Vijay Prakash steps out solo with Aardugula Bulletu
When Vijay Prakash speaks about music, he doesn’t speak in milestones — he speaks in moments. And on January 24, one such moment is set to unfold in Hyderabad, as the celebrated vocalist brings his first-ever solo concert, Aardugula Bulletu to the city at Quake Arena, curated by Noizz Entertainment.
“This is actually my first solo concert in Hyderabad,” Vijay Prakash begins, the excitement unmistakable in his voice, and continues, “I’ve performed here many times before, but this is the first time I’m coming with my own solo show, and I’m super excited.”
While Hyderabad audiences have seen him share the stage with legends — from Ilaiyaraaja to AR Rahman — this concert marks a personal turning point. “In the past, I’ve done many events with maestros — Rahman sir, Ilaiyaraaja sir — all the legends. But this time, it’s just me, my music, and the audience. People have been asking me for a long time, ‘When are you doing your solo show?’ I think finally the time has come,” he says.
Looking back at his journey, Vijay Prakash is keenly aware of how deeply his songs have travelled into people’s lives — across languages, regions and generations. From Telugu chartbusters like Hello Rammante (Orange), Hosanna (Ye Maaya Chesave), Aaradugula Bullet (Attarintiki Daredi), Ide Edo Bagundi (Mirchi) to Tamil favourites such as Hosanna (Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa), Om Shivoham (Naan Kadavul), Yaarumilla (Kaaviya Thalaivan) and Udhungada Sangu (Velaiyilla Pattathari), each song carries a life of its own. Add to that Kannada gems like Nannede Sruthiyalli (Godfather), Ninthe Ninthe (Ninnindale), Salaam Rocky Bhai (KGF Chapter 1) and Hindi anthems such as Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire) or Kandhon Se Milte Hain Kandhe (Lakshya), Drishyam 2 title track and the scale of his musical footprint becomes impossible to ignore. “Every song has become a favourite for someone and that’s a beautiful thing,” he reflects.
What makes Hyderabad especially meaningful for him is the city’s evolving live music culture. “In the last four or five years, the live scene here has really gone to another level. Bands across genres — film, non-film, semi-classical, fusion — are performing, and audiences support all kinds of music, in all languages,” he observes.
True to that spirit, the concert will not be a predictable greatest-hits set. He further reveals, “I want to bring in a rap element to an existing song, or add a classical layer to another. Hyderabad audiences love that kind of collaboration.”
Backed by a seasoned ensemble — Arun Kumar on drums, Advait Patnaik on lead guitar, Aravind on keys, Brutva on bass, Praveen on percussion and Sandeep on saxophone — the show is designed to be richly musical and interactive. “This collaboration is going to be very musical, and I’m really excited about it,” he notes.
When it comes to his Telugu repertoire alone, the singer admits there’s no shortage of material. “If I look at my own Telugu songs, there are so many,” he states, pointing to Hosanna, Hello Ramante, Come to the Party, Aaradugula Bullet and Ide Edho Bagundhi, adding, “Some songs I’ll present just the way they are. Some I’ll experiment with. This is not just me performing. The audience will sing with me, jam with me. And contribute musically. It’s going to be a collaboration.”
Performing iconic songs live, he believes, never loses its charm. In fact, it deepens with time: “The beauty of music is that as songs grow old, they become younger. Jai Ho still sounds so fresh to me. Hosanna still feels new every time I sing it. Songs open new layers as they age — they surprise you as a performer and as a listener.”
Much of his artistic grounding, he acknowledges, comes from his long association with AR Rahman. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned from Rahman sir is focus. Once you identify your purpose in life, your focus towards that purpose has to be absolute. His only focus has always been music. Everything else is secondary,” he fanatically enthuses.
Versatility — often cited as his signature strength — is something he credits to strong foundations. “Carnatic training gave me that base. If your foundation is strong, you can build anything on top of it,” he explains. Live concerts, however, remain the most intimate expression of his music: “In a live performance, there’s no recording, no uploading, no streaming. You’re directly in touch with the audience, in real time. People love an artist when you’re just yourself. I go on stage, surrender to the audience, and the magic happens.”
That magic is most visible when audiences sing back to him. “When people know your songs by heart, it’s overwhelming. It’s gratitude. It’s a blessing. When they sing, it means their heart has accepted the song,” he concludes.