As a somewhat irregular reviewer of Telugu movie soundtracks, I often get emails asking me to write more often, review more albums but sometimes burdened by daily chores and attempting to meet ghastly deadlines at work, it’s pretty late in the game before I lay my hands on an album and if the album isn’t great shakes then it just doesn’t motivate me to come up with an audio review. And, there are some albums that don’t really need a full blown article. So, through this series – Music & Miscellaneous Musings – I’d like to make up (more or less) for my laziness and present short, to the point reviews for all such albums, primarily highlighting the songs that worked for me.

So here we go with this week’s quota –

Paandurangadu - A remake of legendary NTR’s Panduranga Mahatyam, with Balakrishna, Sneha, Tabu in the main leads under the direction of K Raghavendra Rao (KRR) is the latest collaboration of KRR-Keeravani. This pair has given us many hit songs and when they’ve teamed up for devotional movies like Annamayya and Sri Ramadasu, Keeravani came out with lilting melodies as well. If you’ve heard the songs from those two albums, then you know what to expect from Pandurangadu’s music. While Keeravani set famous kritis/keeratanas of Annamayya and Ramadasu to tunes in the above movies, you don’t enjoy that familiarity in this album, except for a few popular bhajans. Though the orchestration for most songs is typical of a devotional movie, the songs itself are aimed to cater to all and sundry what with some devotional, some heart touching ones, some short shlokas and some romantic ones bordering on sensuality. Over all, Pandurangadu is definitely worth a try. What really worked for me are – Govindude (Madhu Balakrishnan, Keeravani and Sunitha make this instantly likeable), Matrudevobhava (a heartrending rendition by SPB), Premavalambhanam (Vijay Jesudas and Chitra sing this semi classical song with élan), Sri sri sri rajadhi (catchy and boasts of enchanting interludes of sitar like string instrument, something uncommon in a Telugu song)

Bujjigadu (Made in Chennai) – Puri Jagan and Sandeep Chowta brought in new sound to Telugu film music with Super. Though the movie bombed, the soundtrack worked big time like a sparkling fire-cracker. Now that they come together again, one naturally expects something out of Bujjigadu. First things first, most of Chowta’s tunes (Sude Sude, Love Me, Guchhi Guchhi, Dhadak Dhadak) are catchy and his orchestration, imbued with sounds of international quality, is top class but where he falters, and may I add BIG TIME (yes in caps), is with the singing. To some his rendition may sound stylish but to most others, like me, it sounds as if Sandeep was told that he is singing for a robot on the screen (I don’t mean to call Prabhas a robot, mind you). How else can one justify those annoyingly anglicized utterances of most words? Of the other two songs in the album, Talaiva is sheer gibberish and it remains to be seen if Chitti Aayire would turn out to be another Ippatikinka. Chowta’s unfamiliarity with the language and lack of nativity can be excused (though his foray into film music was with Ninne Pelladatha which, per me, is one of the best Telugu soundtracks of last decade) but scant respect for the language in extracting silly lyrics, and ‘take-the-listeners-for-granted’ attitude of a top director like Jagan and a producer like KS Rama Rao is appalling.

Ninna Nedu Repu – It’s the bit songs, Oohallo and Ninna Nedu Repu, based on the same tune that impress the most in music director Anil’s latest offering. Ranjith’s Vayase, with some thoughtful lyrics by Veturi, is so-so. Jil Jil Jawani sounds like a song taken out of an 80’s film. The sensual Thadi Vedi, sung by Ranjith and Harshika, has a catchy pallavi but meanders in the stanzas. The instrumental piece titled ‘Searching for life’ shocks you with the strikingly similar opening notes of that of Bhool Bhulaiyya’s title song. Ninna Nedu Repu gives us a fleeting glimpse of what Anil can be capable of but aside of that this album barely passes muster. For starters, Anil has composed music for Entha Varaku and Challegaani in the highly acclaimed Gamyam and is the music director of Sambhavami Yuge Yuge that has some impressive numbers.

Sangamam – Rasool Ellore and Keeravani’s second collaboration, after Okariki Okaru, doesn’t come close to their first but has two melodious gems in the form of Poothavesina and Chinuku Chinuku, sung by Keeravani and Sunitha respectively. Anantha Sriram’s wordplay, especially in the first song, is clap worthy and Keeravani’s diverse orchestration for these two songs is equally haunting. Try this album mainly for these two songs.

Let me know how you like this article. Feedback, of any kind, will be appreciated and welcome here

audio reviews by Sundeep Reddy
Parugu
Kantri
Jalsa
Happy Days
Shankar Dada Zindabad
Aata
Jagadam
Sainikudu
Boss
Stalin
Amma Cheppindi
Happy
Chukkallo Chandrudu

audio reviews by Sreya Sunil
Balu
Mass
Shankardada MBBS
Gudumba Shankar
Letha Manasulu
Arjun
Naa Autograph
Pallakilo Pellikoothuru
Gharshana
Sri Anjaneyam
Arya
Naani
Nenunnanu
Anji
Varsham
Andhrawala
Kal Ho Naa Ho
LoC Kargil
Shivamani
Okariki Okaru
Boys
Vasantham
Simhadri
Donga Ramudu & Party
Oka Raju Oka Rani
Nijam
Johnny
Raghavendra
Appudappudu
Gangotri
Okkadu
Manmadhudu
Thottigang
Khagam
Eeswar
Nee Sneham
Bobby
Nuvve Nuvve
Gemini
Chenna Kesava Reddy
Okato Number Kurraadu
Sontham
Baba
Holi
Avunu Valliddaru Ista Paddaru
Allari Ramudu
Indra
Jayam
Sreeram
Kanulu Moosina Neevaye
Vasu
Santosham