Suniel Shetty Feels ‘Proud’ As Naatu Naatu Wins Oscar, Says ’25 Years Ago, People Used To Laugh..’

It’s a moment of pride for the entire country as two nominations from Indian production ended up bagging the prestigious Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards. The nation has been celebrating the big win on social media by lauding the makers of RRR and The Elephant Whisperers. Now, joining the bandwagon is actor Suniel Shetty who felt proud to decipher why Bollywood movies include multiple songs. During an interaction with Indian Today, the actor recalled a time when the Indian acting industry was laughed at for the inclusion of songs and dances in movies. Now, as Naatu Naatu bagged The Best Original Song, the Hera Pheri star highlighted how music is an integral part of Indian movies.

“I am very proud. You proved it. 25 years ago, the world used to laugh, saying why do you sing and dance all the time? We sing and dance because we are Indians. We celebrate everything with music. And now, the world is trying to ape that and bring in music everywhere,” he said. Shetty called Indians a community of happy people, which he claims is reflected in our music. He also noted how multiple influencers all across the globe pick up Hindi songs to dance to. Shetty continued, “We are a happy bunch because we are always singing and dancing. Most influencers are dancing to Hindi songs and getting an audience.”

After praising Naatu Naatu’s victory, Suniel Shetty did not fail to appreciate filmmaker Guneet Monga’s The Elephant Whisperers which won the best documentary short film award. He concluded, “And also, The Elephant Whisperers – it was a beautiful documentary film.” The plot of Monga’s project revolved around the life of a South Indian couple who help raise an orphaned elephant baby. They name the animal Raghu as the documentary highlighted their unconventional familial bond that takes a step toward shattering the barrier between wildlife and the human world.

In terms of work, Suniel Shetty has broadened his horizon in acting by making his debut in the digital space with Samit Kakkad’s crime drama Dharavi Bank. The show chronicles the Mumbai police department’s conflict with Thalaivan (played by Shetty) who rises to become one of the most influential people in Dharavi. The actor also shared the screen space with Varun Tej in the sports drama Ghani. He will next reprise his iconic role of Ghanshyam in the third installment of the cult comedy movie series Hera Pheri.