Composer MM Keeravani is on cloud nine—a few days after he won the Oscar for Best Original song, he received the 'most wonderful gift' from American musician Richard Carpenter. In a version of The Carpenters' song 'On Top of the World', Richard congratulated Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose for their 'Naatu Naatu' win.
Richard, along with his family members, sang: “We are on the top of the world for your winning creation and we hope you know how proud of you we are. You are the best there is around and we hope you know it now…”
In his acceptance speech at the 95th Academy Awards, Keeravani said he grew listening to The Carpenters. Interestingly, his musical speech was a customised version of the band's song 'On Top of the World'. Sharing Richard's video on Instagram, Keeravani wrote, “This is something I didn’t expect at all. Tears rolling out of joy. Most wonderful gift from the universe.”
Calling this the most memorable moment for the RRR family, director SS Rajamouli said the video tribute made Keeravani emotional. “Sir Richard Carpenter, throughout this Oscar campaign, my brother maintained a calm composure, whether it is before winning or after, he didn’t let his emotions out. But, the moment he saw this, he couldn’t control the tears rolling down his cheeks. Most memorable moment for our family. Thank you so much,” Rajamouli shared in the comments section.
'Naatu Naatu' became the first Indian composition to bag the Best Original Song award. The song written by Chandrabose and composed by Keeravani had become a viral sensation, racking up over millions of views on YouTube. Sung by Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj, the song received a standing ovation at the Dolby Theatre during the Academy Awards on Monday, when actress Deepika Padukone announced a special performance.
