Rajya Sabha MPs come out openly to praise the success of 'RRR' and 'The Elephant Whisperers'

All the MPs of Rajya Sabha unanimously praised the roaring success of RRR and The Elephant Whisperers in the House.

Delhi:On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha MPs set aside their political affiliations and extended their congratulations to the makers of two award-winning productions- "Naatu Naatu," the won the Academy Award for best original song and the Oscar winning best documentary short film- ‘The Elephant Whisperers’.

Acknowledging the achievements of both the productions, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “The 95th Academy Awards was a moment of glory for us”. “The wins for The Elephant Whisperers and RRR mark a new recognition of the full spectrum of cinema that India produces,” he added.

“The awards will further help internationalisation of the Indian film industry. These achievements also reflect global appreciation of vast talent, immense creativity and committed dedication of Indian artists,” he said, congratulating the entire team of artists associated with the two ventures for a “well-earned recognition”.

Not only Dhankhar but the success of RRR and Elephant Whispers at the Oscars has brought the Indian film industry together, with politicians from all sides congratulating the filmmakers and acknowledging the significance of the themes that the films portray. The success also highlights the impact that Indian cinema has globally and the contribution that the Indian audience has made to the industry's success.

Jaya Bachchan, a Rajya Sabha MP, praised the Indian film industry, calling it India's greatest ambassador, which has represented India on several occasions and brought glory to the country. She also acknowledged that it is the Indian audience who has made the film industry vibrant, and without them, the industry would not have been as successful.

“One must not forget to thank the audience in India. This is because the market for Indian movies is not in America but in India. Hence it is the Indian audience that has made the film industry so vibrant”, she said.

Leader of the House and Union minister Piyush Goyal said, “The Elephant Whisperers has been made by two women of eminence. It is about gender. It is about respect for our women of India. It is a great mark of recognition for India’s women.”

Earlier on Monday Goyal said in his Facebook post “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has left his stamp of quality in nominating members to the Rajya Sabha by choosing outstanding personalities who have made a mark in diverse fields such as Indian culture, social work and sports.”

“Vijayendra Prasad, the scriptwriter of the film RRR, is one of the several exceptional people whom the Prime Minister nominated to the Rajya Sabha in July 2022. The scriptwriter from Andhra Pradesh has been associated with the creative world for decades,” he had posted.

Though opposition leader, Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated both the awardees but didn’t leave the opportunity to criticise the ruling party. “My request is that the ruling party should not take credit that we have directed, we have written the poem, or Modiji has directed this film. They should not say that is only my request. It is the contribution of the country,” he derisively said.

Reacting to Kharge’s comment, his party colleague and veteran Congress leader told in a lighter vein that these words should not be expunged by the chair.

“This is an occasion for collective celebration and not for narrow partisan point scoring the leader of the house is doing,” Ramesh said.

Amar Patnaik, a BJD Odisha member, praised India's digital story, especially in the context of the OTT platform, and also highlighted the importance of sustainability, calling India the sustainable way to the world.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress has sought a screening of The Elephant Whisperers. According to him this might become an effective way to help create awareness for the environment.