Indian politicians cutting across party lines hail double Oscar win

Indian politicians were united in their praise for the country's two Oscar wins on Monday as the song "Naatu Naatu" from Telugu film "RRR" and Tamil documentary "The Elephant Whisperers" created history in Los Angeles.

Speaking about the achievement by Indians, prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the country was "elated and proud".

"The popularity of 'Naatu Naatu' is global. It will be a song that will be remembered for years to come," Modi said on Twitter.

"Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani, @boselyricist and the entire team for this prestigious honour," he said, referring to the team behind the winning song.

In another tweet, the prime minister congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves, producer Guneet Monga and the entire team of "The Elephant Whisperers" for winning the Oscar award. "Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature," he said.

Union home minister Amit Shah said it was a landmark day for Indian cinema. "The song was on the lips of Indians as well as music lovers across the globe. Congratulations to Team RRR @ssrajamouli @mmkeeravaani @boselyricist @tarak9999 @AlwaysRamCharan," Shah wrote on Twitter.

In another tweet, he said, "Congratulations to @EarthSpectrum and @guneetm on their Oscar win for the short film 'The Elephant Whisperers'. The film brings to the forefront India's efforts to save elephants. The award underlines the potential of the Indian film industry and will inspire young filmmakers."

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao said it is a matter of pride for all Telugu people that a song from a Telugu film has won the Oscar. The words used in "Naatu Naatu" reflect Telangana's culture, the taste of Telugu people and the diversity in people's lives, Rao said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi congratulated the teams behind "Naatu Naatu" and "The Elephant Whisperers", saying their achievements have made the country proud.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hailed "The Elephant Whisperers" winning the Oscar and said maybe this will force the Modi government not to press ahead with the "widely-opposed elephant-unfriendly" amendments to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

(PTI)