Oscars 2023: ‘RRR’ makes its push for a Best Picture nomination
Few if any movies from last year have enjoyed the kind of grassroots and word-of-mouth success as S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR,” a three-hour Telegu-language epic that has left audiences around the world standing on their feet and awards voters infatuated as well.
The blockbuster, the most expensive Indian production of all time, has grossed more than $170 million worldwide and enjoyed sold-out screenings in major cities across the United States since last March. In those 10 months, “RRR” – a blend of numerous hits and Oscar winners, including Rajamouli favorites such as “Braveheart” and “Gladiator” – has become a legit sensation on the awards circuit as well. In Los Angeles this week, audiences turned the “Naatu Naatu” dance sequence into an all-out party.
So far, that track has been key to the visibility of “RRR.” “Naatu Naatu” won Best Song at the Golden Globe Awards, topping tracks by such pop icons as Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga. “Naatu Naatu” also landed on the Oscars shortlist for Best Song and the BAFTA longlist in the category as well.
But there’s hope beyond just Best Song for the film, even if it failed to generate other Oscar shortlist enthusiasm for its visual effects and sound (and it won’t represent India as the country’s international feature choice; the country instead chose “Last Film Show,” which made the Oscars shortlist). On Sunday, “RRR” is nominated for five Critics Choice Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Rajamouli. And with 10 movies guaranteed Best Picture slots at the Academy Awards, it’s possible “RRR” could find itself with a historic nomination.
If it does break through with the academy beyond Best Song, the enthusiasm expressed by its supporters in the media and critics groups will have paid off. Rajamouli was voted Best Director by the New York Film Critics Circle, the oldest critics group in the United States, besting presumed favorites such as Todd Field (“TAR” won Best Film from the group) and Steven Spielberg. Rajamouli was also a runner-up for Best Director at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards and took home a similar honor from Utah critics. As for “RRR” itself, Atlanta film critics named it the film the fifth-best of 2022, and the National Board of Review – a fairly good indicator for where the awards winds are blowing in a given season – named “RRR” one of its 10 best features of the year alongside Best Picture front-runners like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Fabelmans.”
“RRR” has another ace up its sleeve beyond passion: It’s been widely available to Netflix subscribers as well – although not in the film’s original Telegu language. Netflix has reportedly estimated its subscribers watched 73 million hours of “RRR” last year, making it one of the world’s biggest streaming hits.
When India decided to go with the coming-of-age drama film “Last Film Show” as their country’s submission for Best International Feature at the Oscars, many concluded that “RRR” had lost its chance at an Academy Award nomination. But the last month has made the longshot feel at least like a potential reality. If “RRR” manages to get that nod, it’ll join just “Cries and Whispers” (1972) and “Il Postino: The Postman” (1994) on the exclusive list of films from abroad to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture while not being its country’s submitted choice for the international film category.
“RRR” would be India’s first-ever Best Picture nomination, though the country has been represented in other categories. Three Indian films have been nominated for international feature, the last one being “Lagaan” in 2002 (back when the Oscar category was Best Foreign Language Film). Another three Indian films were nominated in varying shorts categories. Fans of documentaries will also remember “Writing With Fire,” a documentary feature nominated at the last Oscars ceremony. Though no Indian film has ever won an Academy Award, a few Indian individuals have done so for non-Indian films. Three walked home with Oscars during the “Slumdog Millionaire” sweep (in the Sound Mixing, Original Song, and Original Score categories), while costume designer Bhatu Athaiya became the first Indian Oscar-winner for working on 1982’s Best Picture winner “Gandhi”. A win for Original Song would make “RRR” the first Oscar-winning Indian film ever, making history even if it fails in its bids for Director or Picture. As of writing, “RRR” is 13th in our combined odds for Best Picture, while S. S. Rajamouli is 10th for Best Director.
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