The soundtracks from Telugu actor Nani’s films come with the promise of at least one hit song. This promise has never rested on only one composer. It’s been kept by every composer he’s worked with from Ilaiyaraaja to Anirudh Ravichander.
Seventeen years, a dozen composers, every genre from folk to fury to first love, and he’s maintained his trajectory. Now The Paradise hands it back to Anirudh Ravichander, who also composed for his film Jersey, for a sound and a transformation Nani has never attempted before.
Billboard India looks back at the actor’s career and curates the ‘Nani Essentials’ playlist – the 10 songs that everyone must listen to.
1. “Aadinchi Ashta Chamma” — Ashta Chamma (2008), Kalyani Malik
Sri Krishna’s playful, bouncy vocals set the tone for its debutant leads and their sweet love story, with the breezy title track still showing up on Reels.
2. “Koti Koti” — Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu (2012), Ilaiyaraaja
A legendary name in Indian film music, on a young-love soundtrack. Karthik’s voice gave this dreamy, wistful melody its ache, and Anantha Sreeram won the Nandi Award (Andhra Pradesh’s state awards for Telugu film industry) for Best Lyricist for the song. The film runs high on emotions, aptly soundtracked by the album that accompanies it.
3. “Chali Gaali Chuudduu” — Gentleman (2016), Mani Sharmaa
Mani Sharma goes mellow and jazzy, and Haricharan, Padmalatha and Malavika keep it light and flirty, on this cool, misty-night romance track.
4. “Dhaari Choodu” — Krishnarjuna Yudham (2018), Hiphop Tamizha
The Tamil hip-hop duo handed the mic to Rayalaseema folk singer Penchal Das for this dance anthem, and his earthy voice turned it into a rustic, foot-tapping folk number.
5. “Adhento Gaani Vunnapaatuga” — Jersey (2019), Anirudh Ravichander
Anirudh composed and sang this one himself, tracing Arjun and Sara’s love story with a warm, tender melody that The Hindu named it one of the Best Telugu Songs of the Decade (2010–2019).
6. “Manasu Maree” — V (2020), Amit Trivedi
V took Nani into darker territory, but its standout song went in the opposite direction. Amit Trivedi sang this hushed, sultry romantic duet alongside Shashaa Tirupati and Yazin Nizar.
7. “Sirivennela” — Shyam Singha Roy (2021), Mickey J Meyer
A reincarnation story handed Meyer an impossible brief. He delivered an ethereal, melancholic piece that Anurag Kulkarni sang with an otherworldly ache. This song was also the last one lyricist Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry wrote.
8. “Chamkeela Angeelesi” — Dasara (2023), Santhosh Narayanan
This song has an upbeat folk-mass energy to it, and it is shot and sung like a village festival caught on camera. Ram Miriyala’s rustic voice and Dhee’s bite carry Dasara’s mood better than anything else on the album.
9. “Gaaju Bomma” — Hi Nanna (2023), Hesham Abdul Wahab
It is Hi Nanna’s gentlest, most tender track that sticks: a lullaby-like father-daughter song which composer Hesham Abdul Wahab sang himself.
10. “Aaya Sher” — The Paradise (2026), Anirudh Ravichander
In the latest work with Nani, Anirudh composed a fierce, primal track that mixed percussions and electronic layers. Telangana folk singers Addula Jangireddy and Arjun Chandy have sung it, and showcases a sound and a physical transformation nobody’s seen from Nani yet.
