The first song that made Ram Charan’s film Peddi popular is actually “Chikiri.”
The track topped several music charts and quickly became a social media sensation, with many users creating reels using the song. However, very few people seem to know the face behind the lyrics.
The song was written by lyricist Balaji, who has also penned a few popular tracks in the past.
Balaji previously wrote songs like “Emandoi Nani Garu Cheppandoi Chinni Garu” from MCA, “Girra Girra Girra” from F2, “Seetimaar” from Duvvada Jagannadham, and “Uppenantha” from Arya 2.
Despite having such well-known songs to his credit, he still hasn’t received much publicity from filmmakers, even after delivering a chartbuster like “Chikiri.”
Meanwhile, lyricist Anantha Sriram wrote another song from the film, “Rai Rai Rara,” which released after “Chikiri.” Yet he has been getting the spotlight, appearing in interviews across various media platforms to promote the film and the music.
This difference in recognition has sparked discussion among some members of the writers’ association. Many hope that Balaji will also receive due credit for writing such a massive hit.
One writer commented, “No filmmaker gives free publicity to an unknown face, even if they deliver the best. But every filmmaker makes use of a popular face. Anantha Sriram is a popular name, while Balaji is not. That’s the reality.”
However, this also raises another question. How can someone become popular if they are never given a platform? It remains to be seen how the makers, including director Buchi Babu, respond to this debate.