I’m not comfortable with Bollywood: DSP

Multifaceted talent Devi Sri Prasad is eagerly awaiting the release of his next outing Jaya Janaki Nayaka, directed by Boyapati Srinu, and starring Bellamkonda Sai Srinivas and Rakul Preet Singh. Ask him about the USP of the film, and he says, “Jaya Janaki Nayaka is my fourth film with Boyapati. His films always give me an opportunity to experiment with music or background score.”

Quiz him on what he liked in the script, the sensational composer says, “Boyapati narrated this story to me a few years ago. The film follows a different narrative and it opens way beyond your expectations..”

DSP maintains that all his directors value his judgement and give him complete creative freedom, which eventually motivates him to give his best. “I ask for a detailed narration, and I don’t mind spending my whole day for that. When you practice this, you will draw an inspiration from a story, and you will get to know about song placements and background scores.” He thanks his directors for trusting his abilities and motivating him with their words to give his best. “For instance, Boyapati Srinu, Sukumar and Trivikram Srinivas keep on telling me that I’m a good listener, and they can decode their film’s prospects with my facial expressions. I don’t usually differentiate between mass and class films. All I see is how much scope I have as a music composer,” he adds.

Does he have any reservations between an established hero and a newcomer? Pat comes the reply, “Once filming begins, the actor eventually owns his character, so it won’t be a daunting task for me to compose a tune. The point is, an actor becomes that character, and I will be a music composer. Naturally, my work is in sync with story and narration. Besides that, a big hero will have a signature style, so I try to come up with something new only after I’m done with the principal composing.”

On why is he distancing himself with small films, the composer reveals, “I recently worked for Kumari 21F, Nenu Local and am now working on the Nani-starrer MCA. I never categorise a film based its budget or the star cast involved in it.”

Devi asserts that he is not against the idea of multiple music directors for a film, but he likes to have his own creative space to enjoy his work. “Having two or more composers is a personal choice. As of now, this trend only exists in Bollywood. I keep getting many offers from Bollywood filmmakers, but I’m not comfortable with that working style. I neither want to become rich nor do I have any short-term goals.”

“During Bommarillu story discussions, I told director Bhaskar that I will use the humming (Paninisasa... from Appudo eppudo) before the start of the third song. Honestly, that’s the way I conceive a scene and such creative thinking can’t happen if there were more than one music composer for a film. It’s not that I don’t admire other composer’s work but my priority is to enjoy my music. I’m not here to make money. Rather, I’m passionate about my work. So, I always like to be a solo composer,” he concludes.