Ram Charan and Jr NTR were offered the opportunity to perform Naatu Naatu at the recently concluded Oscars. However, they reportedly turned it down.
Jr NTR and Ram Charan fans were hoping that the RRR stars would set the 95th Academy Awards stage on fire with their performance on Naatu Naatu. However, to everyone’s disappointment, they didn’t join singers Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj on stage as the latter duo performed the song with Lauren Gottlieb and other American dancers. It has now been revealed that Tarak and Ram were approached for the performance but they backed out.
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Oscars producer Raj Kapoor told The Academy that Ram Charan and Jr NTR weren’t comfortable recreating the blockbuster song due to lack of rehearsal time. “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 U.S. to be a part of the performance,” he said.
“In late February, we were informed that Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. would be attending the Oscars, but they did not feel comfortable performing the live number on stage. The change was brought on because of their other professional commitments and the limited amount of time to rehearse,” he added. For the unversed, while Ram was already in the US in February, Tarak landed in Los Angeles a little later owing to the shoot schedule for his upcoming film.
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“The original number was workshopped and rehearsed for two months and was shot over a period of 15 days. The Naatu Naatu performance for the Oscars was rehearsed in Los Angeles with professional dancers for a total of 18 hours of rehearsal and one 90-minute camera blocking,” he added.
While it would have been a treat to watch Ram Charan and Jr NTR perform with Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj, the singers brought the house down nevertheless. The duo delivered a powerful performance and received a standing ovation.
