‘RRR’ distributor accuses Twitter of blocking ‘Naatu Naatu’ advertisements

Variance Films has alleged that they are unable to feature clips of ‘Naatu Naatu’ on the microblogging site as Telugu is not one of its approved languages

A still from RRR | Photo Credit: Disney+ Hotstar

Variance Films, the distributor of RRR has accused Twitter of blocking clips of Naatu Naatu in Twitter advertisements because Telugu is not one of Twitter’s approved languages.

Naatu Naatu has been nominated for the Oscars under the Best Original Song category.

Hey @TwitterSupport@elonmusk- we'd like to advertise our Academy Award nominated film RRR

But Telugu, spoken by over 81 million people, isn't an "approved language" for ads, so you've blocked us from advertising entirely for trying to promote a subtitled clip?

Is that correct?

— Variance Films (@VarianceFilms) February 16, 2023

“We’d like to advertise our Academy Award nominated film RRR,” Variance’s official Twitter account wrote in a tweet tagging Elon Musk and Twitter Support. “But Telugu, spoken by over 81 million people, isn’t an ‘approved language’ for ads, so you’ve blocked us from advertising entirely for trying to promote a subtitled clip? Is that correct?”

Naatu Naatu won the Golden Globe for the best song making RRR the first Indian film to win a Golden Globe. The song is composed by music director MM Keeravaani, and sung by Kala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj, with lyrics by Chandrabose.

Drawing inspiration from the lives of freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju,  RRR narrates a fictional tale set in the 1920s.