SS Rajamouli with SS Karthikeya. (courtesy: ssk1122)
RRR song Naatu Naatu created history what with its glorious Oscar win and a blockbuster performance at this year's Academy Awards. A few weeks after its big Oscar win, RRR is in the headlines once again. This time for a different reason. There are rumours doing the rounds that the makers spent extensive amount of money on the film's Oscar campaign. In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, RRR director SS Rajamouli's son SS Karthikeya addressed all the rumours. There were also rumours that the team paid for lead actors Jr NTR, Ram Charan's tickets for the Academy Awards (more on that later). Addressing the campaign budget rumours, SS Karthikeya told Galatta Plus, "I don't know why there is a rumor that RRR team has spent a lot of money for the Oscar campaign. We definitely wanted to campaign for the Oscars as the audience liked the film. We spent according to the publicity budget. We did everything according to the plan."
SS Karthikeya added, "It is a big joke that we can buy an Oscar if we give money. With a 95-year-long history, it is an institution. Everything there is done according to a process. I can only say one thing - can we buy the love of the fans? We can't buy the words of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron about the movie, can we? The fans have given us a lot of publicity."
Addressing the rumours that the RRR team sponsored the tickets for the attendees, SS Karthikeya said, "Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Prem Rakshit, Rahul Sipliganj and Kala Bhairava were invited by the Oscar committee." He explained that Naatu Naatu composer MM Keeravaani and lyrist Chandrabose already received invites as they were nominated (they went on to win the Oscar).
"Other than those who are in the nomination or called by the committee, one has to buy the Oscar tickets. For this, the nominees should send an e-mail to the Oscar committee. Also, there are different types of classes. Keeravaani e-mailed Oscar for our family and after checking everything, they replied to the mail and sent a link. So, we bought each ticket for 1500 dollars. That is the lower level. We spent another 750 dollars for four people to sit on the top and watch. We have bought the tickets. All this has been done officially," SS Karthikeya explained.
Naatu Naatu from RRR defeated the likes of Applause from Tell It Like A Woman, Hold My Hand from the movie Top Gun: Maverick, Lift me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and This Is Life from Everything Everywhere All At Once to win the Best Original Song Oscar.