In December, Shriya Saran had told mid-day that her next, Music School, included three songs from The Sound Of Music (When Do re mi becomes sa re ga, Dec 13). First-time director Paparao Biyyala says that when he was conceptualizing the drama, starring Sharman Joshi, Saran and Prakash Raj, he was looking for a fitting musical to draw inspiration from. He found his answer in the famed 1959 Broadway musical, and acquired the rights to the play’s music.

“I watch a lot of musicals when I am in London or New York. I felt that The Sound Of Music is one of the most loved musicals of all times, and caters to our main demographic — the kids. So, I have interwoven its three songs in Music School, aptly modifying them to suit the sensibilities of the Indian audience,” Biyyala shares.

Ilaiyaraaja, who has composed the film’s album, also recreated The Sound of Music songs — Do Re Mi, So Long Farewell, and Sixteen Going On Seventeen.

The director says, “As we drew inspiration for our music from the legendary Broadway play, it involved a huge risk. I was scared of making the wrong choice. However, Ilaiyaraaja made the process simpler with his brilliance and experience.”

In 1965, the Broadway musical was adapted into the Julie Andrews-led film of the same name.

Haven’t we all watched the classic, 'The Sound Of Music' (1965), humming with Julie Andrews to Do re mi and My favourite things? Shriya Saran, a die-hard fan of the musical, is one of us in that regard. Which is why her 2023 summer release, 'Music School', took her back to her childhood days. In a unique move, the Papa Rao Biyyala-directed venture features three evergreen songs from 'The Sound Of Music — Do Re Mi', 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen', and 'My Favourite Things'. Before the film went on floors in Goa in 2021, the ditties were orchestrated by the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the project.

Saran, who plays a music teacher in the drama that also stars Sharman Joshi, says it’s a dream come true to relive the Hollywood gem through its iconic songs. “It was the first film I ever watched. I was very young at that time, and watched it several times on the VCR,” she recalls. “The director [Biyyala] took the script to the makers of 'The Sound Of Music'. They loved it and gave the rights to use the songs. Since the film’s release, its songs have never played in any [other] movie. So, to use them in our film after 57 years [since its release] is a privilege.”

Music School has been shot largely in Hindi, and will also be released in Tamil and Telugu. The drama examines how the Indian education system and parents pressure children to devote long hours to studies so that they can go on to pursue profitable careers, thus denying them their childhood. In the film, the students are seen enacting The Sound Of Music as a play, thus making way for the songs.

Meanwhile, the movie’s original soundtrack and background score have been composed by music maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The director was well aware that the music would be keenly awaited after the incorporation of the Hollywood songs, and hence, ensured that the background score was recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra under the supervision of Ilaiyaraaja.