Season of folk songs in Tollywood

Tired of anglicised lyrics and inane rap sequences, the local audiences are ditching ‘Tenglish’ songs. Instead, they are swaying to traditional folk songs that have become a norm in every Tollywood flick now. After the folk numbers like Gajuvaka Pilla and Maayadari Maisammo rocked the charts a few years ago, a series of folk tunes are back with a bang again. From Em Pillado Eldham Osthava from Magadheera to Enduke Ravanamma from the yet-to-be-released Bumper Offer, mana Hyderabadis can’t stop grooving to rural beats.



Puri Jagannath, the producer of Bumper Offer feels the USP of folk music is that it is “evergreen” and can make anyone break into a jig. “The ‘dappu’ beats, as they are called, are extremely catchy and foot-tapping. One can’t help but dance. Even if it is not strictly a folk song, a mix of both traditional and contemporary beats are a hit with the multiplex audience.”
Highlighting everything from recession and the price hikes to corruption and civic problems, the lyrics of these folk-style songs don’t just make you hum along, but also gives you food for thought.
Director Krishna Vamsi who has two folk songs in his latest release Mahatma, says, “Western music is like restaurant food. It is exotic and we can eat it once in a while. Folk music on the other hand is like home-cooked food, everyone relates to it.”

For the past few years, with lack of such catchy local songs, Hyderabadis have been dancing to hits like Appidi Podu and other Tamil folk songs. The current lot of songs has filled this gap, feels K.M. Radhakrishnan, a music director.

“If one song is a hit, other composers follow suit. After the success of Magadheera’s folksy music, songs that have simple yet powerful lyrics, coupled with fast-paced beats have become the norm. Folk music not just makes the audience tap their feet, but it forces them to stand up and dance.”


Filmmakers are also betting on the songs to draw the crowds to the theatres. Senior music director Chakri, says, “Movies become a hit only thanks to the mass audience. Even if movie sequences allow the introduction of a folk song, we can always include it as an ‘item number.”