As long as you don’t let success get to your head, you are not bothered by the outcome,” says composer Devi Sri Prasad, also known as DSP, who is pleased with the reception of his music for Pushpa 2: The Rule. However, he is also aware that a section of listeners has criticized the tracks on social media, especially targeting the dance number Kissik, featuring actors Allu Arjun and Sreeleela. Some dismissed it, claiming that Oo Antava, starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, from Pushpa: The Rise (2021), was better.

Ask about it, and DSP responds, “I was prepared for the comparisons. We make hundreds of romantic songs and each one’s different. But in case of item songs, the new one is always compared to the previous one, especially when it is a franchise film. However, this time, I felt Kissik would pick up later, whereas Oo Antava did it quickly. The latter addressed the male gaze, whereas Kissik underlined the misuse of a girl’s photo.”

The Hindi version of the lyrics also faced backlash: “Sometimes, we go with similar-sounding words to make the song interesting. Maybe that’s what happened with Kissik. We just wanted to retain the original song’s lyrics’ feel.”