Rahul Sipligunj: Naatu Naatu was in the making for 18 months

A still from RRR; (right) Keeravaani and Sipligunj with the Oscar for Naatu Naatu

Few get the opportunity to be associated with an Academy Award-winning project. Fewer get the chance to say that they performed live at the Oscars, before the crème de la crème of the global film fraternity. For 33-year-old Rahul Sipligunj both these dreams were realised when he rendered the Oscar-winning Naatu Naatu at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre, only a week ago.

"I'm evidently overwhelmed. To perform on that stage and earn appreciation from the biggest celebrities from across the globe was truly a dream come true," beams the singer, who sang the original song along with Kaala Bhairava. "When we landed [in LA], we rehearsed for four days. We were excited to recreate the scene from the film, even though we missed the presence of our two stars [RRR leading men, Ram Charan and Jr NTR] on stage. The audience loved our energy."

Sipligunj is evidently revelling in the attention that MM Keeravaani's composition has been receiving since it found a place among the Oscar nominees in the Best Original Song category. However, getting his name on the film's credit roll was indeed a chase to the finish line. He recalls being given the "tune and lyrics" of the song, which he rendered despite being unaware of the project it was to be employed for. "The song was in the making for a year-and-a-half. Either the lyrics, or its [tempo] would be changed. As and when the iterations would be made, Kaala and I would have to return to sing the [new version]. MM Kreem sir would always tell me, ‘[Yours] is not the final voice. We're only trying this song with you. We don't know the future.' So, I was [persuaded] to keep giving my best and rendering it with energy. This was the song that would see the two stars perform together. It was the only massy song in the film. So, it required all the energy that we could deliver. I was nervous until I was told that mine would be the final voice," recalls the singer, who says his fans in the Telugu industry usually admire him for his independent music.

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"I was a reality show winner, so people love listening to my independent music, which has also [got a boost after this win]. As of now, I want to go with the flow. If I get the opportunity to sing in another language, I will take it up. I've worked on my next [album], which will be released in all four languages that I sang this RRR song in, that is Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi," he says, expressing his gratitude for Keeravaani's faith and director SS Rajamouli's vision that led to the film earning acclaim from international audiences.