As the release date of Avengers: Endgame — April 26 — draws closer, excitement surrounding the film has hit fever pitch. Directed by the Russo brothers, the film, featuring an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson and Jeremy Renner, is the culmination of 11 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films.
The action-adventure fantasy is being dubbed into Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, and has now become more special for Telugu fans, as Academy Award-winner AR Rahman has composed, sung and produced an anthem for the franchise. The Telugu version, written by lyricist Rakendu Mouli, was released by actor Rana Daggubati on Monday in Hyderabad. The all-new anthem is a fitting tribute to Avengers: Endgame and offers glimpses on how the superheroes have come together to protect the universe from Thanos, and avenge their fallen friends from Infinity War.
AR Rahman revealed that he was under tremendous pressure to compose this song. “It was not easy to sing and compose such songs, and one should always be prepared to receive criticism. It was challenging to come with something really unique and appropriate for a franchise like Avengers that’s as popular,” he said. “However, I have followed my instincts, and I did this for my son (AR Ameen) and my nephew (GV Prakash), who are big fans of the Marvel franchise. I was worried about Joe Russo’s feedback, but thankfully, he liked it very much and is keen to have the song dubbed into Chinese and Japanese as well. The Hindi and Tamil versions have become a rage, and have raked up as many as 20 million YouTube views together. I hope the Telugu version gets similar reception,” he added.
Rahman confessed that he found it particularly difficult to handle the Telugu version of the Marvel anthem. “It was not easy at all. I found it quite difficult to pronounce some of the words. I have to thank Rakendu Mouli for simplifying things for my benefit,” said Rahman. Asked about his favourite characters from the universe, he replied, “Iron Man and Black Panther. I am fascinated by how their characters have been conceived.”Rana Daggubati, who has been chosen as the voice artiste for Thanos, said, “From ten years back, when Marvel started its series with Iron Man, I have been watching all their films.
It feels great to be a part of this project. Thanos has become my favourite character in the franchise and I enjoyed dubbing for him,” he said. “If I were to play a role in Avengers, it would have to be Thanos. I’m confident that the Avengers: Endgame is going to be really special and will be a bigger hit than Infinity War.”
Bikram Duggal, Head-Studios, Marvel India, thanked fans for showering love on the franchise. “It’s the 22nd film from MCU. Our last release, Captain Marvel, the first female superhero film, has been received well by audiences,” he said. “One of the reasons MCU has turned out to be so successful is because of its universal themes of heroism, friendship, and the battle of good and evil. We have taken great care in transcribing these films into local Indian languages.” He shared that close to half of all footfalls for Avengers: Infinity War came for dubbed versions. “I think it speaks volumes about how fans enjoy these films in their respective languages. We have hired the best writers in the industry. While AR Murugadoss has written the dialogues for the Tamil version, the Telugu version has been written by director Radha Krishna (Jil fame).”
He also recognised that the final film is an ‘emotional experience for the fans’. “The anthem composed by Rahman stands testament to the love for this franchise in our country. Our film has become closer to Indian audiences, ever since Rahman joined hands with us.”