Sir: Lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja’s excellence comes to the fore with Banjara

You’ll be surprised by how unconventional collaborations can create wonders in cinema. Banjara, the second single from Dhanush’s college drama Sir, bringing together a capable composer like GV Prakash Kumar, a veteran writer like Suddala Ashok Teja and a budding singer like Anurag Kulkarni, is a musical delight precisely for that reason. It nails that fine balance between a vibrant musical exterior and the soul of a good old-world song.

The foot-tapping single discusses the philosophy of life and pays an ode to mother nature with remarkable simplicity. While being satirical on the ways of the world, the earthiness that Suddala Ashok Teja exhibits in his opening lines ‘Ille naadhani..vaakili naadhenante..Pakkuna navvuthadi bhoothalli..’ is complemented by Anurag Kulkarni’s energetic rendition and GV Prakash’s catchy musical hook.

It takes great taste and a keen observer of life to come up with lines like ‘Yaada putte teega..yaada putte boora..thodu koodinaaka – meeti chudu thamboora’ and using them as metaphors to motivate people to surge ahead and find the purpose behind their existence. The burst of colours, the road-themed lyrical video and Dhanush’s magnetic screen presence make Banjara a compelling number that gets more rewarding with each hearing.

Over the years, Telugu filmmakers have forgotten the significance of a strong literary touch in the lyrics while pandering to the egos of their lead stars. Venky Atluri has proved his eclectic taste with music in films like Tholi Prema, Mr Majnu as well. Banjara is a rare number in the recent times that provides all the scope for Suddala Ashok Teja to flourish and showcase his experience.

Anurag Kulkarni’s excellent form continues and with a good situational setup, Banjara can be a roar in theatres too. Samyuktha Menon plays the female lead in the Tamil-Telugu bilingual produced by S Naga Vamsi and Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas. Sir/Vaathi is set to release across the globe on February 17 alongside Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnu Katha, Shaakuntalam.