【コラム】 Vijaya Anandと『Dance Raja Dance』 — カーニバルとしての南インド映画音楽

Column en 80s Cinema Disco Film

02 Nov 2025

【コラム】 Vijaya Anandと『Dance Raja Dance』 — カーニバルとしての南インド映画音楽

Prologue: The beat revolution of South India in the late 1980s

Text: mmr

Theme: At the end of the 1980s, urban culture in southern India exploded with disco.Vijaya Anand’s ‘Dance Raja Dance’ is about the sound and visual carnival of Karnataka.

In the late 1980s, the Indian film industry was in the midst of change.Mumbai’s Hindi cinema (Bollywood) was at a turning point before A.R. Rehman, and a new sound was needed.Meanwhile, in the Kannada film industry (Sandalwood), Vijaya Anand was experimenting with pioneering musical innovations.

Released in 1987, Dance Raja Dance was more than just an entertaining film.It was the intersection of South Indian sensibilities and global disco culture, and was the “sound of the future” for young people in regional cities.

Chapter 1: The phenomenon of Vijaya Anand

Vijaya Anand (real name: S. V. Krishna Reddy) started his career as a film music composer in the early 1980s.Although he was under the influence of Ilaiyaraaja, who was an overwhelming presence at the time, he stood out in that he aimed for a more urban/electronic sound.

The characteristics of his music can be summarized in the following three points:

Introduction to Western Disco — Synth bassline inspired by the rhythmic structure of Giorgio Moroder and Van McCoy.
Fusion with traditional Indian scales — Reconstructing Karnataka music raga on 4/4 beat.
Integration with cinematic production — The music was not just an insert song, but functioned as the ``engine’’ of the production.

``Dance Raja Dance’’ is the most sophisticated crystallization of these elements.

Chapter 2: The incident called “Dance Raja Dance” (1987)

The film was the culmination of a musical-action-romance that brought together the stars of the time: director D. Rajendra Babu, lead actor Vishnuvardhan, and actress Khushbu.

Story summary

A young man named Raja (Vishnuvardhan) lives as a dancer in a downtown area, but gains national popularity after participating in a television dance contest.After going through betrayal, love, and family secrets, they finally express their ``own roots’’ through dance, a moving story.

The plot is simple, but what is noteworthy is the integration of the production and music.The title song ``Dance Raja Dance’’ is said to be the first song in Indian film history to combine electronic drums and Kannada rap.

Chapter 3: “Disco” phenomenon in India in the 1980s

After the success of Disco Dancer'' (1982, Hindi) andIlamai Oonjal Aadukirathu’’ (1978, Tamil), disco culture spread throughout India as a symbol of ``dance = freedom.’’

In South India, this trend took on a unique variation.While Mumbai’s discotheques depicted an urban dream'', **discotheques in Kannada films were an expression ofregional pride’‘**.

Vijaya Anand’s music bridges rural and urban rhythms by fusing electronics with folk percussion instruments (thaviru, dhol, nadaswaram). This “hybridity” is the core of South Indian music.

Chapter 4: Video production and dance choreography

The dance scenes in ``Dance Raja Dance’’ were so ingenious that they exceeded the limits of Indian film technology at the time.Making full use of lighting, smoke, and mirror effects, a video art composition that looks like it’s aimed at the MTV generation is developed.

The choreographer was Mugur Sundar (later the father of famous dance master Prabhu Deva), who was up-and-coming at the time. While he referenced steps from Hollywood movies, he boldly mixed in elements of Bharatanatyam hand gestures (mudras) and folk dance. This “South Indian MTV feel” was later inherited by A.R. Rehman and Harris Jayaraj.

In the late 1980s, southern India was undergoing a period of expansion of television culture, along with a wave of urbanization. It was a time when the state-run broadcaster Doordarshan opened up to commercial broadcasting, and young people from rural areas dreamed of becoming stars.

The setting in which the main character of Dance Raja Dance'', Raja, becomes famous through a TV show truly symbolizes the germination of neoliberal values. Overcoming the constraints of work, class, and family and achieving success through talent and hard work—this can be called theIndian version of the American Dream.’’

Chapter 6: Soundtrack Analysis

Song title	Singer	Features	Notes
Dance Raja Dance	S.P. Balasubrahmanyam	Electronic drum + folk rhythm	Opening theme
Prema Prema	S. Janaki	Synth pad + raga melody	Romantic scene
Ninna Preetige	Mano, Vani Jairam	Call and Response Structure	Used in Contest Situations
Finale Medley	Various	Reprise composition of all songs	Dance final scene

It has been confirmed that these songs were created using cutting-edge equipment at the time, such as FM synth (Yamaha DX7) and Roland TR-707. In particular, the rising brass synth sound heard in the intro of ``Dance Raja Dance’’ reminds me of the textures of Moroder and Depeche Mode.

Chapter Seven: Legacy of Vijaya Anand

Vijaya Anand has composed scores for many films since the 1990s, but few have been as innovative as Dance Raja Dance. However, his music gave younger music directors the perspective of ``film as a testing ground for popular music.’’

A.R. Rehman’s early works Roja (1992) and the foundations of urban soundtracks such as Gentleman (1993) are clearly an extension of the experiments of Vijaya Anand and Bappi Lahiri.

Chapter 8: Cultural Impact and Reappraisal

In the 21st century, ``Dance Raja Dance’’ is being reevaluated through YouTube and Spotify. The images and music of that time are not “kitsch” but are being reinterpreted as South Indian Futurism.

For young Kannada-speaking people, this is not just nostalgia, but a starting point for cultural self-expression that moves from the local to the global.

Chronology: Vijaya Anand and trends in South Indian music

timeline title Vijaya Anand and the history of South Indian film music 1982 : Ilaiyaraaja ushered in a golden age of South Indian music with 'Moondram Pirai' 1984 : Vijaya Anand, composer debut 1987 : “Dance Raja Dance” released 1989: Electronic sound became popular in Kannada films, and MTV-style visual production expanded. 1992: International success with A.R. Rehman's "Roja" 2000 : Re-release of Vijay Anand's works, remix edition released 2020: “Dance Raja Dance” is rediscovered by young people on YouTube

Background of the times

Mid-1980s: Expansion of youth culture in urban areas of southern India, popularization of television and video, influence of disco/club music
Kannada/Bangalore area: budding IT industry development, accelerating urbanization speed
Film industry: Innovation in production technology and production methods, signs of globalization of music, choreography, and video production
Music: Introduction of synthesizers/drum machines/electronic sound, increasing number of songs aimed at young people

Conclusion: The beat blew from the south

When Dance Raja Dance'' was created in 1987, India had not yet experienced economic liberalization. However, thebreath of liberation’’ was already resounding within the rhythm of music and dance.

Vijaya Anand’s achievement lies in the use of music as a harbinger of social change. His disco beats were not just entertainment, but a declaration for South India to dance its own cultural future.

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Column en 80s Cinema Disco Film