How Telugu songs are catching everyone's fancy

Simple lyrics and a catchy tune combine with Allu Arjun’s hook step to turn ‘Srivalli’, a song from ‘Pushpa’, into a global sensation. And it’s just one of many such hits, writes Karthik Keramalu

Jr NTR and Ram Charan in 'Naatu Naatu' from 'RRR'

Balakrishna in 'Jai Ballaya' from 'Akhanda'

Every day, my Instagram feed is bombarded with reels of people dancing to ‘Srivalli’ from the Telugu blockbuster ‘Pushpa’, starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna. Go to YouTube or any other popular social media app, you see foreign nationals, North Indians and of course, famous celebrities, trying to get the hook-step — perfected by the ever-charismatic star Arjun.

The songs of ‘Pushpa’ have thrilled people across the globe. These reels can act as instant pick-me-ups, if you will. Moreover, it’s a trend that clearly appears to be on the rise.

What makes ‘Srivalli’ and other songs, like ‘Butta Bomma’ from ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’, ‘Jai Balayya’ from ‘Akhanda’, work outside the Telugu circles is their simplicity. People who don’t speak Telugu may not know the meaning of ‘Butta Bomma’, but the words are easy to pronounce and, therefore, easy to keep in mind.

Since these songs are quite catchy, they’re able to find a wider audience quickly. This is exactly what happened with the Tamil international sensation ‘Why This Kolaveri Di’ from ‘3’ a decade ago.

The cultural context of ‘Kolaveri’ would have been difficult to grasp on its own. However, as it was clubbed with the English language, it became an icebreaker at social gatherings.

The phenomenon of particular songs — and movies — breaking linguistic boundaries is not new to India. The Tamil drama ‘Muthu’, starring Rajinikanth and Meena, had a great theatrical run in Japan in the 90s. AR Rahman’s songs, too, in the same era, helped bridge the gap between the North and the South to an extent. ‘Urvasi Urvasi’ from the Tamil romantic drama ‘Kadhalan’ and ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ from the Hindi romantic thriller ‘Dil Se’ captured the imagination of the nation.

We’re reliving those halcyon days, albeit differently. We don’t have to wait for music channels on television, or radio stations, to play our favourite tracks. We can go to music streaming apps and find our way to the best playlists. We have also witnessed the rise of Instagram reels.

No wonder we love Australian cricketer David Warner’s hilarious reels for which he delightfully joins hands with his wife and daughters. Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja, too, are hopping on the viral train these days. That said, there are speculations that celebrities are even paid to be part of such reels.

In recent times, the Tamil songs ‘Vaathi Coming’ and ‘Rowdy Baby’ from ‘Master’ and ‘Maari 2’, respectively, have hit the sweet spot on YouTube. Two aspects define the success of such songs. The lyrics aren’t complicated and the dance moves look super cool. Who wouldn’t want to watch them and learn, after all?

Also, one can’t deny the invisible part played by the box office results of the ‘Baahubali’ films. If not for those two blockbusters, Telugu songs probably wouldn’t have found a global audience. It has reshaped the idea of Telugu cinema in the eyes of the West. Now, for better or worse, the hungry moviegoers are waiting for the grand release of Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’. The dance steps of the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ have become a rage and people can’t wait to feast on the viral hit on the big screen.