Our folk music that won an Oscar

Composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandra Bose, who won the Oscar for Best Song in India for the song Natu Natu from the Telugu film RRR, have achieved a feat that will excite and inspire the next generation. AR Rahman and lyricist Gulzar won the award fourteen years ago for the English film Slum Dog Millionaire, but the award won by Keeravani and his team has the flavor of our country. The songs in RRR, a South Indian composition, reflect the uniqueness of Indian music, especially the sweetness of folk traditions. Keeravani is very popular in Malayalam just like in Telugu Nadu. He has composed music for Malayalam films under the name Maratakamani. It is also a source of joy that our talented singer KS Chitra is the one who has sung most of the songs to the tune of Keeravani.

India also won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary along with the song in RRR. A heartwarming short film 'The Elephant Whisperers', directed by Ooty native Kartiki Gonsalves, took home the big honor. The plot of this Tamil film is the story of Bomman and Bellie, trainers at Theppakadu Elephant Training Centre, a part of the Muthumala Wildlife Sanctuary, and the baby elephants they take care of. India's double achievement at the Oscars is also a response to those who boast that Indian cinema is only restricted to Bollywood.

When Keeravani won the Golden Globe Award for Best Song for the song 'Natu Natu', Oscar hopes were skyrocketing. The global popularity of this song made it clear that music knows no language. It was a proud moment when the song and its amazing dance sequence was performed at the Oscars itself, and the film universe gave it a standing ovation.

The film must simultaneously have artistic quality and entertainment value and ensure commercial success. Because today cinema is also an industry that requires enormous investment. SS Rajamouli is a director who has already proved himself adept at capturing the heartbeat of the country and the magic of legends long forgotten in history and portraying them with the lively pace of youth, unlike the usual commercial film formula. His Baahubali part 1 and 2 were a huge commercial success, a case in point. Even when the film is described as a teamwork, it is ultimately a director's art. Considering that, Rajamouli also deserves credit for the recognition that Keeravani and Chandra Bose got with the film RRR. A great artist needs patience. The composer Chandra Bose himself had said that he had nineteen months to compose this song thanks to Rajamouli's patience. Keeravani also said that it took years to compose the melody of this song.

Folk songs are symbols of a country and culture. They are the remaining symbol of tribal identity, local tradition, and ancient culture. Many ragas in classical music are derived from folk songs. At the very beginning of man's life, there was folk music along with customs and rituals. The harvest songs and 'Sarpam Pattu' in temples also fall under this category. They are inextricably linked with everyday life. Keeravani has never abandoned this foundation even while giving a modern face to his music. Keeravani is characterized by a serenity almost equal to asceticism. Melodies blossom through him like the results of meditative efforts. The song was sung by Keeravani's son Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj. Telugu superstars Ram Charan and Jr. NTR's dance performance also made this song very catchy. It is in this sense that Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Oscar winners and said that this song will live on forever.

Keeravani is a talent who has marked his signature in all areas of the film-music industry. He excelled as a singer and songwriter. Keeravani has also composed music for many Malayalam films including Neelagiri, Soorya Manasam, and Devaragam. AR Rahman's international recognition has had an impact on the Indian music scene. Now we have gone one step further through Keeravani. We take this opportunity to appreciate all the artists who have made India proud.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once won several awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Michelle Yeoh, who is of Asian origin, won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in this film. Brendan Fraser won Best Actor for his role in The Whale.

Malayalam filmmakers, who are not far behind in their ability to think in that track, should prepare themselves when Tamil and Telugu receive Oscar awards. Rasool Pookkutty and Rahman won the Oscars but it should be remembered that they were for foreign language films. The Elephant Whisperers, which won an award in the Short Documentary category, tells the story of the bond between humans and animals through the theme of elephant care. We must keep our eyes open to the issues before our eyes. Such far-sighted observations lead to different perspectives.