Veera Simha Reddy: Jai Balayya, the first single, reminds you of hero introduction numbers from the 90s

A couple of days after the launch of Boss Party, the first single from Chiranjeevi’s Waltair Veerayya, it was Akhanda star Balakrishna’s turn to hog the limelight for the music of his next release, Veera Simha Reddy. The first number from the action entertainer, named after the star himself, Jai Balayya, was out today. S Thaman composes the music for the film written and directed by Gopichand Malineni.

Jai Balayya has all the trappings of a catchy intro number that’ll appeal to the fans of the star. However, one must admit that the beats, instrumentation and the tempo aren’t exactly in sync with times. They remind you more of the 90s rural dramas like Peda Rayudu, Chinna Rayudu, to name a few and the vibe isn’t contemporary at all. Yet, despite these factors, Jai Balayya remains catchy all along and is designed to celebrate Balakrishna’s larger than life persona in the film.

In the song, Balakrishna comes across as an elderly man in the village who’s an alternate system of sorts and is a messaiah of the needy. Thousands throng to catch a glimpse of him and admire him, blurring the line between the reel and the real life of the star. He’s walking on the roads, spending time in the fields, doing what it takes to make the lives of the villagers better.

Ramajogaiah Sastry’s effective lyrics and Karimullah’s earthy rendition with supporting vocals by a group of female singers contribute to the impact. Shruti Haasan plays the female lead in the film that marks the Telugu debut of Kannada star Duniya Vijay. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Naveen Chandra and Australian model Chandrika Ravi are also part of the film. Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar have bankrolled the film under Mythri Movie Makers. Veera Simha Reddy will hit theatres for Sankranti 2023.