Alumni of JNU, producer-director and lyricist of Music School host a special screening at their former alma mater

IAS turned filmmaker Paparao Biyyala returned to his alma mater Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi to arrange a special screening of his debut film Music School alongwith his fellow JNU batchmate Dr. Sagar, who is also one of the lyricists for the film.

On 8th May 2023, producer and director of the multi-lingual Ilaiyaraaja musical Music School hosted a special screening at the Convention Centre of JNU for the students and faculty of the university, before the release of the film in theatres on 12th May 2023.

Receiving a roaring response from the audience with standing ovations and rounds of applause, the screening not only witnessed audience from JNU but students and teachers from Noida, Gurgaon and other parts including Delhi University attended the preview of the film. In an over packed auditorium with the usual capacity of 375, the screening witnessed an attendance of over 500, wherein people lined up on the ground in aisles to watch the film.

Expressing his thoughts about the screening, Dr Sagar says, “Usually any topic around education and academics could be uninteresting and mundane, however, Paparao Biyyala has offered an entertaining approach to a serious and pivotal subject with his musical treatment to Music School. Regarded amongst the most intellectual crowds in the nation, the students of JNU are often looked up to for their profound understanding of the society and it’s issues, therefore, receiving the kind of overwhelming response to Music School felt enriching.”

A past alumni and now faculty of JNU, Sandesha Rayappa Gabriyal also offered an insight into the response to the screening, “We feel extremely honoured and special to be amongst the first ones to watch Music School, which is yet to even release. It is a good film, which is very relevant to everyone in the society in the contemporary time. The audience at the screening included students, parents and teachers who are all a segment of the society deeply connected to the story of the film, and especially engineering students in the crowd resonated with the film a lot. My elder daughter is 16, currently studying science in 12th and I personally have been actively pushing her for studies, the film just held a mirror to my face and in fact I myself hugged by two daughters after the film releasing unknowingly how much pressure we have been imposing on our kids.”

Music School is a musical narration of the sensitive and prevailing concern of academic pressure subjected to young students by the society, parents and teachers. Three out of eleven songs in the film are adapted from The Sound of Music, which were woven beautifully in to this Indian Musical.

The grandeur look of the film was captured by ace cinemotographer Kiran Deohans. The cast includes Shriya Saran, Sharman Joshi and Prakash Raj in leading roles in addition to debutant Ozu Barua and Gracy Goswamy in critical roles. Other cast comprises of Benjamin Gilani, Suhasini Mulay, Mona Ambegaonkar , Leela Samson, Bugs Bhargava, Vinay Varma, Sreekanth Iyengar, Vaquar Sheikh, Phani and many other child actors.

Presented by Yamini Films, Hyderabad, this multi-lingual film is shot in Hindi and Telugu, and dubbed in Tamil. It is releasing on 12th May 2023 by PVR in Hindi and Dil Raju in Telugu.