One of the most anticipated films, Music School, is nearing its release. Ahead of the film’s release, actress Shriya Saran interacts with the Hyderabadi media, sharing some insights about the film, the influence of musicals in Indian cinema, and more.
Amartya Smaran
In the early 2000s, Shriya Saran was at the zenith of her career. She amassed a huge following in the Telugu states for playing the girl-next-door characters. Nuvve Nuvve, Santosham, Tagore, and Nee Manasu Naaku Telusu are some of her biggest hits.
Recently, she was seen in S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR, where she played Sitaramaraju’s mother. Her part in the flashback portion in the second half holds great significance. Shriya is ever-so particular about the roles that she has been choosing of late. She wants all of them to be worthwhile. When she looks back, Shriya says, she wants to be proud of her work.
Perhaps Paparao Biyyala’s Music School is one such film. She will be seen playing the role of Ms. Mary, a music teacher from Goa, the city of music. The film deals with the rather serious topic of kids being pressured into putting countless hours into scoring marks. Sharman Joshi plays the lead alongside Shriya in this picture, presumably a drama teacher. The central characters do their best to bring out the creative side of young kids by making them a part of the famous musical play, The Sound of Music (also a popular 1965 film).
Shriya says Music School is not a serious film that would instantly make you go and learn music, but it would definitely strike a chord with everyone who watches the film. The producer and director of the film, Paparao Biyyala, wanted to explore a serious topic in a lighthearted manner through the inclusion of music.
“Musicals have inspired Indian cinema for the longest time,” says Shriya. “There were plays happening in villages. If you look at Ramayana and Mahabharat, there were these village tours that were dance dramas. It always happened in the villages, and there were traditional singers from all parts of India. People specialised in different ways of telling stories through music and dance.”
The film has music by maestro Ilaiyaraaja, and Shriya couldn’t be more excited. She enthuses, “Indian films have always had songs. When I started out in the industry, there were six songs, but now it’s one or two at the most. This film is a musical in such a way that every song takes the story forward. It’s not just for escapism. That’s how we use songs in films, but here we have situational songs. It has Ilaiyaraaja sir’s music, and to have his music is a great inspiration for a film like this. It needs music, which contributes to the film. His music blends perfectly.”
The Sound of Music (1965) is a cult classic in the musical drama genre. Film scholars, schools, and fans love the film, and to date, it holds a great degree of importance in terms of how effectively music was used to tell a story that’s so powerful. A chapter in film history that generations of filmmakers keep referring to in order to create the same magic.
“There are four songs from the movie The Sound of Music,” explains Shriya. “It was challenging because there were so many songs, but I enjoyed being a part of it and had a great time. The Sound of Music happens as a play in the movie, and that’s the first English movie that I’ve ever seen. Therefore, it’s really interesting for me.”
We asked the Nuvve Nuvve actress if she was ever scared that she’d go overboard with her performance. We don’t really get to see many films where speech makes a transition to lyrical dialogue, don’t we? There’s a great chance of actors going either way with their performance.
“There were a lot of times that I was very scared,” admits the actress. “There’s a scene where I barge into the principal’s room and I start singing when I’m actually saying something really serious. It’s more like lyrical dialogue. We didn’t have any music and kept singing (she snaps her fingers). I think that brings out the rawness because none of us actors are singers in the movie.”
In the trailer, you will spot a lot of kids. Well! That’s because the film is about these young boys and girls being shown a path to explore themselves through the dramatic arts. Shriya jokingly said the kids would go on and on and on between takes. Even when she closed her eyes for a moment, the chitter-chatter of the young chaps wouldn’t stop. All told, she had some really wonderful things to say about the kids with whom she shared screen space.
She explains, “Kids have a strong emotional IQ. They see and understand things a lot better. They just don’t have layers trying to hide from the world we’ve created. They’re good with feeling emotions.”
Stressing the importance of preserving the inner child within us, she wraps up by saying, “We all try! We try to bring out something beautiful. The best part about growing up is trying to keep the child in you alive. That’s the toughest part, but also the fun part. I think the child in you should always be there.”
