Brand India has arrived: Thakur on Oscar awards

New Delhi: Lauding India's achievements at the Oscars, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said 'brand India' has arrived as he called for concerted efforts to make the country a content hub of the world. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he said "RRR's" "Naatu Naatu" has not only won hearts in the country but also across the world.

"It is a matter of pride for India that the Indian film industry has won two world awards in Oscars. "Brand India has arrived and it is just a beginning. India has the potential to become the content hub of the world. Let us work together to make India the content hub of the world," he told the House. At the Academy Awards, the foot-tapping Telugu chartbuster "Naatu Naatu", composed by MM Keeravaani and penned by Chandrabose, won the Original Song award and made SS Rajamouli's "RRR" the first Indian feature film production to bring home the Oscar.

Tamil documentary "The Elephant Whisperers", directed by debutante Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, also became the maiden Indian production to win in the Documentary Short Film category. Noting that nothing is regional today, the minister said as the prime minister has said "local to global", "our regional has become international and that is a big achievement for India". e said though "Naatu Naatu" was sung in Telugu and was dubbed in many languages, today it is beating in the hearts of crores of people across the world and India's music is being sung all over. Thakur also said the "Elephant Whisperers" was made in Tamil on a small budget but it has won accolades across the world and "I congratulate the makers for it". While noting that the government has helped provide a platform to Indian films at international film festivals, he said India was given the status of "country of honour" at the Cannes Film Festival. He also cited an incident where a youth delegation from central Asia had come visiting and sang Indian songs at a cultural evening.

Thakur also noted that the story writer behind "RRR" is a member of this House. The scriptwriter of "RRR" V Vijayendra Prasad is a Rajya Sabha MP. Later, the chairman suggested that the minister organise a special screening of "RRR" for the members of Parliament in a time-bound manner after talking to both sides and the minister readily agreed.