Why Jr NTR, Ram Charan didn't perform at Oscars? Naatu Naatu singer reveals

SS Rajamouli’s RRR created history at the 95th Academy awards when its song Naatu Naatu became the first Indian movie track to win an Oscar in the Best Original Song category. In a conversation with Republic Media Network’s Mugdha Kapoor, Naatu Naatu singer Rahul Sipligunj revealed that actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR were initially supposed to perform with them at the Oscars stage but couldn’t due to their busy schedules. 

Rahul said, “Yeah, Jr NTR and Ram Charan sir were supposed to perform with us but I don’t know what happened at last. I got to know about them not performing from the news when Tarak sir said in an interview that they didn’t practice because they didn’t get the time from their busy schedule in the US. That was the main reason why they didn’t perform.” 

The singer added, he missed the two stars on stage, “We missed them on stage. Not only me, the whole of India, especially the Telugu crowd were missing the two stars on stage. It was a very big platform and it was the biggest appreciation for us. I think all of us wanted them to perform the hook step on stage.” 

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SS Rajamouli's reaction to Naatu Naatu's Oscars performance 

When asked about director SS Rajamouli’s reaction to their performance, Rahul stated, “I couldn’t go and meet Rajamouli sir because it was jam packed there and he was sitting in the front row while we were in the back. However, he sent a thumbs up my way, that is how i got to know that we performed well and he was happy watching our performance.”

In addition to Naatu Naatu, Kartiki Gonsalves' documentary The Elephant Whisperers also won in the Best Documentary Short Film category. The 95th Academy Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. March 13 was a historic day for Indian filmmakers and the audience.