Exclusive | Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy on the inspiration behind Bengaluru's Suprabhata: 'No household was complete without that'

The iconic prayer, which is widely listened to and adored in MS Subbalakshmi's inimitable voice, is lent a quirky, modernized touch by team Aachar & Co.

A still from 'Aachar & Co'

It is evident that Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy is out to explore something very distinct with her debut feature Aachar & Co. The trailer of the film, which came out a few days ago, reveals that a very specific time and charm of the yesteryear Bengaluru is a huge element of its ethos, and Sindhu and her team have painstaking efforts to recreate that period.

What's also evident is that, aside from the production design, the costumes and other aspects, the makers have also ensured that the film brims with quirks and the quintessence of those times. One such attempt to beckon the 1960s and rekindle the city's old charm in the audience is the track Bengaluru's Suprabhata. As the name suggests, the song derives its essence from the Suprabhatam, the prayer that many associate with the crack of dawn through MS Subbalakshmi's inimitable voice. But music composer Bindhumalini, Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy and team Aachar & Co. lend a modernized touch and imbue the prayer with a sense of fun and cheer.

When asked about the idea behind 'remixing' the Suprabhatam, Sindhu says, "I wouldn't call it a remix but, yes, we have changed the lyrics. So, when we were introducing the characters and the world of '60s Bengaluru and [it occurred to us] that the city back then only had a radio. And the only song that'd play every day at 5 or 6 am was MS Subbalakshmi's Suprabhata. No household was complete without that, so we were like we have to do the Suprabhata. Also, not many people are aware of it outside of the South Indian communities so we thought about what more we could do with it. Since I wanted to introduce the world of the '60s Bengaluru, Suprabhata felt like the best way to do it. Hence, the song's called 'Bengaluru's Suprabhata'."

Bengaluru's Suprabhata has been arranged by Bindhumalini with Trilok Trivikrama penning the lyrics of the new version and Rama Mani lending her vocals.

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