Hyderabad captured in a song

Apart from slick shots of the city’s well-known heritage structures like the Mecca Masjid and Arts College in Osmania University, the video has drone shots of roads, traffic and neighbourhoods.
The video of the song, shot across landmarks in Hyderabad takes one through a visual journey of this city
The video of the song, shot across landmarks in Hyderabad takes one through a visual journey of this city

HYDERABAD:  Amid the clamour of defining the culture of Hyderabad in the run-up to the GHMC elections, a song called 'Mana Nagaram Hyderabad' celebrates the syncretic fibre of the city. Sung by Rahul Spligunj of Big Boss fame, the song captures the multi-hued spirit of the city. 

The video of the song, shot across landmarks in the city including Durgam Cheruvu Bridge and Moazzam Jahi Market, takes one through a visual journey of this city which is modern, but has not forgotten its roots.’

“We had started working on an anthem for Hyderabad in 2017, but the project was put on the back burner for various reasons. When the GHMC elections heated up and the city started making headlines, we thought that it is a good time to release the song.

When I narrated the concept to Kamran, the music director, he came up with a catchy tune. Kasarla Shyam then penned the lyrics. We chose Rahul to sing the song as he has played a big role in popularising Telangana slang and music among the public,” said Dulam Satyanarayana, who has directed the song. 
The song, released six days ago, has garnered 36,000 views on YouTube.

When asked what describes Hyderabad best, the director said: “KT Rama Rao, the MAUD minister, said that this city has ‘old world sound with new world modernity’, and I agree with him. Hyderabad is a cosmopolitan city in which a person from any corner of the country can make a home. The city embraces everyone with its warmth and hospitality. It has a rich, chequered history and a thriving IT industry.

The city keeps evolving without losing its distinct identity.” In the past, Dulam was commissioned to make short films for the government of Telangana in various departments like tourism, culture, IT, Panchayati Raj, industries, I&PR and forest. His most successful promotional film, ‘Welcome to Telangana’, was awarded the Best Tourism Film at Portugal in 2016 for promoting film tourism locations in India.

Apart from slick shots of the city’s well-known heritage structures like the Mecca Masjid and Arts College in Osmania University, the video has drone shots of roads, traffic and neighbourhoods.

"We wanted the video to have an urban, trendy look. We have included Hyderabad’s old world glamour along its fast-paced, hi-tech  modernity,” said the filmmaker. 

The director’s last venture was a two-minute video on the lockdown in the city also had made news and garnered lakhs of views on social media.  

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