RRR and The Elephant Whisperers were not the only things doing India proud at the Oscars 2023. On Monday morning (Sunday evening US time), as the 95th Academy Awards were presented in Los Angeles, and one of the presenters at cinema’s big night was Indian actress Deepika Padukone. Ahead of entering the award ceremony, Deepika spoke about the experience on the new champagne carpet.
The Oscar awards ditched the usual red carpet for a champagne carpet this year. As the ceremony was set to begin, Deepika was interviewed on the carpet. The video has since been shared by the Academy on their social media. When asked how she felt at attending the Oscars, Deepika said, “I’m excited, nervous, and just curious to see what this whole thing is about. I mean, we’ve all grown up watching the Oscars. From the part of the world that we come from, it’s not every day that you wake up going to the Oscars. I’m just taking it all in.”
As the interviewer asked her if the Oscars had lived up to the hype, the actress responded, “I think there’s potential for a lot more but having said that, I think it’s definitely an exciting time for Indian cinema.” Reacting to RRR’s global craze and the triumph at the Oscars itself, Deepika said, “It’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Deepika eventually presented RRR’s song Naatu Naatu as it was performed on the Oscars stage for the first time and received a standing ovation. The actress wore a vintage-Hollywood-style black gown that was reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. She received praise for her sartorial choice, with many fans appreciating how beautiful and elegant she looked.
Indian cinema had a lot to cheer at the Oscars with RRR winning Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu and docu short film The Elephant Whisperers winning Best Documentary Short Subject. These are the first two Oscar awards won by Indian productions ever.
