Mumbai: Popular music composer Devi Sri Prasad, currently riding high on the pan India success of his Pushpa soundtrack, says he has come on board to compose music for the upcoming Nitesh Tiwari directorial Bawaal.
Starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, the film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala.
Bawaal, which went on floors in April, will be the first full-fledged Hindi film album for Prasad, popularly known as DSP. The music director has previously composed Bollywood songs like “Dhinka Chika” (‘Ready’), “Seeti Maar” (Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai) and “Aa Ante Amalapuram” (‘Maximum’).
“I am working on ‘Bawaal’. It is coming out beautifully with Nitesh sir and lyricist Amitabh (Bhattacharya). We have gelled so well. In the south, I compose all my songs and also score for the films. In fact in ‘Pushpa’, Karan Johar sir told me how he fell in love with the music and the background score.
“When I heard the subject of ‘Bawaal’, I more or less explained the whole graph of music, from the first song to the last, and also the background score. Nitesh sir, Sajid sir fell in love with it,” DSP said in an interview.
The 42-year-old musician, who predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu film industries, said he is now actively trying to do more work in Hindi cinema.
Apart from Bawaal, he will also compose for the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali.
“Previously, whenever I was approached, I was always in Chennai working on Tamil and Telugu films, so I could not give much time to Hindi. But after the lockdown, I made it a point that I should work more in Hindi,” he added.
Though DSP has been working in the film industry since the early 2000s, it was his work in last year’s Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, which gave him nationwide success.
The film’s soundtrack was dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. The Hindi version of the album featured chartbusters like “Srivalli”, “Saami Saami” and “Oo Bolega Ya Oo Oo Bolega”.
DSP said the success of Pushpa proves that music has “no barriers”.
“You can use any tune in a new language but you must ensure that the language, expression doesn’t change.The poetry should not get lost. I am blessed that I know Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, so when my lyricists write, I can gauge if it is on par with the original.
“I work parallely on different languages. I give the tune and work on it like a Hindi track, a Tamil song or a Telugu song, only then I can get the feel right,” he said, adding that the line ‘Teri Jhalak Asharfi’ (from ‘Srivalli’) sounds completely different in Hindi than what it does in the Telugu version.
Asked if he feels pressured to score music for the sequel of Pushpa, the composer said he doesn’t let expectations bother him.
“Pushpa has changed a lot of things for me. All the songs of the film became chartbusters at the same time. That gives you immense credibility, more than delivering one or two hits here and there. There will be a challenge for Pushpa 2, but one shouldn’t bother about that, only then will you be able to do your work properly,” he added.
