- Sreya Sunil

"Jeevi, Jeevi"

"Yes Johnny!"

"Spreading secret news about my movie?"

"No Johnny!"

"Telling Lies?"

"No Johnny!"

"Open your web-site"

"Ha Ha Ha!!!"

That is exactly what the conversation would be like, if Pawan Kalyan and Jeevi ever met in person.

It's been almost 2 years now since we saw Pawan Kalyan in action. After the stupendous success of his last movie Khushi, Pawan took a short break to rejuvenate and gear up for his next venture. The Power Star, as his fans call him, announced his next venture for his in-house producer Allu Arvind under the Geeta Arts banner and started shooting the movie in a clandestine manner without any publicity and without letting the media get an iota of information about the movie. But time and again, the number of rumours that came out about the movie would amount to a script for a movie in itself.

Finally, here is Pawan, minus the moustache and a few pounds, with his ambitious action flick titled Johnny. To state that Johnny is THE most awaited movie of this year is an understatement. Sky-high expectations, mind-boggling anticipations are just a few that stick out like a sore thumb from the hype that has engulfed this movie. Not just Pawan's fans but also almost each and every Telugu Cinema lover is waiting to give his verdict on the movie thus making it the most sought after movie of this year. After Badri, Renu Desai again pairs with Pawan in Johnny. Apart from being the leading actress in the movie, she is also the costume designer and the production designer of the film.

Ramana Gogula, is back into action scoring music for Pawan after Tammudu and Badri. If Tammudu and Badri had many solo and funky songs sung by Ramana himself, Johnny has a fair amount of melodies in store apart from the usual Pawan Kalyan - Ramana Gogula kinda funky songs. This album is a hodgepodge of many solos, duets and a few music bits.

Music bits

Since the following are just music bits, I did not think it would be appropriate to rate them, which does NOT necessarily mean they are not eligible for the same.

1. Go Johnny (Listen)
Written and sung by Ramana himself, this catchy music bit serves as good background music bit that could be played whenever Pawan's character is seen on the screen.

2. Dojo music (Listen)
Another well composed music bit that shall sound even better with the visuals. Dojo is a Japanese word which when translated into English literally means Way Place, inferring that study of the martial ways includes an element of spiritual growth as well as physical training. As Johnny deals with martial arts, this music bit might serve a mighty contextual purpose in the movie

Solos

The following two 'daruvu' numbers are the kinds we just saw and heard Pawan sing on the screen in Tammudu and Khushi. Now Pawan has decided to include them in the album as well to satisfy his fans. Again, since they are not full-fledged songs I shall just talk about them without rating them.

3. Nuvvu Saara (Listen)
Masterji's rhyming lines in Telangana dialect about educating a person to refrain from boozing are good and Pawan sings this one himself. A good lighter vein number.

4. Ravoyi Maa Countryki (Listen)
Masterji's words, talking about some unfortunate deeds and incidents caused by some black sheep in our country, are satirical. It would be interesting to watch the context in which this number would be shown in the movie. Again, Pawan lends his own voice for this one.

5. Dharmardha Kamamulalona (Listen)
Another short solo song sung by Rajesh that starts off with some holy marriage chants. Sirivennela reuses the two lines he penned for a part of Srirastu Subhamastu song in Aahwaanam, here explaining the sacred vows of marriage.

6. Cool and Lovely (Listen)
Both Ramana's singing style and the beats in this song remind us of Ramana's earlier better song Vayyari bhama [Tammudu]. An ordinary number this one, which is also written by Ramana.

7. Naraaz Kaakuraa (Listen)
This song pops up in the movie when Johnny tries to cool down a certain angered Naseer. Masterji pens good satirical lyrics in this song too. Ramana not only infuses good teen-mar kind of beats into this song but also sings this one well. Though such a satire-based song is typical of R Naryanmurthy's 'red' films, this one is a lot polished and better sounding one than those.

Duets

8. Ee Reyi Teeyanidi (Listen)
A melodious number rehashed with a slower pace adding a romantic touch to it from an old film Chitti Chellelu. Pawan's streak of reusing old songs continues in this movie too after a successful reuse of Aaduvari in Khushi. Sirivennela's lyrics for this song are along the lines of a typical love duet. Hariharan and Nanditha do a good job of singing this one.

9. Ye Chota Nuvvunna (Listen)
Yet another melodious number sung by Rajesh and Nanditha with a background humming by Ramana. Sirivennela pens mushy words for this love song. While Rajesh sounds very good Nanditha sounds nasal. Usha might have been a better choice for this one.

10. Naalo Nuvokasagamai (Listen)
Though the bhangra beats in this song are familiar and heard before, the tune of this song is what makes this one a catchy one. Chandrabose's writes good lyrics about marriage for this tempo-based song. KK and Usha add life to this song. Good lyrics and nice singing are the forerunners of this song, which has commonplace beats thus losing out on the additional half star.

Though Naraaz Kaakura tries to fill in the punch song slot, which is typical of Pawan's movies like Made in Andhra [Tammudu], I am an Indian [Badri] and Yeh Mera Jahaan [Khushi], it lacks the finesse the earlier songs had. With Pawan himself in the director's chair for Johnny and having extracted the kind of music he wanted from Ramana, I am more than positive that the songs of this movie, which have already started racing up the music charts, will stay put at the top once the movie releases.

Overall, this album with 10 numbers in it calls in for a decent hearing. The two music bits are well composed. Among the solos, Naraaz Kaakura stands out; the others being more like folklore poems than conventional songs. Among the three duets, Ee reyi and Ye chota nuvvunna are melodious. The album clearly lacks the kind of songs that would remain etched out in our memory for a long time to come unlike some of the songs of Khushi, Tammudu. If the movie fails to deliver expected results then the album would have to bite the dust after the initial frenzy dies down. Like the plethora of albums that release these days, the musical success of Johnny is dependent [though not necessarily in direct proportion] on the success of the movie.

What remains to be seen is, will the audience lap up the movie whooping 'Go Johnny Go' or will they console each other after seeing the movie singing 'Naraaz Kaakura'?

Sreya Picks: Ee Reyi Teeyanidi, Ye Chota Nuvvunna, Go Johnny

PS: A very happy Ugadi to our beloved visitors from all of us at idlebrain.com. Swabhanu Naama Nootana Samvatsara Subhakankshalu. Hope this New Year brings in peace, prosperity, love and long life to all of us.

Click here to read the other articles by Sreya Sunil

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