An action sequence from SS Rajamouli's RRR made an appearance at the 96th Academy Awards in a montage celebrating the contribution of the stunt community towards international cinema.
Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt presented the 1.15-minute showreel at the grand event, which was held on Sunday night at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre.
"They have been such a crucial part of our industry since the beginning of cinema... To the stunt performers and stunt coordinators who help make movies magic. We salute you," Gosling said.
"They are truly the unsung heroes who risk life and limb for cinema," added Blunt.
Despite years of lobbying, the Academy Awards have yet to introduce a new category for stunts. Earlier this year, it announced plans to add its first new category in more than 20 years to recognise casting directors.
Calling it "a sweet surprise", the official X page of RRR on Monday expressed gratitude to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for including the film at this year's awards.
"Glad that @TheAcademy included #RRRMovie action sequences as part of their tribute to the world's greatest stunt sequences in cinema," the post read.
The RRR action sequence, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, found a mention alongside footage of classics by Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to modern epics such as Titanic, Mission: Impossible, John Wick, The Matrix, and Black Panther.
That's not all.
The video clip of last year's best original song winner "Naatu Naatu" from RRR also played out at the event as Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo took the stage to announce the new winner. Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell earned their second Academy Award in the category for "What Was I Made For?" from Barbie.
"On the #Oscars stage again!! #RRRMovie," stated the post on the film's page referring to the hat-tip to "Naatu Naatu".
"Naatu Naatu" was composed by MM Keeravaani and penned by K Chandrabose. Sung by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, the foot-tapping number became the first song from an Indian film production to win an Oscar.
