It is interesting but quite taxing for someone who has composed music for eight films in 10 years, to take up three projects at a time especially when they belong to three different genres. Mahesh Shankar shot to fame in Telugu cinema with Prayanam, Prasthanam and Inkosaari , he is now back in the news with his forthcoming Bangaru Kodipetta, Poga and D For Dopidi . Mahesh describes the nature of the three films: “ Bangaru Kodipetta is more true to life, loony, lot of heart. Dopidi is a comedy caper, and Poga is a horror film. Though the genres are diverse, they are fresh and there is an element of adventure.”
Bangaru Kodipetta starring Navdeep and Swati has been in the making for a year and Mahesh kept adding a song and more. Dopidi has been very quick because he had worked with filmmakers Raj and DK before.
Mahesh adds, “I even did a song in 99 that had Cyrus Broacha and Kunal Khemu as the cast. There was a lot of familiarity. With Poga... I had to change my mindset. Each director has a different vision and they want a particular music for their films.”
Mahesh Shankar rues that Telugu cinema can do better in terms of music, given its rich history and credentials of its music directors. He is aware that the music in Telugu movies is getting repetitive and the audience is always receptive, welcoming to new compositions. He adds, “You have to think differently for out of the box cinema which is easier for me. In Hindi cinema a lot has been happening, look at a commercial film like Lootera ; even one melody is enough to make the entire music in the film a success.”
The music director however understands the limitations of the producers — the priority is to recover money invested and for that they can’t afford to experiment. “It would be great if the music stands out. It is definitely a time for a change.Tunes don’t work in isolation, it is a collaborative effort,” he concludes.
