Ram Pothineni seems to be taking a different route for his self-directed film RAPO 23. While there is still no clarity about the heroine, he appears to be making very specific choices when it comes to technicians.
First, he brought in Tirru as cinematographer, which clearly shows he wants the film to look visually rich and stylish. He has roped in Peter Hein for some grand action scenes and has now officially brought in Sam CS as the music director.
It is definitely not the most predictable choice for a commercial film.
Sam CS first grabbed attention with Kaithi, where his background score became a highlight. In Tamil, he has built a strong reputation for his BGM work. That is one reason why the Pushpa 2 team reportedly brought him in for background score support.
But when it comes to Telugu, his track record is not that convincing.
Sam has worked on films like Rama Rao On Duty, Mosagallu, NOTA, Michael, Dilruba, Jack, and a few others, but his music has not really left a strong mark among Telugu audiences. More importantly, he still does not have a chartbuster album or a thumping BGM-heavy Telugu blockbuster that can instantly build confidence among Ram fans.
That is why Ram Pothineni’s decision feels both interesting and doubtful at the same time.
This is not the first time Ram has tried something unconventional with music. Even for his previous film Andhra King Taluka, he went with the Vivek-Mervin duo instead of a more regular commercial choice. The songs got a decent response, but they did not turn into the kind of chartbusters that could significantly lift the film’s buzz.
Now, with Sam CS, Ram is again going with a composer who has talent and a strong reputation in certain genres, but not necessarily a proven Telugu commercial success record. Ram seems willing to sacrifice commercially safe musical choices for a certain creative instinct, and that instinct hasn’t fully paid off yet.
Of course, sometimes these are the combinations that surprise everyone. If Ram is making a darker, more mood-driven action film and wants an edgy soundscape rather than routine mass songs, Sam CS could actually be a smart pick. But if the film still needs the music to do heavy promotional lifting through chartbuster songs that create instant pre-release hype, then this choice becomes far riskier.
So, for now, Sam CS is definitely a different choice for RAPO 23. But whether it turns out to be an inspired move or a doubtful experiment is something only the music can answer.
