It's no secret that the movie musical is a dying genre in Hollywood. What once filled out multiplexes across America in the 20th century seems to now only be successful through Disney animated films. There were attempts to revive the genre in a big way in 2021 through high-profile flicks such as In The Heights and West Side Story, but unfortunately, these both underperformed at the box office. Audiences appear to definitively prefer watching a musical on the stage rather than on the big screen. It seems the age of the movie musical as popular cinema is over.
That couldn't be further from the truth in India. No matter the language, whether it's Bollywood (Hindi), Kollywood (Tamil), Tollywood (Telugu), Sandalwood (Kannada), or many others, the majority of big blockbuster movies to come out of India are musicals. Indian audiences can't get enough of the huge intense dance numbers and epic scores. In many cases, the release of a song for an upcoming movie does better at marketing the movie than the trailers themselves. The songs and dance numbers in these films are completely unlike anything in Western musicals. And yet, nothing has captured the imagination of Western audiences quite as much as "Naatu Naatu" from the Tollywood blockbuster RRR.
The context behind the scene is that Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) gets invited to a party hosted by the British by Jenny (Olivia Morris). Bheem and Raju (Ram Charan) attend together, and the scene is typical of what one would expect from a formal gathering in the West. It's full of expensive suits and long flowing dresses dancing gently to a waltz. Jenny ignores the advances of Jake (Eduard Buhac) to dance with Bheem, and out of jealousy, Jake trips him up and proceeds to embarrass and hurl racist abuse at him in front of the other guests. After all, what would Bheem know about the sophisticated dance the British introduced to India?
But the moment gets interrupted by an energetic drum beat that's all too familiar in South Indian folk music -- as Raju is revealed to have taken over the drums. He and Bheem share a knowing nod, and after the coolest entrance for any character in film ever, the song begins. And it is one of the most energetic, intense, and, quite frankly, brilliant dance numbers put to film. Firstly, the number is a masterclass is rising action as the moves get more and more dynamic and inventive. Feet are flying, dust gets kicked up; it feels so visceral, like passion concentrated into its purest form. Dance choreographer Prem Rakshith puts N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan through their paces as they pull off incredible moves together in perfect sync.
However, the genius of the choreography is that the move that is the main "hook" of the number and used in the dance-off toward the end of the sequence is very simple. It's also easy to learn but difficult to maintain -- that's the key. This premise of simple but intense is used throughout the sequence, from the moves to the music by M. M. Keeravani to the lyrics by Chandrabose. It absolutely sweeps audiences off their feet. Plus, director S. S. Rajamouli knows that the camera is just as important a dancer as the actors but never lets it get in the way. The camera punches in and shakes about to the rhythm but also knows when to pull back and just let audiences watch these amazing actors dance.
What's especially interesting is that "Naatu Naatu" is not particularly innovative for Indian audiences. It's still an incredible heart-pumping scene, but those who watch their fair share of Indian cinema, especially Telugu movies, are used to impeccable sequences like this. Perhaps the real legacy of "Naatu Naatu" is its success with Western audiences. Few other songs have broken the barrier and shown Western audiences the sheer potential of cinematic movie musicals. Maybe what the movie musical needs to survive in Hollywood is a bit of spice from India.