Daakko Daakko Meka from Allu Arjun's Pushpa is wild and raw, but does it work as a single?

Composer Devi Sri Prasad and actor Allu Arjun have produced one chartbuster after the other whenever they've come together; the massive success of albums like Arya, Arya 2, Iddarammayiltho, Duvvada Jagannadham, Bunny, Parugu and Son of Sathyamurthy says it all. The expectations from the actor-composer combo are naturally high with the action extravaganza, Pushpa - The Rise, whose first single, Daakko Daakko Meka, had released across Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi languages today. The film is directed by Sukumar and also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Anasuya, Fahadh Faasil in pivotal roles.

Putting things in perspective, let's just caution you that Daakko Daakko isn't your quintessential DSP or Allu Arjun number. Just like the lyrics hint, Daakko Dakko Meka Pulocchi Korukuddi Peeka unfolds in a rustic ambience as if to suggest that a tiger is on the prowl. The orchestration is perfect for the setup as the composer enriches it with sounds of birds, animals and nature typical to a forest and later takes you through humans displaying animalistic behaviour. Shivam has sung the Telugu version of the number.

The song penned by Chandrabose elaborates on the perilous relationship between the hunter and the prey, discusses hunger, the idea of right and wrong with a few mythical references to Goddess Durga. These lines summarise its essence - Brathimaalithe brathuke baruvu, Kottara undadhu karuvu, Devudi-kaina dhebbe Guruvu, Thannudu chese melu... thammudu kuda seyyadu, Gudhhudu seppe paatam... Bhuddhudu kuda seppad.. (Life is a burden when you need to bow down every time, take charge and you'll forget hunger forever. A wound is a great teacher to God as well...A kick in the guts helps you more than the care of the beloved. A smack on the face teaches you better about life than Buddha's words)

While the number sheds light on the mood and the rebellious spirit of the pivotal characters in the film, the song doesn't make for a rewarding listen on the first hearing. The song has good lyrical value and its hook line Daakko Daakko may be catchy though it doesn't warrant your attention completely. It has specific metaphors, motifs that may ideally work better with situational relevance in the film but Daakko Daakko is underwhelming going by the music alone. The footage of Allu Arjun's moves from the film helps the song considerably for the lyric video version.