) in the 1920s.

    From the moment “Naatu Naatu” won the best original song award at 95th Oscars, social media is abuzz with countless posts about “RRR” and videos from the award ceremony.

    ALSO READ | ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance receives standing ovation at Oscars 2023

    Many shared the clips of the electrifying performance of the Telugu track “Naatu Naatu” by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava from the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre and livestreamed on streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar in India.

    Others shared various videos of the team of “RRR”, including filmmaker SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr NTR, erupting with joy after “Naatu Naatu” was announced as the winner for best original song.

    The ceremony’s host Jimmy Kimmel, however, attracted criticism from some fans for calling “RRR” a “Bollywood movie” during his opening monologue.

    “I believe this is just the beginning”: Jr NTR on Oscar win for ‘RRR’

    ‘RRR’ actor Jr NTR said, “I cannot find the words to express my elation right now. This is not just a win for RRR but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning. Showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love. I would also like to congratulate the team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on their win today bringing another Oscar to India.”

    “Still feels like I am living in a dream”: Ram Charan on ‘RRR’ winning Oscar award

    Expressing gratitude and thankfulness, ‘RRR’ lead actor Ram Charan took to his Twitter account and shared a long note which he captioned, “We have won!! We have won as Indian Cinema!! We won as a country!! The Oscar Award is coming home!”

    Charan wrote, ” RRR is and will always remain as the most special film of our lives and of Indian Cinema history. I can’t thank everyone enough for manifesting the Oscar Award. It still feels like I am living in a dream. Thank you all for the unstoppable support and love. SS Rajamouli Garu and MM Keeravani Garu are the most precious gems of our Indian film industry. Thank you both for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this masterpiece.”

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ lyricist Chandrabose’s wife beams with pride, expresses gratitude to Rajamouli

    As Chandrabose bagged the award, his wife Suchitra expressed happiness.

    Speaking to ANI, she said, “I thank SS Rajamouli sir and his wife and Keeravaani Garu for giving Bose an opportunity to write this song.”

    Chandrabose’s daughter Amrutha also beamed with pride as her father’s song Naatu Naatu won Oscar.

    “It’s a surreal feeling. I am super proud of my dad,” she shared.

    Deepika Padukone gives special shoutout to ‘Naatu Naatu’ at Oscars 2023

    The actresses made it to the Academy Awards stage to give a special shoutout to RRR’s power-packed song ‘Naatu Naatu’ which has been nominated in the ‘Orginal Song’ category this year.

    Before Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava earned a standing ovation for their electrifying performance, Deepika announced the performance and even gave a special mention briefing the audience about the song amidst loud cheers.

    She said, “An irresistibly catchy chorus, electrifying beats and killer dance moves to match have made this song a global sensation. It plays during a pivotal scene in ‘RRR’, a movie about the friendship between real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film’s anti-colonialist themes, it’s also a total banger!”

    ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: Check out the list of winners; ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’, women create history

    She added, “It’s earned millions of views on Youtube and Tik Tok. Has audiences dancing in movie theatres all around the world and is also the first song ever from Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar. Do you know Naatu? Because if you don’t you’re about to. From the film RRR this is Naatu Naatu.”

    Deepika looked exquisite in an all-black off-shoulder velvet gown. She tied her hair into a bun and kept her make-up normal. She accessorized her look with a yellow diamond drop necklace.
     

  • Oscars 2023: Top leaders, celebrities congratulate team ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    By Agencies

    PM congratulates teams behind ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    PM Narendra Modi on Monday said India is proud and elated with “Naatu Naatu” winning an Oscar, and hailed the song as one that will be remembered for years to come.

    He also congratulated the entire team of Tamil documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” after it created history at the 95th Academy Awards by becoming the maiden Indian production to win in the Documentary Short Subject category.

    Reacting to the peppy, foot-tapping chartbuster from SS Rajamouli’s Telugu period action film “RRR” winning the Academy Award in the Best Original Song category, Modi tweeted, “Exceptional! The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global.

    It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come.

    Exceptional!The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come. Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani, @boselyricist and the entire team for this prestigious honour.India is elated and proud. #Oscars https://t.co/cANG5wHROt
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations to MM Keeravaani, Chandrabose and the entire team for this prestigious honour. India is elated and proud,” he said.

    In another tweet, Modi also congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves, producer Guneet Monga and the entire team of “The Elephant Whisperers” for winning the Oscars.

    “Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature,” the prime minister said.

    AP CM, TDP chief Naidu congratulate ‘Naatu Naatu’ team

    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday congratulated music director M M Keeravani and team for bagging an Oscar for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ in the Music (Original Song) category.

    According to the Chief Minister, the song had amplified notations in a variety of genres, including pace, effect, beat and depth, showcasing the Telugu prowess at an international scale, creating history.

    He conveyed his wishes to the entire unit of the film – ‘RRR’-, directed by SS Rajamouli, for striking the ‘Oscar chord with music to the ears of the global audience.

    ‘ Reddy said the Academy award is the icing on the cake for the Indian cinema which recently celebrated its centenary.

    The #Telugu flag is flying higher!I’m filled with pride on a Telugu song, that so beautifully celebrates our folk heritage, being given its due recognition internationally today. @ssrajamouli, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan and @mmkeeravaani have truly redefined excellence! 1/2 https://t.co/jp75mpiZHv
    — YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) March 13, 2023
    Similarly, N Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo noted that ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the award for best original song at the 95th Oscar awards.

    “This is probably the finest moment for Indian cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special,” said Naidu congratulating Rajamouli, Keeravani, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Chandrabose, Sipligunj, Kala Bhairava and choreographer Prem Rakshit.

    Former VP Venkaiah Naidu, film personalities congratulate ‘RRR’ team on Oscar recognition for ‘Naatu, Naatu’

    Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, superstar Chiranjeevi and several other Telugu film personalities and political leaders expressed joy and pride over ‘Naatu, Naatu’ song from SS Rajamouli’s period action film ‘RRR’ winning an Oscar award.

    “Congratulations to composer Keeravani garu, lyricist Chandra Bose, ace director Rajamouli garu, & the crew of #RRR movie for making history by winning the prestigious #Oscar Award for the Best Original Song for the popular number, #NaatuNaatu,” Venkaiah Naidu tweeted.

    Soundararajan also took to Twitter to congratulate the ‘RRR’ team.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the #Oscars. This is probably the finest moment for Indian Cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/BAKVLsPVxf
    — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations @RRRMovie team You made INDIAN’S& telugu film industry Proud by #Oscar,” she said.

    Chiranjeevi complemented ‘RRR’ director SS Rajamouli, music director MM Keeravani, lyricist Chandrabose and others who were involved in making the song.

    “NaatuNaatu ON TOP OF THE WORLD !!! And THE OSCAR for the Best Original Song Goes To : Take a Bow @mmkeeravaani garu & @boselyricist kaalabhairava7Rahulsipligunj #PremRakshith @tarak9999 @AlwaysRamCharan And the One & Only @ssrajamouli,” he tweeted.

    Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan is one of the heroes in ‘RRR’.

    Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan said the award has made Indians proud.

    The Oscar award and other international recognition to ‘RRR’ would inspire Indian directors, actors and writers, he said.

    State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy also congratulated the ‘RRR’ team.

    Indian celebs hail Oscar wins for ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    “Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh,” Alia, who played a pivotal role in ‘RRR’, reacted to the winning news.  In another post, she congratulated The Elephant Whisperers and its producer Guneet Monga.

    “ufff what a visual! Historic.Congratulations @guneetmonga and the whole team,” she wrote.

    Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram Story and applauded the RRR team.

    Sharing the winning moment, she wrote, “Yesss team.” She also added Indian Flag emoji to the caption.

    “Yay…another win,” actress Mini Mathur wrote on Instagram Story.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the award trumping big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on behalf of the team. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava and composer along with director SS Rajamouli and lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are all present at the big event.

    Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, took to social media to celebrate the double Oscar win for India for the Telugu blockbuster “RRR” and Tamil documentary short “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    Filmmaker Karan Johar called the Oscar win of “RRR” “historic”.

    “Historic!!!! OMG!!!!!!! I was jumping on my bed !!!!! So so so proud! @m.m.keeravani sir @ssrajamouli sir @jrntr @alwaysramcharan” he wrote on Instagram Stories.

    The director said he is proud of the team of The Elephant Whisperers for creating history at the Academy Awards.

    “Guneet!!!! @guneetmonga you did it!!!!! So so so proud of you!!!! You created history! Broke the glass ceiling and more than anything else paved the way applause, Respect and many a salute to you” he posted.

    Ajay Devgn, who also made a guest appearance in “RRR”, called the two trophies for Indian films a “proud moment”.

    “As it is often said, cinema speaks a universal language. Congratulations to the teams of #RRR and #TheElephantWhisperers for their #Oscar wins. It’s a proud moment,” he tweeted.

    Hrithik wrote, “Such a historic, proud & happy moment for Indian Cinema at #Oscars95 ! Many congratulations to the team of Best Documentary Short Film #TheElephantWhisperers & Team RRR for Best Original Song #NaatuNaatu !! More power to you all.”

    “Wonderful!!! Congratulations to all of you #ElephantWhisperers” tweeted actor Kangana Ranaut.

    The actor also praised “RRR” for making India proud.

    “Congratulations to entire India, RRR, a movie about suppression, torture, killing, colonisation of Indians based on racial grounds gets appreciated on a world platform, number of Indians died just during one Bengal famine were way more than Jews died during holocaust. Thank team RRR” she added.

    Singer Anup Jalota said the song has become famous world over.

    Congratulations to MM Kreem, the director and the team for beautifully picturising the song, he added.

    Actor Rajinikanth tweeted, “My hearty congratulations to Shri. Keeravani, Shri. Rajamouli and Shri. Kartiki Gonsalves for getting the prestigious Oscar Award. I salute to the proud Indians.”

    My hearty congratulations to Shri. Keeravani, Shri. Rajamouli and Shri. Kartiki Gonsalves for getting the prestigious Oscar Award. I salute to the proud Indians.
    — Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) March 13, 2023
    Sound designer Resul Pookutty, who won an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for 2008 movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, also congratulated the teams of “RRR” and “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    “This is a huge win congratulations to @mmkeeravaani and the team of #RRR” he said.

    “Huge huge congratulations to @guneetm and the team of #elephantwhispers for their #Oscar win @TheAcademy You all created history. Guneet #IToldYouSo” he added.

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu wrote on Instagram, “What an incredible moment. It’s an Oscar baby”

    Actor Rana Daggubati shared a video of the moment MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose won the Oscar and wrote, “The roar of #RRR” “RRR” (Rise Roar Revolt), a pre-independence fictional story, follows two real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) in the 1920s.

    From the moment “Naatu Naatu” won the best original song award at 95th Oscars, social media is abuzz with countless posts about “RRR” and videos from the award ceremony.

    ALSO READ | ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance receives standing ovation at Oscars 2023

    Many shared the clips of the electrifying performance of the Telugu track “Naatu Naatu” by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava from the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre and livestreamed on streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar in India.

    Others shared various videos of the team of “RRR”, including filmmaker SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr NTR, erupting with joy after “Naatu Naatu” was announced as the winner for best original song.

    The ceremony’s host Jimmy Kimmel, however, attracted criticism from some fans for calling “RRR” a “Bollywood movie” during his opening monologue.

    “I believe this is just the beginning”: Jr NTR on Oscar win for ‘RRR’

    ‘RRR’ actor Jr NTR said, “I cannot find the words to express my elation right now. This is not just a win for RRR but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning. Showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love. I would also like to congratulate the team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on their win today bringing another Oscar to India.”

    “Still feels like I am living in a dream”: Ram Charan on ‘RRR’ winning Oscar award

    Expressing gratitude and thankfulness, ‘RRR’ lead actor Ram Charan took to his Twitter account and shared a long note which he captioned, “We have won!! We have won as Indian Cinema!! We won as a country!! The Oscar Award is coming home!”

    Charan wrote, ” RRR is and will always remain as the most special film of our lives and of Indian Cinema history. I can’t thank everyone enough for manifesting the Oscar Award. It still feels like I am living in a dream. Thank you all for the unstoppable support and love. SS Rajamouli Garu and MM Keeravani Garu are the most precious gems of our Indian film industry. Thank you both for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this masterpiece.”

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ lyricist Chandrabose’s wife beams with pride, expresses gratitude to Rajamouli

    As Chandrabose bagged the award, his wife Suchitra expressed happiness.

    Speaking to ANI, she said, “I thank SS Rajamouli sir and his wife and Keeravaani Garu for giving Bose an opportunity to write this song.”

    Chandrabose’s daughter Amrutha also beamed with pride as her father’s song Naatu Naatu won Oscar.

    “It’s a surreal feeling. I am super proud of my dad,” she shared.

    Deepika Padukone gives special shoutout to ‘Naatu Naatu’ at Oscars 2023

    The actresses made it to the Academy Awards stage to give a special shoutout to RRR’s power-packed song ‘Naatu Naatu’ which has been nominated in the ‘Orginal Song’ category this year.

    Before Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava earned a standing ovation for their electrifying performance, Deepika announced the performance and even gave a special mention briefing the audience about the song amidst loud cheers.

    She said, “An irresistibly catchy chorus, electrifying beats and killer dance moves to match have made this song a global sensation. It plays during a pivotal scene in ‘RRR’, a movie about the friendship between real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film’s anti-colonialist themes, it’s also a total banger!”

    ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: Check out the list of winners; ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’, women create history

    She added, “It’s earned millions of views on Youtube and Tik Tok. Has audiences dancing in movie theatres all around the world and is also the first song ever from Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar. Do you know Naatu? Because if you don’t you’re about to. From the film RRR this is Naatu Naatu.”

    Deepika looked exquisite in an all-black off-shoulder velvet gown. She tied her hair into a bun and kept her make-up normal. She accessorized her look with a yellow diamond drop necklace. 

    PM congratulates teams behind ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    PM Narendra Modi on Monday said India is proud and elated with “Naatu Naatu” winning an Oscar, and hailed the song as one that will be remembered for years to come.

    He also congratulated the entire team of Tamil documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” after it created history at the 95th Academy Awards by becoming the maiden Indian production to win in the Documentary Short Subject category.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Reacting to the peppy, foot-tapping chartbuster from SS Rajamouli’s Telugu period action film “RRR” winning the Academy Award in the Best Original Song category, Modi tweeted, “Exceptional! The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global.

    It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come.

    Exceptional!
    The popularity of ‘Naatu Naatu’ is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come. Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani, @boselyricist and the entire team for this prestigious honour.
    India is elated and proud. #Oscars https://t.co/cANG5wHROt
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations to MM Keeravaani, Chandrabose and the entire team for this prestigious honour. India is elated and proud,” he said.

    In another tweet, Modi also congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves, producer Guneet Monga and the entire team of “The Elephant Whisperers” for winning the Oscars.

    “Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature,” the prime minister said.

    AP CM, TDP chief Naidu congratulate ‘Naatu Naatu’ team

    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday congratulated music director M M Keeravani and team for bagging an Oscar for the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ in the Music (Original Song) category.

    According to the Chief Minister, the song had amplified notations in a variety of genres, including pace, effect, beat and depth, showcasing the Telugu prowess at an international scale, creating history.

    He conveyed his wishes to the entire unit of the film – ‘RRR’-, directed by SS Rajamouli, for striking the ‘Oscar chord with music to the ears of the global audience.

    ‘ Reddy said the Academy award is the icing on the cake for the Indian cinema which recently celebrated its centenary.

    The #Telugu flag is flying higher!
    I’m filled with pride on a Telugu song, that so beautifully celebrates our folk heritage, being given its due recognition internationally today. @ssrajamouli, @tarak9999, @AlwaysRamCharan and @mmkeeravaani have truly redefined excellence! 1/2 https://t.co/jp75mpiZHv
    — YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) March 13, 2023
    Similarly, N Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo noted that ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the award for best original song at the 95th Oscar awards.

    “This is probably the finest moment for Indian cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special,” said Naidu congratulating Rajamouli, Keeravani, Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Chandrabose, Sipligunj, Kala Bhairava and choreographer Prem Rakshit.

    Former VP Venkaiah Naidu, film personalities congratulate ‘RRR’ team on Oscar recognition for ‘Naatu, Naatu’

    Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, superstar Chiranjeevi and several other Telugu film personalities and political leaders expressed joy and pride over ‘Naatu, Naatu’ song from SS Rajamouli’s period action film ‘RRR’ winning an Oscar award.

    “Congratulations to composer Keeravani garu, lyricist Chandra Bose, ace director Rajamouli garu, & the crew of #RRR movie for making history by winning the prestigious #Oscar Award for the Best Original Song for the popular number, #NaatuNaatu,” Venkaiah Naidu tweeted.

    Soundararajan also took to Twitter to congratulate the ‘RRR’ team.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ has sealed its place in history by winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the #Oscars. This is probably the finest moment for Indian Cinema and Telugus achieving it is even more special.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/BAKVLsPVxf
    — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 13, 2023
    “Congratulations @RRRMovie team You made INDIAN’S& telugu film industry Proud by #Oscar,” she said.

    Chiranjeevi complemented ‘RRR’ director SS Rajamouli, music director MM Keeravani, lyricist Chandrabose and others who were involved in making the song.

    “NaatuNaatu ON TOP OF THE WORLD !!! And THE OSCAR for the Best Original Song Goes To : Take a Bow @mmkeeravaani garu & @boselyricist kaalabhairava7Rahulsipligunj #PremRakshith @tarak9999 @AlwaysRamCharan And the One & Only @ssrajamouli,” he tweeted.

    Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan is one of the heroes in ‘RRR’.

    Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan said the award has made Indians proud.

    The Oscar award and other international recognition to ‘RRR’ would inspire Indian directors, actors and writers, he said.

    State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy also congratulated the ‘RRR’ team.

    Indian celebs hail Oscar wins for ‘RRR’, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

    “Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh,” Alia, who played a pivotal role in ‘RRR’, reacted to the winning news.  In another post, she congratulated The Elephant Whisperers and its producer Guneet Monga.

    “ufff what a visual! Historic.Congratulations @guneetmonga and the whole team,” she wrote.

    Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram Story and applauded the RRR team.

    Sharing the winning moment, she wrote, “Yesss team.” She also added Indian Flag emoji to the caption.

    “Yay…another win,” actress Mini Mathur wrote on Instagram Story.

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ won the award trumping big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on behalf of the team. Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava and composer along with director SS Rajamouli and lead actors Jr NTR and Ram Charan are all present at the big event.

    Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, took to social media to celebrate the double Oscar win for India for the Telugu blockbuster “RRR” and Tamil documentary short “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    Filmmaker Karan Johar called the Oscar win of “RRR” “historic”.

    “Historic!!!! OMG!!!!!!! I was jumping on my bed !!!!! So so so proud! @m.m.keeravani sir @ssrajamouli sir @jrntr @alwaysramcharan” he wrote on Instagram Stories.

    The director said he is proud of the team of The Elephant Whisperers for creating history at the Academy Awards.

    “Guneet!!!! @guneetmonga you did it!!!!! So so so proud of you!!!! You created history! Broke the glass ceiling and more than anything else paved the way applause, Respect and many a salute to you” he posted.

    Ajay Devgn, who also made a guest appearance in “RRR”, called the two trophies for Indian films a “proud moment”.

    “As it is often said, cinema speaks a universal language. Congratulations to the teams of #RRR and #TheElephantWhisperers for their #Oscar wins. It’s a proud moment,” he tweeted.

    Hrithik wrote, “Such a historic, proud & happy moment for Indian Cinema at #Oscars95 ! Many congratulations to the team of Best Documentary Short Film #TheElephantWhisperers & Team RRR for Best Original Song #NaatuNaatu !! More power to you all.”

    “Wonderful!!! Congratulations to all of you #ElephantWhisperers” tweeted actor Kangana Ranaut.

    The actor also praised “RRR” for making India proud.

    “Congratulations to entire India, RRR, a movie about suppression, torture, killing, colonisation of Indians based on racial grounds gets appreciated on a world platform, number of Indians died just during one Bengal famine were way more than Jews died during holocaust. Thank team RRR” she added.

    Singer Anup Jalota said the song has become famous world over.

    Congratulations to MM Kreem, the director and the team for beautifully picturising the song, he added.

    Actor Rajinikanth tweeted, “My hearty congratulations to Shri. Keeravani, Shri. Rajamouli and Shri. Kartiki Gonsalves for getting the prestigious Oscar Award. I salute to the proud Indians.”

    My hearty congratulations to Shri. Keeravani, Shri. Rajamouli and Shri. Kartiki Gonsalves for getting the prestigious Oscar Award. I salute to the proud Indians.
    — Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) March 13, 2023
    Sound designer Resul Pookutty, who won an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for 2008 movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, also congratulated the teams of “RRR” and “The Elephant Whisperers”.

    “This is a huge win congratulations to @mmkeeravaani and the team of #RRR” he said.

    “Huge huge congratulations to @guneetm and the team of #elephantwhispers for their #Oscar win @TheAcademy You all created history. Guneet #IToldYouSo” he added.

    Samantha Ruth Prabhu wrote on Instagram, “What an incredible moment. It’s an Oscar baby”

    Actor Rana Daggubati shared a video of the moment MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose won the Oscar and wrote, “The roar of #RRR” “RRR” (Rise Roar Revolt), a pre-independence fictional story, follows two real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR) in the 1920s.

    From the moment “Naatu Naatu” won the best original song award at 95th Oscars, social media is abuzz with countless posts about “RRR” and videos from the award ceremony.

    ALSO READ | ‘Naatu Naatu’ performance receives standing ovation at Oscars 2023

    Many shared the clips of the electrifying performance of the Telugu track “Naatu Naatu” by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava from the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre and livestreamed on streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar in India.

    Others shared various videos of the team of “RRR”, including filmmaker SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan and Jr NTR, erupting with joy after “Naatu Naatu” was announced as the winner for best original song.

    The ceremony’s host Jimmy Kimmel, however, attracted criticism from some fans for calling “RRR” a “Bollywood movie” during his opening monologue.

    “I believe this is just the beginning”: Jr NTR on Oscar win for ‘RRR’

    ‘RRR’ actor Jr NTR said, “I cannot find the words to express my elation right now. This is not just a win for RRR but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning. Showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love. I would also like to congratulate the team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on their win today bringing another Oscar to India.”

    “Still feels like I am living in a dream”: Ram Charan on ‘RRR’ winning Oscar award

    Expressing gratitude and thankfulness, ‘RRR’ lead actor Ram Charan took to his Twitter account and shared a long note which he captioned, “We have won!! We have won as Indian Cinema!! We won as a country!! The Oscar Award is coming home!”

    Charan wrote, ” RRR is and will always remain as the most special film of our lives and of Indian Cinema history. I can’t thank everyone enough for manifesting the Oscar Award. It still feels like I am living in a dream. Thank you all for the unstoppable support and love. SS Rajamouli Garu and MM Keeravani Garu are the most precious gems of our Indian film industry. Thank you both for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this masterpiece.”

    ‘Naatu Naatu’ lyricist Chandrabose’s wife beams with pride, expresses gratitude to Rajamouli

    As Chandrabose bagged the award, his wife Suchitra expressed happiness.

    Speaking to ANI, she said, “I thank SS Rajamouli sir and his wife and Keeravaani Garu for giving Bose an opportunity to write this song.”

    Chandrabose’s daughter Amrutha also beamed with pride as her father’s song Naatu Naatu won Oscar.

    “It’s a surreal feeling. I am super proud of my dad,” she shared.

    Deepika Padukone gives special shoutout to ‘Naatu Naatu’ at Oscars 2023

    The actresses made it to the Academy Awards stage to give a special shoutout to RRR’s power-packed song ‘Naatu Naatu’ which has been nominated in the ‘Orginal Song’ category this year.

    Before Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava earned a standing ovation for their electrifying performance, Deepika announced the performance and even gave a special mention briefing the audience about the song amidst loud cheers.

    She said, “An irresistibly catchy chorus, electrifying beats and killer dance moves to match have made this song a global sensation. It plays during a pivotal scene in ‘RRR’, a movie about the friendship between real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. In addition to being sung in Telugu and illustrating the film’s anti-colonialist themes, it’s also a total banger!”

    ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: Check out the list of winners; ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR’, women create history

    She added, “It’s earned millions of views on Youtube and Tik Tok. Has audiences dancing in movie theatres all around the world and is also the first song ever from Indian production to be nominated for an Oscar. Do you know Naatu? Because if you don’t you’re about to. From the film RRR this is Naatu Naatu.”

    Deepika looked exquisite in an all-black off-shoulder velvet gown. She tied her hair into a bun and kept her make-up normal. She accessorized her look with a yellow diamond drop necklace.
     

  • Oscar-bound short film lifts veil on Iranian women rejecting male domination

    By AFP

    MAMER: Short movies nominated for an Oscar often don’t get wide public attention. But when one is about an Iranian girl seeking freedom from male domination by taking off her veil, interest is sure to spike.

    That’s the premise of “The Red Suitcase”, a 17-minute movie that, at the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles on March 12, will shine a bright light on the protests that have gripped Iran since last September.

    Set in Luxembourg’s airport, it tells the story of a 16-year-old Iranian girl freshly arrived from Tehran who, with trepidation, takes off her veil to escape an unhappy fate dictated by men.

    For director Cyrus Neshvad, born in Iran but of Luxembourgish nationality, the Oscar nomination is a chance to highlight what the “virus” of the Islamic regime is doing to the “beautiful body” of his birth country.

    “Once we get this virus out, the body will be flourishing again,” he told AFP.

    The demonstrations in Iran were sparked by the September 16 death in custody of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, who was detained for incorrectly wearing the headscarf mandated by the country’s religious rulers.

    Since then they have spread to become one of the most serious popular challenges to the hardline Islamic theocrats who took power in 1979.

    The regime has responded by cracking down on the protesters with arrests and executions — but also turning against those voicing support, among the country’s sportspeople and filmmakers.

    ‘Take your hijab off’ 

    For Neshvad, “The Red Suitcase” wasn’t born of the current uprising in Iran — it was filmed a year before it started.

    But it has its roots in the injustices faced by his family — of the Bahai religion, systematically persecuted in Iran — as well as those long experienced by Iranian girls and women before Amini’s death brought them to global attention.

    “For me, it (the movie) was about a woman, which are the women in Iran being under domination of the man,” said the director, aged in his 40s.

    In Iran, “If a woman wants to do something, or go visit something, the man (her father or husband) has to consent and write the paper and sign it,” he said.

    For the girl in his movie to take her veil off, it was a moment of “courage” — for her to rebel against a path forced upon her, but also to inspire those watching.

    “It will be a message: ‘Follow me — like me, take your hijab off, don’t accept this domination, and let’s be free, at least have the free will to decide’,” Neshvad said.

    His actress, Nawelle Evad, 22, isn’t Iranian and used a dialogue coach to deliver the few lines in Farsi required.

    But as a French-Algerian, the issue of women and Islamic headscarves — and the debate in the West around them — was familiar to her.

    “I had a Muslim upbringing and I used to wear it,” she told AFP in Paris, where she lives.

    But for her “it was never an obligation” to wear one, she noted.

    And even for her character in the movie, when she takes her headscarf off, “It’s not of her will, it’s despite herself that she removes it — I think there are many women in Iran, and elsewhere, where the headscarf is an extension of themselves.”

    Criticism of West too

    In the film though, by removing the headscarf, her character ultimately “chooses herself”.

    “That’s what I find so beautiful in this film… the doubts that anybody, in any country, in any culture, faces… What do I choose for myself? Do I listen to my family? Am I making my own choices?”

    Neshvad’s French scriptwriting partner, Guillaume Levil, also suggested that the sexualised airport ads in the film underline that the West, too, can be criticised for exploiting women and their public image.

    The final image of the movie, an ad showing a blonde model with abundant curly hair, was emblematic of both social diktats, the director said.

    “The closer we go with the camera on her face, slowly we see that she’s not happy, and when we are very, very close, we see that (she) is even frightened,” he said.

    “And with this, I wanted to finish the movie. So to have both sides, not only one side, but both sides.”

    MAMER: Short movies nominated for an Oscar often don’t get wide public attention. But when one is about an Iranian girl seeking freedom from male domination by taking off her veil, interest is sure to spike.

    That’s the premise of “The Red Suitcase”, a 17-minute movie that, at the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles on March 12, will shine a bright light on the protests that have gripped Iran since last September.

    Set in Luxembourg’s airport, it tells the story of a 16-year-old Iranian girl freshly arrived from Tehran who, with trepidation, takes off her veil to escape an unhappy fate dictated by men.

    For director Cyrus Neshvad, born in Iran but of Luxembourgish nationality, the Oscar nomination is a chance to highlight what the “virus” of the Islamic regime is doing to the “beautiful body” of his birth country.

    “Once we get this virus out, the body will be flourishing again,” he told AFP.

    The demonstrations in Iran were sparked by the September 16 death in custody of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, who was detained for incorrectly wearing the headscarf mandated by the country’s religious rulers.

    Since then they have spread to become one of the most serious popular challenges to the hardline Islamic theocrats who took power in 1979.

    The regime has responded by cracking down on the protesters with arrests and executions — but also turning against those voicing support, among the country’s sportspeople and filmmakers.

    ‘Take your hijab off’ 

    For Neshvad, “The Red Suitcase” wasn’t born of the current uprising in Iran — it was filmed a year before it started.

    But it has its roots in the injustices faced by his family — of the Bahai religion, systematically persecuted in Iran — as well as those long experienced by Iranian girls and women before Amini’s death brought them to global attention.

    “For me, it (the movie) was about a woman, which are the women in Iran being under domination of the man,” said the director, aged in his 40s.

    In Iran, “If a woman wants to do something, or go visit something, the man (her father or husband) has to consent and write the paper and sign it,” he said.

    For the girl in his movie to take her veil off, it was a moment of “courage” — for her to rebel against a path forced upon her, but also to inspire those watching.

    “It will be a message: ‘Follow me — like me, take your hijab off, don’t accept this domination, and let’s be free, at least have the free will to decide’,” Neshvad said.

    His actress, Nawelle Evad, 22, isn’t Iranian and used a dialogue coach to deliver the few lines in Farsi required.

    But as a French-Algerian, the issue of women and Islamic headscarves — and the debate in the West around them — was familiar to her.

    “I had a Muslim upbringing and I used to wear it,” she told AFP in Paris, where she lives.

    But for her “it was never an obligation” to wear one, she noted.

    And even for her character in the movie, when she takes her headscarf off, “It’s not of her will, it’s despite herself that she removes it — I think there are many women in Iran, and elsewhere, where the headscarf is an extension of themselves.”

    Criticism of West too

    In the film though, by removing the headscarf, her character ultimately “chooses herself”.

    “That’s what I find so beautiful in this film… the doubts that anybody, in any country, in any culture, faces… What do I choose for myself? Do I listen to my family? Am I making my own choices?”

    Neshvad’s French scriptwriting partner, Guillaume Levil, also suggested that the sexualised airport ads in the film underline that the West, too, can be criticised for exploiting women and their public image.

    The final image of the movie, an ad showing a blonde model with abundant curly hair, was emblematic of both social diktats, the director said.

    “The closer we go with the camera on her face, slowly we see that she’s not happy, and when we are very, very close, we see that (she) is even frightened,” he said.

    “And with this, I wanted to finish the movie. So to have both sides, not only one side, but both sides.”

  • Trailblazing director Euzhan Palcy returns for Oscar honour

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Director Euzhan Palcy has made history more than a few times in her four decades in the movie business.She was the first Black woman to direct a film produced by a major studio (MGM’s “A Dry White Season”), the first Black director of any gender to win the César Award in France, the first woman to win a Venice Silver Lion (for “Sugar Cane Alley”), the only woman to direct Marlon Brando and the first Black woman to direct an actor to an Oscar nomination (also Brando).

    She blazed trails for a generation of Black female filmmakers, from Ava DuVernay and Amma Asante to Regina Hall and Gina Prince-Bythewood, and most of the time it wasn’t easy or fun.But she was driven by a conviction that she holds this day, “I was born to make movies.”Now after some years away from the business, she is ready, at 64, to get behind the camera again. And what better way to start a comeback than with an Oscar? On Saturday, Palcy will get an honorary statuette at the annual Governors Awards gala, in recognition of her contributions to motion pictures.

    She’s being celebrated alongside Australian director Peter Weir, songwriter Diane Warren and actor Michael J. Fox, who is getting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, at the untelevised event.“I felt like this was the right time for me to show up again,” Palcy, from Paris, said. “I was ready.”Palcy was born in Martinique, in the French West Indies, in 1958, and from age 10 had set her sights on filmmaking even though it seemed like no one who was doing it, successfully at least, looked like her. Her imagination was sparked by Marcel Camus’ “Black Orpheus” and the films of Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang and.

    In the mid-70s, she left for Paris, where she studied at the Sorbonne and got a master’s degree in film from the prestigious Louis-Lumière College. There she was encouraged to keep pursuing filmmaking by François Truffaut.But she couldn’t find anyone to give her money to make her first feature, “Sugar Cane Alley,” even after she got an important grant from the French Government that would typically pique the interest of financiers. The film would be an adaptation of Joseph Zobel’s semi-autobiographical novel about Martinique in the 1930s, the Africans working the sugar cane fields and their white owners. 

     Euzhan Palcy“I had a degree from the most famous film school in France and it was not enough,” Palcy said. “I was still Black, I was still a woman, and I was still young.”Still, she managed to make “Sugar Cane Alley” from nothing and it went on to be a great success, winning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and a César for best first work. The most important thing to her, though, was that it resonated with the people of Martinique who told her they’d never seen themselves on screen before.“Most people point it out that I was a pioneer. They say it doesn’t make you happy? And it’s not that, but it’s hard, it’s hard to be a pioneer. People think it’s a big deal and it’s great, but nothing is there and you pick a road and you pave it. That requires a lot of tenacity, a lot of fight, a lot of struggle, a lot of tears.”I love the metaphor of a woman who is pregnant and the pregnancy is so hard on her and it’s difficult to give birth to that baby. Then once she does, she’s exhausted. That’s the way I felt when ‘Sugar Cane Alley’ came out. I couldn’t even enjoy the success of that movie,” she said. “But it made me stronger and even more determined to fight for my stories.”Hollywood took notice and the exciting new talent behind the camera. Robert Redford invited her out to do the Sundance Director’s Lab, in 1984, and would be a sounding board as more offers came in. Life, for a moment, was a whirlwind of courting and offers.Warner Bros. executive Lucy Fisher flew her to Los Angeles and gave her a grand welcome to try to get her to make a film with them. Palcy asked about adapting “The Color Purple,” though was politely told that Steven Spielberg had already set his sights on that. She decided on “A Dry White Season.”

    The film almost fell apart, though, when Warner Bros. brass decided after Universal released “Cry Freedom” that two apartheid movies was too many. MGM stepped in to make it.Palcy has always been steadfast in her vision. Paul Newman was desperate to be in the film, but she was set on Donald Sutherland. She also convinced Brando, who had been retired for nine years, to take a role. For that, he received his eighth and final Oscar nomination.After that, though, Hollywood became a mixed bag. She made “Ruby Bridges” for the Wonderful World of Disney and “The Killing Yard,” a TV film about the Attica Prison riot. But then about a decade ago, she decided she had to leave. She’d heard no, and that Black films don’t sell, a few too many times. And she’d been asked to make a few too many films that didn’t speak to her.“I thought, I cannot betray my ideals,” she said. “So I thought I’d go away and put my energy into helping young filmmakers so I didn’t waste my time. I was just waiting for the right time to come back.”In the ensuing years, she’d receive many letters and emails from people asking her where she was and why she wasn’t making films. Some of her films have gotten a second life too: “A Dry White Season” got a Criterion restoration and “Ruby Bridges” started streaming on Disney+.“My work is not for people from yesterday,” she said. “My work is for people from the new generation.”Then earlier this year she had a feeling that the time to come back was now. Soon after, she got an honour in France and 24 hours later got a phone call about the honorary Oscar.“I said, ‘My God, what is happening?’ It was worth the sadness and the struggle I had inside me for not being able to do my movies,” she said.Now she just hopes that people don’t put her in a box, thinking she’s just a “political filmmaker.”“I want to make all kinds of movies,” she said. “I can do any genre.”Palcy does want to make one thing clear: Though she is forthright about the struggles and adversity she faced, she wants people to know that she is also a very positive person.“It was not a complaint,” she said. “But if they ask me about it, I will be honest.”

    LOS ANGELES: Director Euzhan Palcy has made history more than a few times in her four decades in the movie business.
    She was the first Black woman to direct a film produced by a major studio (MGM’s “A Dry White Season”), the first Black director of any gender to win the César Award in France, the first woman to win a Venice Silver Lion (for “Sugar Cane Alley”), the only woman to direct Marlon Brando and the first Black woman to direct an actor to an Oscar nomination (also Brando).

    She blazed trails for a generation of Black female filmmakers, from Ava DuVernay and Amma Asante to Regina Hall and Gina Prince-Bythewood, and most of the time it wasn’t easy or fun.
    But she was driven by a conviction that she holds this day, “I was born to make movies.”
    Now after some years away from the business, she is ready, at 64, to get behind the camera again. And what better way to start a comeback than with an Oscar? On Saturday, Palcy will get an honorary statuette at the annual Governors Awards gala, in recognition of her contributions to motion pictures.

    She’s being celebrated alongside Australian director Peter Weir, songwriter Diane Warren and actor Michael J. Fox, who is getting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, at the untelevised event.
    “I felt like this was the right time for me to show up again,” Palcy, from Paris, said. “I was ready.”
    Palcy was born in Martinique, in the French West Indies, in 1958, and from age 10 had set her sights on filmmaking even though it seemed like no one who was doing it, successfully at least, looked like her. Her imagination was sparked by Marcel Camus’ “Black Orpheus” and the films of Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang and.

    In the mid-70s, she left for Paris, where she studied at the Sorbonne and got a master’s degree in film from the prestigious Louis-Lumière College. There she was encouraged to keep pursuing filmmaking by François Truffaut.
    But she couldn’t find anyone to give her money to make her first feature, “Sugar Cane Alley,” even after she got an important grant from the French Government that would typically pique the interest of financiers. The film would be an adaptation of Joseph Zobel’s semi-autobiographical novel about Martinique in the 1930s, the Africans working the sugar cane fields and their white owners.
     

     Euzhan Palcy“I had a degree from the most famous film school in France and it was not enough,” Palcy said. “I was still Black, I was still a woman, and I was still young.”
    Still, she managed to make “Sugar Cane Alley” from nothing and it went on to be a great success, winning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and a César for best first work. The most important thing to her, though, was that it resonated with the people of Martinique who told her they’d never seen themselves on screen before.
    “Most people point it out that I was a pioneer. They say it doesn’t make you happy? And it’s not that, but it’s hard, it’s hard to be a pioneer. People think it’s a big deal and it’s great, but nothing is there and you pick a road and you pave it. That requires a lot of tenacity, a lot of fight, a lot of struggle, a lot of tears.
    “I love the metaphor of a woman who is pregnant and the pregnancy is so hard on her and it’s difficult to give birth to that baby. Then once she does, she’s exhausted. That’s the way I felt when ‘Sugar Cane Alley’ came out. I couldn’t even enjoy the success of that movie,” she said. “But it made me stronger and even more determined to fight for my stories.”
    Hollywood took notice and the exciting new talent behind the camera. Robert Redford invited her out to do the Sundance Director’s Lab, in 1984, and would be a sounding board as more offers came in. Life, for a moment, was a whirlwind of courting and offers.
    Warner Bros. executive Lucy Fisher flew her to Los Angeles and gave her a grand welcome to try to get her to make a film with them. Palcy asked about adapting “The Color Purple,” though was politely told that Steven Spielberg had already set his sights on that. She decided on “A Dry White Season.”

    The film almost fell apart, though, when Warner Bros. brass decided after Universal released “Cry Freedom” that two apartheid movies was too many. MGM stepped in to make it.
    Palcy has always been steadfast in her vision. Paul Newman was desperate to be in the film, but she was set on Donald Sutherland. She also convinced Brando, who had been retired for nine years, to take a role. For that, he received his eighth and final Oscar nomination.
    After that, though, Hollywood became a mixed bag. She made “Ruby Bridges” for the Wonderful World of Disney and “The Killing Yard,” a TV film about the Attica Prison riot. But then about a decade ago, she decided she had to leave. She’d heard no, and that Black films don’t sell, a few too many times. And she’d been asked to make a few too many films that didn’t speak to her.
    “I thought, I cannot betray my ideals,” she said. “So I thought I’d go away and put my energy into helping young filmmakers so I didn’t waste my time. I was just waiting for the right time to come back.”
    In the ensuing years, she’d receive many letters and emails from people asking her where she was and why she wasn’t making films. Some of her films have gotten a second life too: “A Dry White Season” got a Criterion restoration and “Ruby Bridges” started streaming on Disney+.
    “My work is not for people from yesterday,” she said. “My work is for people from the new generation.”
    Then earlier this year she had a feeling that the time to come back was now. Soon after, she got an honour in France and 24 hours later got a phone call about the honorary Oscar.
    “I said, ‘My God, what is happening?’ It was worth the sadness and the struggle I had inside me for not being able to do my movies,” she said.
    Now she just hopes that people don’t put her in a box, thinking she’s just a “political filmmaker.”
    “I want to make all kinds of movies,” she said. “I can do any genre.”
    Palcy does want to make one thing clear: Though she is forthright about the struggles and adversity she faced, she wants people to know that she is also a very positive person.
    “It was not a complaint,” she said. “But if they ask me about it, I will be honest.”

  • Chile’s new star director Sebastian Lelio confronts fanaticism

    By AFP

    PARIS: Sebastian Lelio won an Oscar and helped change Chile’s laws on transsexuals with one of his films. Now he is tackling the menace of fanaticism and fake news with the help of Hollywood’s hottest young star, Florence Pugh.

    Lelio gained international renown in 2017 for “A Fantastic Woman” about a transgender waitress dealing with the fall-out of her boyfriend’s death.

    Not only did it win the Oscar for best foreign language film, but it sparked a debate that helped change the law in his native Chile, allowing people to legally change their gender.

    His new film, “The Wonder”, which launches on Netflix on November 16, is no less topical, despite being set in 19th-century Ireland.

    It stars Pugh — the British actor who is in huge demand following star-making turns in “Black Widow”, “Midsommar” and “Don’t Worry Darling” — as a nurse caring for a young girl who claims she can survive without food.

    “It’s a film where rationality confronts fanaticism,” the director told AFP. “But, at its core, it’s not about religion, it’s about people claiming to have found the truth and twisting reality to fit their beliefs.

    “They make political use of this story, and that’s something very current today in the era of ‘fake news’,” Lelio added.

    “With the internet, millions of people can fall into the trap of stupid beliefs… or fascination with fascism, which is an effective use of storytelling.”

    Skywalker vs wee

    Lelio has become one of several big names to emerge in Latin American cinema recently, including fellow Chilean Pablo Larrain (“Spencer”, “Jackie”).

    There was little art in his upbringing, but there was an unlikely moment of revelation when he went to the cinema to watch “The Empire Strikes Back” as a child.

    “Luke Skywalker was going to enter the Death Star and I wanted to pee,” he told AFP with a smile.

    “Right then, I had to decide: either I pissed myself, or I missed the climax of the film. I said to myself: OK, I’m pissing myself.

    “It was a victory and a defeat at the same time, but something happened inside me, an inner conviction that this made sense. I had pissed myself but it was my decision.”

    ‘Power dynamics’

    Growing up during the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, means the 48-year-old knows plenty about the dangers of fanaticism reflected in “The Wonder”.

    “I grew up in the south of Chile, very green, somewhat resembling Ireland. It was a very macho dictatorship in a very Catholic country. Even if the cultural specificities are different, I know these power dynamics.”

    His films have been a way to push back.

    Like Pedro Almodovar on the other side of the Atlantic, Lelio often focuses on women, whether it’s a lesbian love affair in an Orthodox Jewish community (“Disobedience” starring Rachel Weisz) or a divorcee’s search for love (“Gloria” which he remade in English with Julianne Moore).

    “I always have the impression of walking alongside them… of crossing the desert with them,” Lelio said of the women in his movies.

    “I feel a kind of honour.”

    PARIS: Sebastian Lelio won an Oscar and helped change Chile’s laws on transsexuals with one of his films. Now he is tackling the menace of fanaticism and fake news with the help of Hollywood’s hottest young star, Florence Pugh.

    Lelio gained international renown in 2017 for “A Fantastic Woman” about a transgender waitress dealing with the fall-out of her boyfriend’s death.

    Not only did it win the Oscar for best foreign language film, but it sparked a debate that helped change the law in his native Chile, allowing people to legally change their gender.

    His new film, “The Wonder”, which launches on Netflix on November 16, is no less topical, despite being set in 19th-century Ireland.

    It stars Pugh — the British actor who is in huge demand following star-making turns in “Black Widow”, “Midsommar” and “Don’t Worry Darling” — as a nurse caring for a young girl who claims she can survive without food.

    “It’s a film where rationality confronts fanaticism,” the director told AFP. “But, at its core, it’s not about religion, it’s about people claiming to have found the truth and twisting reality to fit their beliefs.

    “They make political use of this story, and that’s something very current today in the era of ‘fake news’,” Lelio added.

    “With the internet, millions of people can fall into the trap of stupid beliefs… or fascination with fascism, which is an effective use of storytelling.”

    Skywalker vs wee

    Lelio has become one of several big names to emerge in Latin American cinema recently, including fellow Chilean Pablo Larrain (“Spencer”, “Jackie”).

    There was little art in his upbringing, but there was an unlikely moment of revelation when he went to the cinema to watch “The Empire Strikes Back” as a child.

    “Luke Skywalker was going to enter the Death Star and I wanted to pee,” he told AFP with a smile.

    “Right then, I had to decide: either I pissed myself, or I missed the climax of the film. I said to myself: OK, I’m pissing myself.

    “It was a victory and a defeat at the same time, but something happened inside me, an inner conviction that this made sense. I had pissed myself but it was my decision.”

    ‘Power dynamics’

    Growing up during the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, means the 48-year-old knows plenty about the dangers of fanaticism reflected in “The Wonder”.

    “I grew up in the south of Chile, very green, somewhat resembling Ireland. It was a very macho dictatorship in a very Catholic country. Even if the cultural specificities are different, I know these power dynamics.”

    His films have been a way to push back.

    Like Pedro Almodovar on the other side of the Atlantic, Lelio often focuses on women, whether it’s a lesbian love affair in an Orthodox Jewish community (“Disobedience” starring Rachel Weisz) or a divorcee’s search for love (“Gloria” which he remade in English with Julianne Moore).

    “I always have the impression of walking alongside them… of crossing the desert with them,” Lelio said of the women in his movies.

    “I feel a kind of honour.”

  • Will Smith’s biopic back in development post Oscars slap

    By Express News Service

    Actor Will Smith’s biopic is reportedly back in the pipeline. Netflix, which had suspended talks over a film on the actor’s life following the Oscar slap controversy, is reportedly planning to resume the negotiation.

    A source told The Sun that in the wake of the Oscar issue, Will was left out in the cold by the streaming platforms Netflix and Apple TV+.

    “He has since apologised and stepped out of the spotlight for a lengthy period. With this in mind, it is broadly agreed enough time has passed to let the dust settle. It has been made clear that discussions can be started again about a biopic which Netflix were interested in,” the source added. According to Aceshowbiz. com, the slapping issue and the fallout will be part of the biopic’s storyline.

    Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars for comparing his 50-year-old wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaven head to GI Jane’s buzzcut. He stormed the stage to slap Chris before tearfully picking up the best actor award for his role in King Richard, which is about the father of tennis icons Serena Williams and Venus Williams. He then issued an apology via video online last month and said he was “deeply remorseful.

    Actor Will Smith’s biopic is reportedly back in the pipeline. Netflix, which had suspended talks over a film on the actor’s life following the Oscar slap controversy, is reportedly planning to resume the negotiation.

    A source told The Sun that in the wake of the Oscar issue, Will was left out in the cold by the streaming platforms Netflix and Apple TV+.

    “He has since apologised and stepped out of the spotlight for a lengthy period. With this in mind, it is broadly agreed enough time has passed to let the dust settle. It has been made clear that discussions can be started again about a biopic which Netflix were interested in,” the source added. According to Aceshowbiz. com, the slapping issue and the fallout will be part of the biopic’s storyline.

    Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars for comparing his 50-year-old wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaven head to GI Jane’s buzzcut. He stormed the stage to slap Chris before tearfully picking up the best actor award for his role in King Richard, which is about the father of tennis icons Serena Williams and Venus Williams. He then issued an apology via video online last month and said he was “deeply remorseful.

  • No straight man would accept role as gay man in modern times, says Tom Hanks

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Veteran star Tom Hanks, who essayed the role of a gay man with HIV in Jonathan Demme’s 1993 legal drama ‘Philadelphia’, feels straight actors would no longer be able to play the openly gay character today.

    Hanks opened up on straight performers playing LGBTQ characters in an interview with The New York Times Magazine recently, Variety reported.

    “Let’s address ‘could a straight man do what I did in ‘Philadelphia’ now?’ No, and rightly so. The whole point of ‘Philadelphia’ was don’t be afraid. One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy,” he said.

    He added, “It’s not a crime, it’s not boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity.”

    Hanks won the Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance in ‘Philadelphia.’

    Hanks will be next seen in a polarising role in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’, in which he plays Elvis Presley’s conniving manager Colonel Tom Parker. ‘Elvis’ will be out in theatres on June 24.

  • People today may not accept straight actors playing gay men: Tom Hanks

    American actor Tom Hanks played an LGBTQ character in Jonathan Demme's 1993 legal drama 'Philadelphia' and won the Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance.