Suresh Krishna is one director who always manages to get the best out of his music directors. He knows the pulse of the audience and also understands what suits his heroes.
S A Rajkumar on the other hand can be a bit constricted in his range. But he has a wonderful track record. So the combination of the two arouses a lot of intriguing thoughts. Asthram is a full-fledged masala movie with the stress on mass entertainment. So the genre of the songs is understandable.
1) Muddu Muddu
S A Rajkumar reaches for the jugular right at the start. It is an out and out mass song. The beats never stop. The percussions are flogged for life. Anuradha Sriram, an expert in such numbers, and Tippu, who seems good only in such numbers, are full of zest and zeal. The lyrics are typical to such numbers. You can almost imagine the fans dancing in the aisle to the orgiastic rhythms.
2) Padahare
Seems a khawali of sorts. The mushaira feel inescapable. Roshini and Shreya Ghoshal sing in shrill, silvery voices. The bi-lingual lyrics --Hindi and Telugu --- get an beautiful resonance in their dulcet tones. The tune, almost a time-tested one, runs through its predictable course. But khawalis always have a quaint attraction. And it is there here too. But the instrumentation could have been more imaginative.
3) Sakhiya
Just the first word of the song would be enough for you to place it in its context. The number starts hauntingly soft, but picks up energy through some typical beats and heavy orchestration. Karunya, the new kid on the block, and Shivani sing with usual energy and enthusiasm. Again, the use of instruments could have been more ingenious.
4) Undipo Nesthama
It is a simple melody whose value gets accentuated in the voice of Chitra. Rajkumar doesn't complicate it with overdose of instruments or structure. He lets the simple elegance of the tune take over. That is what salvages the number. Mention should also be made about Rajesh, who sings in the vein of SPB. He looks very promising.
5) Prema Kanna
The alap, at the start, is soul-lifting. The swara pattern also exudes promise. But when the heavy beats arrive, the song seems to lose its innocence, so to say. The interludes are a mixed bag really --- good in parts. Rajesh renders the number with refreshing energy. In a sense, taken in isolation, the number is worth a hear. But the feeling of deja vu is the worrying aspect.
6) Raa Chilaka
Shankar Mahadevan is always full of gusto and ebullience. Sujatha is the right counterfoil to his energy. She is sweet and swift. They combine with easy elegance. The mass number gives what you want --- plenty of moments to jive. But is a song's purpose just that?
On the whole, S A Rajkumar seems to have played well within himself, and he has given something that he always does.