Indian cinema is scaling more heights as the 'Naatu Naatu' track in the blockbuster film RRR and the coming-of-age Gujarati-language Chhello Show (The Last Show) have been shortlisted for the Best Original Song and Best International Feature film categories at the 2023 Academy Awards. Chhello Show is India's official entry for next year's Oscar Awards alongside Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, which have made it to the Best Documentary Feature Film category. The list of the shortlisted entries across 10 categories was unveiled by The Academy Wednesday night (December 21), with the nominations set to be announced on January 24.
RRR directed by SS Rajamouli and starring Jr. NTR and Ram Charan in the lead roles has been wowing audiences around the world, while also sweeping a number of big awards in Hollywood. The film released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam languages, has been submitted for review in various categories for Oscars 2023 and is also competing for two awards - Best Non-English Film and Best Original Song (Naatu Naatu) - at the Golden Globe, which will be held next month. 'Naatu Naatu' has been composed by veteran composer MM Keeravani and has been sung by Rahul Sipligunj, Kaala Bhairava to the lyrics penned by Chandrabose and is picturized on Ram Charan and Jr. NTR in a dance-off choreographed by Prem Rakshith. RRR has left audiences stunned across the world and also won several accolades at the Boston Society of Film Critics, Hollywood Critics Association Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association awards, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, and Saturn Awards.
Chhello Show (The Last Show) directed by Pan Nalin will be competing with 14 other films in the Best International Feature film category, which include Argentina, 1985, All Quiet on the Western Front, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Cairo Conspiracy, Close, Corsage, Decision to Leave, EO, Holy Spider, Joyland, Return to Seoul, Saint Omer, The Blue Caftan, and The Quiet Girl. The 95th Academy Awards is scheduled to be held on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood, Los Angeles. A few major entries from India over the last few years are Gully Boy, Jallikattu, Koozhangal, Newton, Village Rockstars, and Visaranai, but failed to make it to the Oscar shortlist. The only Indian films to secure nominations at the Academy Awards have been Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988), and Lagaan (2001).