In 2021, performing at a private show for Bollywood music lovers in Bengaluru, Jaskaran Singh surprised his audience by singing ‘Anisuthide Yako Indu’ from one of Kannada’s all-time blockbuster films Mungaru Male (2007) directed by Yogaraj Bhat. The film catapulted Ganesh to stardom, and the Sonu Nigam-sung melody has gone down in the history of Kannada cinema as one of the most celebrated love songs.
Three years later, Jaskaran has unlocked his biggest achievement yet by lending his voice for the melody ‘Dwapara‘, featuring Ganesh and Malavika Nair, from the recently-released Kannada film Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi.
“My Spotify data tells me that the song has been heard by hundreds of people in Chandigarh, Delhi, and Haryana,” says the Ludhiana native who has now become a favourite of Kannada film music lovers. Recognised by composer Arjun Janya at a reality show, Jaskaran had just sung one Kannada film song before this breakthrough track.
‘Dwapara’ has triggered a social media explosion, resulting in several lakhs of Instagram Reels set to its tune. Days after it dropped, the song transcended linguistic roots as it charmed people on Instagram and YouTube. With over 30 million views on YouTube, the number also drew people to watch the film in theatres, helping the movie become one of the highest-grossers of 2024 in Kannada.
Singer Jaskaran Singh. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Srinivas Raju, the director of Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi, talks about his huge decision to treat the song as the only promotional bit of content before the film’s release. “We didn’t reveal a teaser or a trailer. I don’t know — at least in Kannada — which was the last film to not even have a trailer! My team members felt I was taking a risk... but I stuck to it.
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“For me, any promotional material is an invitation to the audience. So, I wanted to draw people to the movie halls with just one song. Because music is the backbone of any love story; be it in A Star is Born or Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!, the songs made the difference,” he explains.
For music director Arjun Janya, the composition reflects the excitement of a man in love. “The protagonist sees this beautiful woman, and he is mesmerised by her. He wants the feeling to remain forever. That’s why, if you notice, the song has a long Pallavi,” he says.
Malavika Nair and Ganesh in ‘Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi’. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The dholak rhythms and the tuneful shehnai add a profound layer to the track. “The protagonist sees the heroine as a goddess. That’s the brief I got from the director. So, instead of Indian classical, I went for Sufi music, marked by tablas, dholaks, and shehnai,” offers Arjun Janya.
Srinivas Raju was particular about the sounds in the song. “In the last three to four years, we have heard a lot of high-voltage western music. I wanted Indian instruments for the song as I wanted it to keep it simple yet effective.”
V Nagendra Prasad’s lines blend perfectly with the song’s hook tune. The words ‘Jena Daniyole Meena Kannole’ (The one with a mellifluous sound and beautiful eyes) came easily to the mind of the experienced lyricist. “I just had to describe the hero’s admiration towards his special one. The craze for the song has taught me that you have to keep it simple. People have an extra affection for songs with complete Kannada lyrics,” he notes.
Shot in Bengaluru and the picturesque locals of Vietnam, ‘Dwapara’ is pleasing to the eyes as well. “I told the cinematographer (Venkat Prasad) to avoid weird angles and zig-zig movements. I wanted the entire song to be colourful. There has been an overdose of visual jerks in recent films thanks to action dramas, so I wanted to bring a semblance of calmness on-screen,” says Srinivas Raju.
Ganesh also has a knack for expressing the exact emotion in a song, apart from his ability to add small nuances in front of the camera to create magic on-screen. “It’s refreshing to write a song for Ganesh sir because we know he enhances it brilliantly,” says Nagendra Prasad. The actor, not particularly known for his dancing skills, has evidently impressed people with the hook steps in the song. “We took four to five days to rehearse the steps,” reveals Srinivas Raju.
The actor’s career, stuck in a rut for a long time, has found a new lease of life with the success of Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi, and golden days are back, say relieved fans. One viral song has put the gifted actor back in the game; now it will be interesting to see his next step after this much-needed hit.
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