Devi Sri Prasad on Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2, hours long chat with Karan Johar and winning National Award: ‘Anyone who listens to Oo Antava will think I am lazy’

Karan Johar; (right) A still from the song

How do you top the magic of Srivalli, or Oo antava? Pushpa: The Rise (2021) composer Devi Sri Prasad, better known as DSP in industry circles, hopes to have the answer as he works on the soundtrack of its sequel, Pushpa: The Rule. "We have done half the songs of Pushpa 2. We keep improvising, changing a song's beginning, or the lyrics. This time, the story is more thrilling and emotional," says DSP of the August 2024 release led by Allu Arjun.

In the world of movies, commercial success and critical acclaim rarely go hand-in-hand. The music of Pushpa: The Rise not only achieved that elusive combination, but also earned DSP a National Award last month. "Pushpa winning the National Award is significant because the album has everything. For Srivalli, I got appreciation from classical musicians. Hariharan sir praised the song, while renowned devotional singer Shobha Raju was in love with Oo antava because it was an experiment with just four musical notes. Only one phrase forms the whole song. I don't think anyone has ever attempted a song like that. Anyone who would listen to O Antava would think this composer is a lazy fellow," he laughs.

A still from the song

The dance number featuring Samantha has been a rage since its release two years ago. But DSP admits the track was unusual by the genre's standard. "Everybody was expecting a masala item song from me. I thought, why can't an item song take you into a trance? When I made it, I thought the makers might reject it. I sent it to them with a disclaimer: ‘You might think I've gone mad because I am sending you something you won't expect. You might even reject it, but please trust me and put it in the film. This will redefine item songs.' [After listening to the track], Allu Arjun and our producers said, ‘For the first 30 seconds, we were wondering what's happening. The song is so slow. But after that, we couldn't stop dancing.'"

One of the most cherished compliments came from Karan Johar. "He complimented Srivalli, saying, ‘From the birth of Hindi music to [the end of time], Srivalli will be among the top five or 10 tracks.' Karan sir always gives importance to music in his films. He told me, ‘I am here to collaborate.' I would love to do that. When the right moment comes, [it will happen]. What I like about Karan sir is that he always gives a lot of importance to music in his films. We have a great equation. He loves my music and I love his movies and style of working," he says.