‘Kannada audiences are truly appreciative of good music’

Very often, when a popular

music

director from, say, Tollywood, comes to Kannada cinema, it tends to be for the remake of a previous work. For Anup Rubens, too, the entry into Sandalwood happened with the remake of Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde (Khushi Khushiyaagi), which he followed up with the Kannada version of Loukyam (Ram-Leela). While both had him compose a few new tunes apart from some from the original numbers, this week’s

Seetharama Kalyana

is his first attempt at a straight Kannada subject.
In Bengaluru, after attending the film’s trailer launch in Mysuru over the weekend, Anup tells us how he came to be a part of the

A Harsha

directorial. “I had met Nikhil Kumar in Dubai at an event for the Akhil Akkineni-starrer Hello. He loved my performance of the title track and said that he wanted to collaborate with me. We met a few more times in Hyderabad and about six months later, his team called me with the offer to compose for Seetharama Kalyana. I was only too happy to be a part of the film,” says the composer.
Given the fact that Seetharama Kalyana is a family entertainer, Anup says that there was immense scope for him as far as the musical score was concerned. The soundtrack of the Nikhil-starrer has five numbers, all of which have been well received. “This is my first straight subject and I am elated at how well each of the songs has been doing. Kannada audiences are truly appreciative of good music and it gives me immense pleasure to be a part of this industry. In fact, I am looking for more opportunities to work in Sandalwood,” says Anup.
The film offered Anup the opportunity to work with singers like Armaan Malik, Kailash Kher, Vijay Prakash and Sanjith Hegde. “Ninna Raja Naanu, by Armaan Malik is my personal favourite, followed closely by Mangalyam Thantunanena, sung by my friend Vijay. Kailash has two versions of one song on the soundtrack, called Bhoomiye Mantapa and Yaara Shaapa Idu respectively, both of which are standout numbers. Sanjith, who sung O Jaanu O Jaanu for us, is a very promising singer,” Anup signs off.