Shriya Saran: 'To use the songs in our film after 57 years is a privilege'

Shriya Saran

Haven't we all watched the classic, 'The Sound of Music' (1965), humming with Julie Andrews to Do re mi and My favourite things? Shriya Saran, a die-hard fan of the musical, is one of us in that regard. Which is why her 2023 summer release, 'Music School', took her back to her childhood days. In a unique move, the Papa Rao Biyyala-directed venture features three evergreen songs from 'The Sound of Music - Do re mi', 'Sixteen going on seventeen', and 'My favourite things'. Before the film went on floors in Goa in 2021, the ditties were orchestrated by the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the project.

The Sound of Music had won five Academy Awards

Saran, who plays a music teacher in the drama that also stars Sharman Joshi, says it's a dream come true to relive the Hollywood gem through its iconic songs. "It was the first film I ever watched. I was very young at that time, and watched it several times on the VCR," she recalls. "The director [Biyyala] took the script to the makers of 'The Sound of Music'. They loved it and gave the rights to use the songs. Since the film's release, its songs have never played in any [other] movie. So, to use them in our film after 57 years [since its release] is a privilege."

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Music School has been shot largely in Hindi, and will also be released in Tamil and Telugu. The drama examines how the Indian education system and parents pressure children to devote long hours to studies so that they can go on to pursue profitable careers, thus denying them their childhood. In the film, the students are seen enacting The Sound of Music as a play, thus making way for the songs.

Ilaiyaraaja

Meanwhile, the movie's original soundtrack and background score have been composed by music maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The director was well aware that the music would be keenly awaited after the incorporation of the Hollywood songs, and hence, ensured that the background score was recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra under the supervision of Ilaiyaraaja.