Padma Awards 2023: Know everything about 'RRR' composer MM Keeravaani

NEW DELHI: MM Keeravaani is the composer behind 'RRR's widely popular number 'Naatu Naatu' who won the Golden Globe award this year for 'Best Original Song' and was nominated for the Oscars in the 'Best Original Song' category.

He is among the recipients of Padma awardees and was honoured with Padma Shri -- the fourth highest civilian honour in India on Wednesday ahead of the 74th Republic Day.

MM Keeravaani along with Raveena Tandon will receive the prestigious award later in the year. So let's take a look at the journey of MM Keeravaani from his initial days to him taking his 'RRR' composition to the international level.

Keeravaani, the composer of RRR's upbeat music, also performs under the name MM Kreem and is responsible for a number of enduring melodies from the Hindi film industry's 1990s and early 2000s, including 'Tum mile dil khile' from Criminal (1995), which is frequently mistaken for an AR Rahman composition.

Additionally, there was 'Gali mein aaj chand nikla' in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Zakhm' (1998), 'Sur' (2002), and 'Jism' (2003), as well as in Sudhir Mishra's 'Iss Raat ki Subah Nahi' (1996) and 'O saathiya' from 'Saaya' (2003). Paheli in 2005 and Sur in 2002 were two other masterpieces he produced.

Keeravaani was taught how to play the violin when he was four years old. He was born into a Telugu family in Kovvur, Andhra Pradesh, to painter, songwriter, and playwright Koduri Siva Shakthi Datta and his wife Bhanumathi.

At the age of 10, Keeravani was travelling with a band from Kakinada and frequently played Laxmikant Pyarelal's Ek pyar ka nahgma hai on the violin. Keeravaani grew up listening to a constant diet of cinema songs on the radio, particularly those by RD Burman.

Keeravaani started his career in 1987 as an assistant to music composers K Chakravarthy and C Rajamani. His father's brother V Vijayendra Prasad was also a screenwriter.

Following Ram Gopal Verma's Telugu thriller Kshana Kshanam, which unexpectedly brought him to public attention, Manasu Mamatha (1990) by TSBK Moulee served as his debut film as an independent composer. When Verma learned that Keeravaani was a fan of Stephen King, he was quite happy since it meant that he would be able to give his movie a slightly spectral tone.

The King effect may also be heard in the creepy alaap by KS Chithra and the melancholy 'Tum mile dil khile' by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik. Additionally, the 20 songs in the Telugu movie Annamayya (1997), which is about composer Annamacharya from the fifteenth century, solidified his status in the music industry.

In addition to other state accolades, Keervani received the National Award for the same. For Keeravaani, who now came more in the limelight for his background music, particularly Rajamouli's action sequences and his films 'Baahubali' and 'RRR'.

For RRR, the film's song 'Naatu Naatu' has officially entered the Oscars race in the 'Best Original Song' category. This lyrical composition of 'Naatu Naatu' by Keeravaani, high energy rendition by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, unique choreography by Prem Rakshith, and lyrics by Chandrabose are all the elements that make this 'RRR' mass anthem a perfect dance craze.

After a great winning streak at Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, the film has officially entered the race for the Academy Awards. The film also bagged the 'Best Foreign Language Film' at the Critics Choice Award. If 'RRR' wins the Oscars, it will be the most memorable, remarkable, golden moment for the Indian film industry.