Here’s The Meaning Of Oscar-Winning Song ‘Naatu Naatu’ From ‘RRR’

Naatu Naatu is the first song from an Indian film nominated for an Oscar and it made history by winning at the Oscars 2023. The song, from the Indian action blockbuster movie RRR, is also the first song in the Telugu language nominated for an Oscar. It won Best Original Song, the first Telugu song to win the award. It surpassed the songs of top artists like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Dianne Warren. Everyone is curious about the RRR’s Naatu Naatu song meaning.

Naatu Naatu has become an international phenomenon after the energetic song and dance number hit the screens in the Indian action epic RRR. The crazy and challenging dance sequence and the fast-paced tempo of the song won the hearts of both fans and critics.

This is not the first time that the epic movie RRR featuring the lead actor N.T.Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan received international recognition. Before bagging an Oscar, the film received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2023 Golden Globes and won Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu.

Naatu Naatu winning an Oscar has raised a lot of curiosity among people. They want to know what the title of the award-winning piece of music means.

In the Telugu language, Naatu Naatu roughly translates to “dance dance” in English. But it has a deeper meaning. The movie was mostly filmed in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu is the language spoken mainly where the movie RRR is centered. About the award-winning song director, S.S. Rajamouli commented:

“For me, Naatu Naatu one of the reasons why I think it is such a hit is not just because of the music, not just because of the dance, because there is a beautiful story in itself. The entire story of RRR is within that 10 minutes of Naatu Naatu lead scene and the complete song. No one in America or across the world really knows the meaning of the lyrics but it is the catchiness of the lyric, the way, the flows. I think the credit should be given to Chandrabose, the lyricist.”

RRR has been dubbed into several Indian languages and released across the Indian subcontinent. Hence, the song’s title and lyrics will depend on whatever version you listen to. For example, the song is called Naacho Naacho in the Hindi version of the movie. In Kannada, it is Halli Naatu, In Tamil, it is called Naathu Koothu, and the song is called Karinthol in Malayalam.

The talented singers of Naatu Naatu, Rahul Sipligunj, and Kaala Bhairava performed during the 95th Academy Awards telecast. When the performance was announced, singer Sipligunj wrote on Instagram,

“This is going to be [an] unforgettable moment in my life.”

Now, what is Naatu Naatu song meaning?

The meaning of “Naatu means ethnicity, ethnic.” According to Reuters, the composer M.M. Keeravani said,

“Whatever I do is purely mine. It’s my own experience, it’s my own way of expression. These are my words, this is my style, look at me, this is who I am.”

In another interview with the New York Times, Keeravani added,

“It’s a word that says ‘something of our own, our own culture.'”

But songwriter Chandrabose had a different interpretation of the meaning. He said,

“Naatu means raw and rustic.”

He added,

“Everything I wrote in the song is from my childhood memories of my life and my parents. That’s why I created it very fast.”

In the film, Raju (Ram Charan) and Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) are bullied for being the only Indian attendees of a British colonial party. When they are insulted by a British man who insults them by saying,

“Look at all these brown buggers. What do they know about art? About finesse? About dance? Tango, swing, flamenco? Can you do any of these?”

Raju replies,

“Not salsa, not flamenco, my brother. Do you know naatu?”

This is when the Naatu Naatu performance takes place and they start singing and start their epic dance-off!

Here is what the “Naatu Naatu” lyrics mean in English,

[Verse 1]

Like the lead dancer dancing at a local goddess’s festival

Like an aggressive bull jumping in the dust of the fields

Like the main dancer dancing at the festival of a local goddess

Like playing with the stick while wearing wooden slippers

Like a bunch of young boys gathering in the shade of a banyan tree

Like eating a roti jowar with a chilli.

Listen to my song (x3)

[Chorus]

Let’s dance, dance, dance/crazy dance

Let’s dance, dance, dance/wild dance

Dance as if you have eaten green chilies/dance like a sharp dagger

[Verse 2]

Like beating a drum that makes your heart beat faster

Like the shrill voice of a bird that can ring your ears

Like singing a song that can make your fingers snap to the beat

Like the wild dance when there’s a fast beat

Like the dance that makes your body sweat

Listen to my song (x3)

[Chorus]

Let’s dance, dance, and dance/let’s dance, crazy dance

Let’s dance, dance, and dance/let’s dance, wild dance

Let’s dance, like the sharp plough

Let’s dance, dance and dance/let’s dance, like the humidity

[Verse 3]

Jump violently which will shake the earth

The life force inside of you should dance with joy

So jump until the dust rises in the air. Let’s dance.

(translation using Priyanka P. Nair on YouTube and The Times of India’s translations as reference)

Naatu Naatu actually translates more to “raw, unpolished.” Primarily, they’re describing their dance as “Naatu.”

Do you know where the song Naatu Naatu was filmed?

Naatu Naatu was filmed at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine before Russia’s invasion.

Prem Rakshith choreographed the dance moves for the song. He has worked with Rajamouli, lead actors Ram Charan, and Jr. NTR, previously. Speaking about the steps of the song, director Rajamouli said:

“[Prem] gave one of the most memorable numbers for both of them. He knows their style, exactly what their body language is. He exactly knows what their fans expect out of them. Here he has a very difficult job because here both the actors have to dance together, each of them has their own style but he has to find out a style, which will suit both of them. A dancing style which would be not complicated because I also wanted him to figure out steps which people would like to do themselves.”

We couldn’t be more proud to hear about the news of RRR receiving a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and winning Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu at the 2023 Golden Globes. But Naatu Naatu winning an Oscar is like a dream come true.