Did not want 'Oo Antava' to have a dhamaka rhythm: Devi Sri Prasad on composing for 'Pushpa: The Rise'

DSP said that he enjoyed working with Sukumar as he pushed him to 'bring out the best'

Actor Allu Arjun's latest movie Pushpa: The Rise, which hit the screens on December 17, garnered a fair deal of attention because of its catchy songs. The dance number Oo Antava, in particular, became quite popular because of its hook line.

Speaking to DH, composer Devi Sri Prasad-- one of Tollywood's biggest names-- says that he experimented with his style as he did not want it to have an explosive rhythm, which made it a departure from his popular song Jigelu Rani. DSP added that he enjoyed working with director Sukumar as he pushed him to 'bring out the best. 'Rockstar' has hinted at trying his hand at acting and singles.

Also read | Allu Arjun's star power to Rashmika as 'Srivalli': 5 reasons why 'Pushpa: The Rise' exceeded expectations in Hindi

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What made you take up Pushpa: The Rise?

The first reason was the director Sukumar. I have composed for all his films. Then, of course, was the fact that this brought together the combination of 'Sukku' and Allu Arjun. I was very excited by the director's narration and told him that Pushpa was going to be a big blockbuster.

How was the experience of working with Sukumar?

His ideas are always quite novel as his basic thought process is quite different from the rest. He comes up with never-heard-before stuff and tries to bring the best out of you.

Pushpa was a pan-India movie. Did this add to the pressure?

Music has no language. You just need to let the creativity flow. The idea is to retain the original flavor and just change the language in a way that suits the audience. The soundtrack has been appreciated across languages. That said, I never take pressure while working on any project.

Tell us about the process behind the Oo Antava.

This was the last song I composed. Generally, item songs are expected to be like Ringa Ringa but I decided to try something different that would make one go 'arre aise bhi hota hai'. I told the director that this could really trend. Luckily, he agreed to let me keep it. Unlike a Jigelu Rani, this was not peppy and didn't have a dhamaka rhythm. This was what I wanted.

Which was the toughest song from the album?

None of the songs were tough as we enjoyed the process. That said, Jaago Jaago/ Daakko Daakko took more time as it had philosophical lyrics and came across as a dialogue.

What are your future plans? Any plans to turn actor?

There were acting offers earlier from several producers but that time I didn't take them up. After the pandemic, I reconsidered and am listening to scripts. I also hope to release singles very soon.