'Paatashaala song from Yuvarathnaa will be played in every school and college farewell'

Paatashaala, the fourth single from the Puneeth Rajkumar-starrer Yuvarathnaa, will be released on Wednesday, and the track is said to be the soul of the film. According to music director S Thaman, the song was the root for the whole film. It was the first song composed for Yuvarathnaa, and the whole story developed from there, he says.

“Paatashaala will make an impact. I consider it an anthem. It is like black coffee — each time you listen to it, it refreshes the mind and gives hope. Whenever I feel down, I listen to this song, and get energised,” Thaman adds, pointing out that director Santhosh Ananddram has done well with the lyrics that have been sung by Vijay Prakash.

Though the film is being released in Kannada and Telugu, this song will be out in five languages. While Vishal Mishra has lent his voice for the Hindi and Telugu versions, Vijay Yesudas has sung it in Malayalam and Tamil. “We want to release the song in these languages because we are confident that it will touch everybody’s heart. It will especially resonate with students and teachers, and bring back nostalgic feelings about college days for everybody,” says Thaman, adding, “I have never been to college in my life. I did my schooling until Class-6. From then on, I have been learning about humans, and my journey has been different. So what I had missed in my life, especially on the educational front, I have tried to create through this song. Paatashaala will be like a tribute to your guru.”

‘Shelf life of commercial songs is very short’  

Power of Youth, Neenade Naa and Oorigobba Raaja are the three other songs of Yuvarathnaa that have been released. “Oorigobba Raja was composed almost one-and-a-half years ago, and unfortunately, the Covid outbreak caused a delay. Holding on to these songs was tough for us because every six months, there is a change in the trend and we see new things coming. So Oorigobba Raja did not do well with a lot of listeners, and we accept its failure,” says Thaman.

He adds that the shelf life of a commercial song is very short. “It may be six months at the most. Any commercial track, if composed in January, should be released in June. Otherwise, it will get stale. However, that is not the case with melodies, and Paatashaala will be a song that will stay for the next decade, and in the future, it will be a song that will be played at every school and college farewell.”

‘Yuvarathnaa will be one of the biggest films in Puneeth Rajkumar’s career’

The music director, a well-known name in Telugu cinema, began his stint in Kannada in 1997. “I have travelled a long way in the Kannada film industry,” he says, recalling the time he started playing drums with music director duo Rajan-Nagendra. Over time, he has worked with a lot of composers in the Kannada industry, including Hamsalekha and Rajesh Ramanath. “My brother-in-law is from Karnataka, and my mom’s cousins stay here,” he tells Cinema Express, calling Bengaluru his second home.

“I love the emotions of Kannadigas, and the passion they have for their heroes, which I see among fans of Puneeth, Darshan, and Sudeep. Vishnuvardhan is my favourite hero, and I look up to Dr Rajkumar. I had the opportunity to work on a couple of his films,” says Thaman, who is now looking forward to the release of Yuvarathnaa. “I have watched the final output, and I can confidently say that it is an exceptional product from Hombale Films. It will be one of the biggest movies in Puneeth Rajkumar’s career.”

The film, which marks the debut of Sayyeshaa in Kannada, also stars Dhananjay and Diganth, among others.