What "Naatu Naatu" taught me

Without meandering around the topic, let us get right into it - “Naatu Naatu” won an Oscar (and Golden Globes) for original song composition. M.M.Keeravani and Chandrabose, sparingly known until now beyond South India, created history on the world stage. As the celebrations subside, the lessons from this wondrous production are not to be forgotten. Here is a list of what I learnt from this history making production.

Originality Matters

In a world of copied inspiration, an original composition is like a breath of fresh air. It takes courage to produce something original. You are going to try something that nobody has even thought of before. You are unsure if it would succeed or fail.

Yet, you do it. You take the plunge – a leap of faith. And that makes all the difference.

Originality demands courage. The weak merely copy, while the courageous dare to venture into the unknown.

Seek inspiration, but do not copy. Beyond the limits of your perceived capacity lies the land of “Originality”. Once you break the boundaries – you are the “King”. It will only be a matter of time for the world to stand up and take notice.

Be Original.

Roots Matter

The branches of a tree may bear the fruit, but it is the root that is keeping the tree alive. No branch, or fruit, has survived without the root. However, roots can lie dormant for centuries and spring a tree under the right circumstances.

There is an abundance of wisdom in the roots. It has accumulated centuries of knowledge and experience. Anyone seeking answers in the roots has never returned disappointed.

Keep the connection with your roots. Be it spiritual, cultural, or social – your roots are what define you as a person.

Trust the process – your roots will provide the answer. Your output will imbibe all the nutrition your root has to offer.

Hold on to your roots.

Novelty Matters

Whether it is business or show-business, the audience always craves for something new- something they have not seen or heard before, something that generates the “wow” feeling when presented.

A song in a movie is a song in a movie. Why should it generate extra attention?

Novelty matters.

The set, the choreography, the music, the picturization – everything had a sense of novelty.

Novelty is when a traditional folk-dance is re-packaged and presented in an up-scale metropolitan club.

Novelty is when the song sings tales of romance, brotherhood, competition, and patriotism.

Novelty is when millions of Tik-Tok wannabe stars ape the dance moves for their 5 seconds of internet fame.

Novelty is when the song sounds fresh even while listening the hundredth time.

Be Novel.

Quality Matters

They come for novelty, but they stay for quality. Only quality possesses the unique quality of giving you an edge against your competition. Quality is in the details -the small things that your sub-conscious mind notices.

The polished shoes, the shirts perfectly tucked in, the immaculate party-gowns, the perfectly synchronized dance moves– these are the tiny elements that keeps the audience engaged.

Delivering quality is not easy. It takes hard work. It takes teamwork. It takes multiple “takes” before the final version gets created.

But nothing goes waste. The effort counts. The sweat counts. The practice counts. The re-takes count. Quality is the top of the Giza Pyramid and there are no elevators.

Do Quality work.

Background does not Matter.

While we shouldn’t abandon our roots, we also should not get entangled in it. The stronger the root, the taller the tree rises. However, the trunk of the tree must break the painful barrier of earth and soar into the sky.

It does not matter where you come from if you are confident about it. The world will see the fruits and not the roots. Don’t let your background become your baggage. Let it remain buried deep into the ground.

Keep the connection with your background but soar like the trunk. Bear quality fruits and flowers and the world will celebrate your existence.

The creators of this song did just that. They did not let their humble roots hold them back. They soared and how.

Soar high.

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Energy Matters

The energy in the choreography is simply infectious. Thank the screen-play writers for not settling with flamenco or salsa and voting in favor of “Naatu”. The music, lyrics and choreography seem like competing for the crown. Ultimately the song wins.

There isn’t a single dull moment through the entire song. The sheer energy of the production sets the screen on fire.

Demonstration of energy in what we do, automatically proves our total commitment to that activity. When energy is put earnestly – it shows. Nobody feels excited to work with a dull and tired team member.

Light that fire. Summon that energy. Show it to your audience in absolute abundance. Tell me if it does not win you an Oscar.

Energy. Always.

Belief Matters

The entire Oscar winning journey started with two things. One was the idea for the song and the second was a stubborn belief in the worthiness of that idea. Without belief in its abilities, a tiny acorn cannot become a mighty oak.

Self-belief is what separates the boys from the men. You can never know if an idea would succeed – but you still need to stand behind it with 100% belief. You must empty your energy on that idea every single day and still show up with a full tank tomorrow.

Belief is the wall that blocks the naysayers.

Belief is the light that guides you through the dark night.

Belief is the fuel that fires your engine.

Believe in yourself.

In closing…

The more I learn, the more I learn that there is so much more to learn. What did “Naatu Naatu” teach you?