RRR turns 1: SS Rajamouli’s son recalls ‘365 days of uninterrupted celebrations’, shares how Naatu Naatu was shot

It’s been exactly a year since SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR hit the screens worldwide and stirred up a storm. On the occasion of its first anniversary, fans took to social media to express their love for the film. From grossing over ₹1200 crore at the box-office worldwide to become the first Indian production to bag an Academy Award in Best Original Song category, the film continues to earn love. Also read: Rajamouli ‘truly overwhelmed’ by Tesla’s Naatu Naatu tribute; shares stunning video of light show. Watch

RRR is a fictional story set in the 1920s pre-independent era and is based on the lives of two real heroes and well-known revolutionaries – Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. While Ram Charan played Ram, Jr. NTR was seen as Bheem.

On the occasion of its first anniversary, a tweet from the official account of RRR Movie read: “It’s been a year since #RRRMovie was released and it is still running in theatres somewhere in the world, getting housefuls. This feeling is bigger than any award, and we cannot thank you all enough for all the love you have showered throughout.”

Rajamouli’s son SS Karthikeya took to Twitter to express his excitement on the first anniversary of RRR. He described this year as the most ‘eventful’ one in his life in a long statement.

“Today is deeply emotional as it marks the completion of 1 year since the release of RRR, and the most glorious 365 days of uninterrupted celebrations. Cut back to 2107, the very idea of featuring two of the country’s biggest stars in one film sparked immense excitement in me and among everyone. Among the number of mind-bending sequences in the movie, one sequence which stood out and created a wave across the globe is ‘Naatu Naatu’,” Karthikeya wrote.

He further added: “We all were obviously expecting a dance number, but I sure wasn’t able to imagine the context and the ‘HOW’. When Baba narrated the face-off sequence and the set-up, I was psyched out of my mind. As a crew member, I couldn’t wait to show this to everyone on the big screen and simultaneously as an audience, I couldn’t wait to watch it on the big screen! This power-packed dance number was like a movie by itself for me. Keeravaani Babai’s massy and electrifying tunes coupled with Bhairava’s final touch to the programming gave us goosebumps. After being energised by the magic of the audio,( programmed by Jeevan garu and Siddhu and sung by bhairava and Rahul) began the visual rampage of Prem Master!”

“The brief was simple- The dance moves should neither be too easy nor too complicated. Prem Master then embarked on a long, relentless and arduous journey of choreographing the most challenging dance number ever… getting the country’s finest two dancers to dance together for the 1st time! He choreographed 120 + variations of the moves in a span of 2 months, from which around 15 or 20 were retained for the song. He kept rotating his crew as they used to get exhausted and couldn’t keep up with the rigour and pace of the steps,” he added.

Talking about Naatu Naatu’s shoot in Ukraine, he said, “The unwavering dedication, support and professionalism of our crew in Ukraine made our journey a smooth one and the “Naatu Naatu” you see today possible. We will always have a special place in our hearts for our Ukraine Family.”

Praising Ram Chran and Jr NTR, he wrote, “Once our brilliant actors My Tarak Anna and My brother Charan entered the sets, we quickly realised something big was in the making. Their blazing dance, the magical choreography, the pulsating music, and the overall vibe, the way all the elements complemented each other, made us believe that the theatres were going to be on fire. Without a Doubt!”

“We believe that the main reason Naatu Naatu reached the Oscar stage is our fans and their unconditional love and unprecedented support until it became a global sensation. They made the song immortal not only on social media by carrying on their shoulder (IYKYK) but also created euphoria which made it a part of sub-culture in many countries,” he added.

He also thanked Dylan, Josh Hurtado, Divergent, Accolade and Cinetic who reignited RRR and Naatu Naatu’s hype in the west. He ended the note saying, “They say.. teamwork makes the dream work! But when the dream is a wild passion project like RRR, teamwork becomes a precondition and not a priority. While everyone says RRR scripted history, it has transcended beyond a film to become a phenomenon, era, milestone and pride in all our careers. We will carry this in our hearts with humility and work more to make our nation more proud.”

Fans celebrated the first anniversary with the hashtag ‘I Year of Historic RRR’. Several of them shared their favourite clips and moments from their film experience.

ott:10