Mumbai : Renowned filmmaker SS Rajamouli expressed his gratitude towards the people of Ukraine for their role in creating the iconic song “Naatu Naatu” from his Telugu period action epic, RRR. The song, composed by MM Keeravani, has been nominated for the Best Original Song award at the upcoming Oscars.

Initially, the song was supposed to be shot in India, but due to the monsoon season, the production team had to scout for new locations. Eventually, they found the Presidential Palace of Kyiv in Ukraine, where they shot the song.

Rajamouli spoke highly of the location, praising the colours and size of the palace, as well as the size of the ground for the dancers. He also expressed his gratitude towards the Ukrainian team, who made it possible for them to shoot the song in such a unique and beautiful location.

RRR follows a pre-Independence fictional story based on two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, set in the 1920s. The film features Ram Charan and Jr NTR in lead roles, with Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, and Shriya Saran also playing important characters.

This marks the first Indian film in over two decades to receive a nomination for the Academy Awards, with “Naatu Naatu” already having won a Golden Globe award.

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Rajamouli discussed the making of the song, including the challenge of finding the right balance between a visually appealing performance while also keeping the dance steps simple enough for audiences to follow. He praised choreographer Prem Rakshith for coming up with over 100 variations for the song’s hook line.

Both Ram Charan and Jr NTR struggled with the steps involving suspenders, but Rajamouli praised the choreographer’s genius for coming up with such challenging but visually appealing steps.

At the Oscars ceremony on March 12, “Naatu Naatu” singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava are set to perform the song, adding another layer of excitement to the already acclaimed film.