Days after Naatu Naatu from the movie RRR bagged the Golden Globe in the Best Original Song category, an Indian Business Correspondent at BBC shared his view on the song that didn't quite align with the spirit of victory that team RRR has been basking in.
Calling the song mediocre, Nikhil Inamdar tweeted, “Heard Naatu Naatu for the first time today. What a tragedy that a song so distinctly mediocre is judged our best.”
Social media users were quick to hit-back as they questioned his expertise in the field of music.
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“Why don't you compose music and write lyrics and improve our chances to win a golden globe award. sitting at a place and tweeting about something not your expertise is what mediocre people do,” a user replied.
If his tirade against Naatu Naatu wasn't enough, Inamder went on to say that Jai Ho from the movie Slumdog Millionaire was “so blah.”
Netizens did not take this criticism well either, and did not shy away from reprimanding the journalist.
“That's why it's called beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Just because it's a tragedy to you doesn't mean it's a tragedy to all,There are better songs but definitely not a tragedy to share it to the world or at least someone who is happy about it BBC k bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad (indicating the inability of an inexperienced individual to understand quality)," another user tweeted.
Others called Inamdar a “pseudo intellectual.”
Some users went a step further and believed that his opinion had something to do with his place of work.
“Bigger tragedy is working for the BBC and calling yourself a journalist,” said a user while another said that the journalist's meltdown was understandable given his place of work.
“BBC… NDTV… in the Bio. Quite understandable if the meltdown”
Others tried to bring some reason into the conversation by pointing out that the song did not win as India’s best but won an award at the Golden Globes. The awards ceremony only had limited songs from each country and Naatu Naatu topped in that category.
“It wasn’t judged our best. It was judged better than the other original scores for the year."
However, some supported his criticism and added that instead of serious Indian cinema, content that caters to white audiences is celebrated.
“Well said, serious Indian cinema does not win, but rubbish like #SlumdogMillionaire & complete nonsense which caters to a white audience's needs for "Indian musicals & exoticism" is celebrated ... #Swades or an #Aakrosh do not get nominated but these ... that is our reality,” wrote one user.
Regardless of where one stands on the debate, and notwithstanding the subjective nature of music preferences, it can be said that Naatu Naatu winning a Golden Globe award has opened the gates for more global attention on Indian music and cinema.