No Ilaiyaraaja, No Problem: Dacoit Trailer Works on Its Own

From Malayalam blockbuster film Manjummel Boys to Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie, these films have remixed or directly used at least one song of veteran composer Ilayaraja, to give a different kick to fans. But a Telugu film is proving that not all the time you need an Ilayaraja song to do magic.

The recently released trailer of Adivi Sesh’s Dacoit has caught the attention of everyone for one reason: it doesn’t rely on Ilayaraja's song, but Nagarjuna’s very famous Kannepettaro Kannukottaro song, composed by Raj-Koti back in the 90s. Throughout the trailer, it has been effective in building mood and anticipation.

In recent years, a trend has emerged in which big-budget films actively utilize iconic songs by the legendary composer Ilayaraja to enhance nostalgia and emotional connection. However, the composer resorted to filing copyright cases, thus worrying the makers. For using Ilaiyaraja’s songs in movies like Good Bad Ugly, Telugu producer Mythri Movie Makers ended up paying more than a crore, as an off-court settlement.

At this juncture, Dacoit steered clear of Ilaiyarajaa’s music, as producer Supriya of Annapurna Studios is said to have suggested using her uncle Nagarjuna’s Kannepettaro song’s remix version. That would not only reduce the cost but also make sure that the film will have its Annapurna Studios touch as well.

With the energy given by Dacoit, surely other filmmakers might also end up using many Telugu vintage songs, composed by Telugu music directors.