Indians Divided Over ‘Naatu Naatu’ Mania
variety.comShalini Dore Features News Editor Before there was “RRR,” director S.S. Rajamouli had box-office smashes like the two-part “Baahubali,” which proved how adept he is at making hits.
But among Indian audiences, there is a deep divide between those who applaud that the rest of the world is waking up to his brilliance and those who are horrified that a “dubba” — or hollow film — is being lauded.
I’ve heard it from my own Indian friends and relatives who have been reaching out to ask: what are they missing? Reports of viewers dancing at Hollywood’s iconic Chinese Theater to the Oscar-nominated song “Naatu Naatu” horrify these purists.
But if you embrace what Rajamouli is doing, “Naatu Naatu” — which is not really the best song in Indian or Telegu films, or even in “RRR” — has somehow captured the zeitgeist, just as the film itself has. “Naatu Naatu” comes from the realm of “Tollywood,” i.e.
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