Famous lyricist KK (Krishnakanth) shared that his journey as a lyricist has been progressing very satisfactorily. He expressed his happiness that all the songs he wrote last year became chartbusters. He feels fortunate to have the opportunity to write songs that resonate with music lovers, not just in Telugu but also in Tamil and Malayalam dubbed films. In a recent interview, KK shared his experiences as a lyricist with journalists.
He said, “I am very satisfied as a lyricist. Last year was wonderful for me. I got the opportunity to write great songs, and I’m happy to see that my goal of quitting my job and making a name for myself as a lyricist has been realized. The songs I wrote last year, including those for dubbed movies, have become chartbusters, impressing music lovers and going viral.”
“Recently, I have been writing songs mostly for Pan India films. Writing for Pan India movies does not add pressure on me. When writing for films like Salaar and Radhe Shyam, the song written in Telugu is translated into English and sent to lyricists in other languages. They then adapt it to their version. This is the only extra work involved in Pan India films.”
“As a lyricist, it’s an advantage to know the entire story of the movie when writing songs. I wrote Single Card for movies like *Padi Padi Leche Manasu, Sita Ramam (five songs), Salaar, and Radhe Shyam all became superhits. Writing songs for films where I know the full story gives me great satisfaction. It also allows me to avoid repetition and find fresh words, which helps in crafting new songs.”
“Among the songs I wrote last year, Adiga from Hi Nanna gave me immense satisfaction. This song, along with the movie, reached a wide audience through various music concerts. Anuvanuvu from Om Bheem Bhush went viral, while Ambaraala Veedhilo from the dubbed movie ARM received a great response. Naa Favourite Naa Pellame song in Janaka Aithe Ganaka was also a hit. I’m happy that 90 percent of the songs I’ve written have been successful. The songs I’ve written for Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan and Siva Karthikeyan’s Amaran have also been widely appreciated.”
“When writing original songs, we have more freedom. However, with dubbed songs, we must select Telugu words that match the original language. Writing dubbed songs is challenging if approached the same way as writing a straight song. This year, I am also trying my hand at scriptwriting. I am writing dialogues for Adheera film under Prashanth Varma’s supervision . I haven’t worked on dialogues for a while due to my busy schedule with songs, but now I am making time for both songs and scripts. I’ve also thought about directing, but for now, I am focused on writing.”
“We’ve started work on two songs for Prabhas and Hanu Raghavapudi’s film. While Hanu’s previous films have mainly focused on love stories, this movie is filled with huge action and drama, providing the feel of a Hollywood movie. It’s a period film set in the 1940s with a patriotic storyline.”
“Today, every music director wants a hook line in their songs, and there’s pressure on lyricists to follow this trend. However, I believe that the hook line approach does not work for every song. Every technician I work with has been very supportive.”
“My fellow lyricists are friendly and encouraging. When I write a good song, Chandrabose garu calls me and congratulates me. In the past, the stories in movies were such that the general audience could relate to them, which made the songs memorable forever. Unfortunately, such stories are rare now, but whenever I get the chance, I try to maintain that emotional connect in my songs.”
“I am currently writing songs for Prabhas – Hanu film, The Raja Saab, Ram Pothineni’s RAPO22, Vijay Deverakonda’s VD 12, among others. Discussions are also underway for several other projects.”
