Producer Raj Kapoor reveals why Ram Charan and Jr NTR Didn’t dance to Naatu Naatu at Oscars

The Oscar performance of the song “Naatu Naatu” from the film RRR left fans worldwide wondering why the Indian stars Ram Charan and Jr NTR did not dance to the song. Many pointed out the irony that the performance, which was an anti-colonial expression, did not feature the people to whom it belonged. A new report suggests that both actors were initially supposed to be part of the dance and the Academy was ready to make all the arrangements for them to rehearse and practice the song ahead of the big day.

Producer Raj Kapoor, who has been working closely with the Academy for years, revealed that both stars cited prior commitments as the reason for not being able to perform at the Oscars. “Originally, the two leads were going to be the stars of the number alongside the singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava. The show was very instrumental in helping secure working visas for their team to be able to come to the US to be a part of the performance,” he said.

However, in late February, the stars informed that they would be attending the Oscars but were not comfortable performing the song live on stage. The Academy ended up bringing in other professional dancers for the performance, who had to practice and rehearse it in a short time. The professional dancers finally performed at the event after rehearsing the song in Los Angeles for about 18 hours, according to Raj Kapoor.

“Naatu Naatu” was practised by the two stars and other dancers for about one month, and it was shot in a span of 15 days. However, for the Oscar performance, the actors would not have had the same luxury of time. The news has left fans wondering what could have been if the stars had performed the song themselves, given their massive popularity among audiences.