NEW DELHI: Indians woke up to joy and celebrations on Monday as the song 'Naatu Naatu' of film RRR won an Oscar in the original song category, and the film The Elephant Whisperers won the best documentary short film award at the awards ceremony held in Los Angeles, Xinhua reported.

The famous song 'Naatu Naatu' is from film RRR produced by S.S. Rajamouli. The film is about fictional versions of two Indian revolutionaries, their friendship and their fight against the British rule.

'Naatu Naatu' means something made locally, in the countryside. It's a dance sequence where the two revolutionaries present their unique Indian dance moves/ steps before the British, much to the appreciation of the English women. Over the past few months the song has become an Internet sensation with millions of views.

Hailing the 'Naatu Naatu' song for getting internationally acclaimed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Exceptional! The popularity of 'Naatu Naatu' is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come. Congratulations to M.M. Keeravaani, Chandrabose and the entire team for this prestigious honour. India is elated and proud. #Oscars."

The Indian PM also congratulated the team behind The Elephant Whisperers. He tweeted, "Congratulations to Kartiki Gonsalves, Guneet Monga and the entire team of The Elephant Whisperers for this honour. Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature. #Oscars."

Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Achin Jain and Guneet Monga, the film The Elephant Whisperers was released on Netflix in December 2022. The 41-minute short follows the family from Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve who end up adopting two orphan baby elephants.

-- BERNAMA