Why Vijay Prakash’s old song for Puneeth Rajkumar has gone viral now

The tributes seem to be poring in for late Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar, who passed away recently. Fans still play his popular film songs, including ‘Bombe Helutauithe.’ The song was originally written by Santosh Anand for his directorial venture Rajakumara, featuring Puneeth. Composed by V Harikrishna, the song is sung by Vijay Prakash.

The lyrics seem prophetic and have become synonymous as a tribute to him. Fans across the border in Pakistan are also singing the song and posting it on their social media platforms. During the tribute for Puneeth organised by the Kannada Chalanachitra Academy, the crowd went berserk when Vijay sang this song, requesting him to perform it multiple times. Excerpts from a chat with the singer:

Your song for Puneeth was a chartbuster. It has now gone viral and the lyrics seem to speak differently to the listener today. What do you feel about this?

I have mixed feelings for the song. It was not long ago that Appu (Puneeth) and I shared the stage for this very song. In fact, we sang it together as a tribute to his father, Dr Rajkumar, who we called Annavaru. Not even in my dreams did I imagine I would be singing this song as a tribute for Appu. Obviously, it does not make me happy when I think of the unfortunate manner in which it has reached the corners of the world.

The song has become synonymous with a tribute to Puneeth …

True, it has become a tribute to Appu, who lived his life to the full in a short span of 46 years. What one man could not do in 100 years, Appu has done it all in his short life — as a philanthropist and actor. He won fame and friends across the globe, serving art and social causes. It is only now that we realise the magnitude of the good work he has done. With a heavy heart, I dedicate the song to Appu as well.

The quality of the lyrics, the composition and your voice now seem to tug at people’s heart… What has changed about the song?

The song is still the same. The ‘before and after’ aspects has changed the entire perception of the song. What has changed is that Puneeth is no longer with us. Till now, it was just a song and now, it has become a description of the life that he lived. The song has travelled across borders and has become an emotion.

A fan in Pakistan sang this song and posted it on social media as a homage to Puneeth…

Music travels irrespective of the language. It reaches and touches many people… that is the beauty of music. Thanks to the internet, a song composed in one corner of the world can reach the other corner within seconds of being released. If the song has touched this person, who has so sweetly put up his version and people connect to it, that is the power of art. I believe that musicians should use their art to unite people.