For Poornachandra Tejaswi, the music of The Rise of Ashoka began long before the first note was composed. “This is a film set in the 70s and 80s, and those decades have their own rhythm. The film needed music that had the scent of the soil, breathed like the people, and echoed their celebrations,” he says. The first song, ‘Mahadeva’, releasing on November 25, captures the pulse of village festivals with dollu, nagari, a chorus of voices, and subtle Western sounds. Leading the track is Kailash Kher, supported by more than fifteen theatre singers from Mysuru.The composer remarks that the multilingual approach towards the song was intentional. “We wanted the song to feel native everywhere. Sathish wrote the Kannada version, Srinivas Kalle the Telugu, and Vairamuthu Bharathi the Tamil. Each version should feel authentic to its culture,” he says. For Sathish, who also headlines the film, writing lyrics is a fresh step. “He embellished the song with simple words that carry a deep thought,” the composer adds.
Behind the music lies a story of resilience. “There was a point when the film almost stopped halfway. Budgets were low, energy was drained, and the team was uncertain. Ninasam Sathish stepped in and held the project together. He became the shoulder everyone leaned on. That is the greatness of an artist,” he reflects.
The film features nine tracks, six full songs, and three thematic pieces, all carrying “the flavour of our soil.” The audio rights were acquired by Lahari Music for a record sum, reportedly the biggest in Sathish’s career.
Now, in the final stages of production, Poornachandra says, “This story will connect with Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil audiences. And perhaps the music will take them back to a time that still lives in memory.”