Peddi (soundtrack)

Peddi
Soundtrack album cover
Soundtrack album by
A. R. Rahman
Released28 May 2026
Recorded2024–2025
StudiosPanchathan Record Inn, Chennai
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length16:30
LanguageTelugu
LabelT-Series
ProducerA. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman chronology
Gandhi Talks
(2026)		 Peddi
(2026)		 Main Vaapas Aaunga
(2026)

Peddi is the soundtrack album composed by A. R. Rahman for the 2026 Telugu-language sports action drama film of the same name directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The film's stars Ram Charan in the titular role, alongside Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu and Boman Irani. The album featured four songs with lyrics written by Balaji and Anantha Sriram. The soundtrack album was released though T-Series on 28 May 2026.

Background and production

In July 2023, it was announced that A. R. Rahman would compose music for the film, in his maiden collaboration between Charan and Buchi Babu.[1][2] It also marked Rahman's return to Telugu cinema nearly a decade since Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo (2016).[3] Rahman received a renumeration of ₹8 crore (US$830,000) for working on this project.[4]

Rahman worked on three songs for the film by March 2024.[5] Buchi Babu recalled that when he visited a music sitting session in Dubai, with Rahman already performing three of the tunes, he rejected it as he felt it was not impressive. Rahman agreed to his decision and provided him more tunes thereafter.[6][7] Rahman emphasized on creating a sound that fit the world of the film, that was not only rooted in its earthy elements but also having a global appeal.[8]

While composing "Chikiri Chikiri", Buchi stated that he wanted Rahman to bring the energy and soulfulness of "Humma Humma" from Bombay (1995). The song "chikiri" (transl. lovely or beautiful woman) was inspired by the women from Buchi Babu's village.[9] The lyrics for the song was written by Balaji, initially recalled that he was supposed to write lyrics for the songs in Buchi Babu's debut Uppena (2021) that did not materialize at that time. Balaji wrote the song lyrics overnight, and mostly had a local North Andhra flavor owing to Charan's character and the linguistic setting.[10]

The rest of the songs were written by Anantha Sriram.[11] The music rights of the film were acquired by T-Series for ₹35 crore (US$3.6 million).[12]

Music videos

The song "Chikiri Chikiri", "Rai Rai Raa Raa" and "Hellallallo" was choreographed by Jani Master.[13] "Chikiri Chikiri" was filmed at Savalya Ghat, Pune.[14][15] In April 2026, Shruti Haasan was joined for a special appearance in a item number of "Hellallallo", which was filmed in Hyderabad.[16][17]

Release

The first single titled "Chikiri Chikiri" was released on 7 November 2025.[18][19] The second single titled "Rai Rai Raa Raa" was released on 2 March 2026.[20] The third single titled "Hellallallo" was released on 23 May 2026 at a launch event held in Bhopal.[21][22] The soundtrack album including four songs was released on 28 May 2026 a week prior to the film's release.[11]

Track listing

Telugu

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Chikiri Chikiri"BalajiMohit Chauhan4:33
2."Rai Rai Raa Raa"Anantha SriramA. R. Rahman4:27
3."Hellallallo"Anantha SriramRakshita Suresh3:49
4."Massa Massa"Anantha SriramVishal Mishra, Rakshita Suresh, Deepthi Suresh3:42
Total length:16:30

Tamil

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Chikiri Chikiri"VivekA. R. Ameen4:33
2."Rai Rai Raa Raa"VivekYugendran4:27
3."Hellallallo"SnehanAndrea Jeremiah, Rakshita Suresh3:49
4."Massa Massa"VivekAdithya RK3:42
Total length:16:30

Hindi

All lyrics are written by Raqueeb Alam.

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Chikiri Chikiri"Mohit Chauhan4:33
2."Rai Rai Raa Raa"Nakash Aziz4:27
3."Hellallallo"Heer3:49
4."Massa Massa"Nitish Aher3:42
Total length:16:30

Non-single album

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Peddi First Shot OST"Rakshita Suresh, Deepthi Suresh0:59
2."Peddi Pehelwan OST" 0:51
Total length:1:50

Background score

Peddi
Film score by
A. R. Rahman
Released11 July 2026
Recorded2024–2025
StudiosPanchathan Record Inn, Chennai
GenreFeature film score
Length19:48
LanguageTelugu
LabelT-Series
ProducerA. R. Rahman

The original score album was released on 11 July 2026. The album accompanied nine tracks with three songs written by Ganesh Saladi and Mittapalli Surender, and performed by Mahalingam, Sarath Santosh, Shakthisree Gopalan and late Bamba Bakya (whose vocals were generated through AI).[23]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsArtist(s)Length
1."Suri's Lament"Ganesh SaladiMahalingam1:56
2."Peddi's Rage" A. R. Rahman1:47
3."Gowri Naidu" A. R. Rahman1:52
4."Peddi Hits Back" A. R. Rahman1:14
5."Land Slide" A. R. Rahman1:58
6."Sisodiya - Sworn Enemies" A.R. Rahman1:53
7."Delhi Song"Mittapalli SurenderSarath Santosh3:43
8."Peddi's Triumph" A.R. Rahman3:26
9."Peddi's Lullaby"Mittapalli SurenderShakthisree Gopalan, Bamba Bakya1:59
Total length:19:48

Reception

Fenil Seta of Bollywood Hungama-based critic considered the music to be "functional" with "Chikir Chikiri" being the standout song largely due to its choreography.[24] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu described Rahman's score as one of the major technical aspects as it "shifts seamlessly from the rousing energy of the cricket matches to more emotionally resonant territory as the narrative evolves".[25] Yashaswini Sri of The Indian Express considered Rahman's music being the "the film’s most consistent technical achievement" adding that the songs were a "a departure from the kind of commercially safe music" being common in big-budget star-led films.[26] She further added that the score "does real heavy lifting in the second half, particularly from the pre-interval sequence onward, pulling several scenes toward emotional territory that the writing alone does not quite reach."[26]

Neeshita Nyayapati of Hindustan Times described it as a "stellar music" from Rahman.[27] B. V. S. Prakash of Deccan Chronicle wrote "A.R. Rahman provides some much-needed support with few numbers and background score, elevating several otherwise dull sequences".[28] T. Maruthi Acharya of India Today considered it as one of Rahman's recent best works, adding that despite the "songs [taking] time to settle, [...] the background score rarely misses a beat" and constantly strengthens the film's emotional moments.[29] Acharya further admitted that "[the] layering of themes, recurring motifs and inventive instrumentation serves as a reminder of why he remains one of cinema's most revered composers."[29] However, Sreeju Sudhakaran of Rediff.com summarized that "It was disappointing to see A R Rahman following the Ravi Basrur school of scoring, flooding scenes with loud background music whether they need it or not".[30]

Controversy

After the success of the song "Chikiri Chikiri", in November 2025, Jani shared a post with him and Rahman expressing his opportunity to work with the composer.[13] Rahman received backlash for his association with Jani, who was an accused sex offender convicted and released on conditional bail, and questioned his "hypocritical" stance for allegedly enabling Jani while pointing out on how he ended his association with his then-norm lyricist Vairamuthu following accusations of sexual assault on the latter.[13][31] As of 2026, the charges against Jani were not being closed.[32]

Following the release of "Hellallallo", many social media users criticized on how the choreography of the song being "vulgar" and objectifies women.[33] In defense, lyricist Anantha Sriram claimed that criticisms should be clear and specific rather than driven by emotions and admitted that item numbers being a "special dish" for those who enjoyed such numbers for what they are.[34]

Chart performance

Chart (2026) Peak

position

US World Albums (Billboard)[35] 35
Chart Song Peak position Ref.
India (Billboard) "Chikiri Chikiri" 5 [36]
"Rai Rai Raa Raa" 13 [37]
Asian Music Chart (OCC) "Chikiri Chikiri" 6 [38]
"Rai Rai Raa Raa" 19 [39]
"Hellallallo" 24 [40]

Personnel

Credits adapted from T-Series:[41]

  • Music composer, producer, arranger and programmer: A. R. Rahman
  • Additional programming: Prashanth Venkat, Santhosh Dhayanidhi, Suryansh, Raghav PR, Siddharth Narayanan, Srikanth Krishna
  • Music supervisor: Prashanth Venkat
  • Project manager: Karthik Sekaran
  • Studios: Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai
  • Recording engineers: Suresh Permal, Karthik Sekaran, Sathish V Saravanan, Bharath Arjunan, Sharan
  • Mixing: Nitish R Kumar, Riyasdeen Riyan, Pradeep Menon
  • Mastering: Nitish R Kumar, Pradeep Menon
  • Technical lead: Riyasdeen Riyan
  • Musicians coordinator: R Samidurai, Abdul Haiyum
Musicians
  • Guitars: Keba Jeremiah, Renin Raphael
  • Flute: Kareem Kamalakar
  • Violin: Raghavasimhan Sankaranarayanan
  • Accordion: Karthik Devaraj
  • Dilruba: Saroja
  • Sarangi: Manonmani
  • Veena: Usija Nachiyaar
  • Indian percussions: Hariprasadh
  • Strings: Sunshine Orchestra, Budapest Scoring Orchestra
  • String conductor: Jerry Vincent, Zoltan Pad
  • Budapest Orchestra Indian representative: Balasubramanian G
  • Session producer: Bálint Sapszon
  • Session engineer: Viktor Szabó, Denes Radly at Rottenblier Hall, Utica
  • Librarian: Anna Sapszo, Kati Reti
  • Ethnic strings: Subhani
  • Choral arrangement: Arjun Chandy
  • Additional rhythm: Kalyan, Kumaran Sivamani
  • Vocal supervision: Sarath Santhosh, Suryansh, Raghav PR
  • Vocal producer: Sarath Santhosh

References

  1. ↑ Srinivasan, Latha (10 July 2023). "'RC16': AR Rahman to score music for Ram Charan-Buchi Babu Sana's sports drama". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "AR Rahman to compose music for Ram Charan's 'RC 16'". The Hindu. 14 July 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "AR Rahman to compose 'rip-roaring' music for Ram Charan film, 'RC 16'". India Today. 6 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "AR Rahman charges a staggering Rs 8 crore for Ram Charan starrer 'RC16': Report". The Times of India. 22 February 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "RC 16: AR Rahman finished composing three songs for the Ram Charan starrer". The Times of India. 29 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "'Peddi' director Buchi Babu Sana reveals he rejected three AR Rahman tunes for Ram Charan starrer". The Times of India. 17 May 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 4 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Tanmayi, Bhawana (28 May 2026). "Peddi director Buchhibabu opens up on rejecting three tunes of AR Rahman and how the latter took it". Moneycontrol. Archived from the original on 23 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  8. ↑ 🎼 ISAI PUYAL X THALA 🔥| A R Rahman and Buchi Babu Sana Discuss about Peddi | Ram Charan. Vriddhi Cinemas. 2 June 2026. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ "'Peddi' song: 'Chikiri Chikri' decoded; AR Rahman and Buchi Babu Sana reveal how Ram Charan's love song was born". The Times of India. 7 November 2025. Archived from the original on 31 January 2026. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  10. ↑ Kavirayani, Suresh (4 November 2025). "'Chikiri Chikiri' lyricist Balaji: AR Rahman never puts pressure on lyricists". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Peddi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. 28 May 2026. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Ram Charan's Peddi Audio Rights Set a New Record". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 "AR Rahman faces flak for collaborating with POCSO-accused choreographer Jani Master". Cinema Express. 11 November 2025. Archived from the original on 7 December 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  14. ↑ "Ram Charan Travels To Pune, To Shoot A Grand Song Sequence For Peddi". News18. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "Janhvi Kapoor, Ram Charan Trek 45 Minutes for 'Chikiri Chikiri' Song | Filmfare.com". www.filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "Peddi: Shruti Haasan shoots with Ram Charan for a special song; her gold-clad look gets leaked sparking buzz". Bollywood Hungama. 30 April 2026. Archived from the original on 1 May 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Shruti Haasan Joins Ram Charan for Special Dance Number". Filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Peddi First Single: Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor's Song Is Titled Chikiri Chikiri". Filmfare. 4 November 2025. Archived from the original on 4 November 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "Ram Charan beats Shah Rukh Khan, Allu Arjun with Chikiri Chikiri song from Peddi; here's how". Hindustan Times. 8 November 2025. Archived from the original on 8 November 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
  20. ↑ "Ram Charan sets screen ablaze with graceful moves in 'Rai Rai Raa Raa' from Peddi". Cinema Express. 3 March 2026. Archived from the original on 10 March 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Ram Charan and AR Rahman head to Bhopal for 'Peddi' song launch event". The Times of India. 23 May 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Ram Charan-starrer Peddi's third song Hellallallo out; Janhvi Kapoor, Shruti Haasan steal the show". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  23. ↑ "Peddi (OST)". Apple Music. 11 July 2026. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  24. ↑ Seta, Fenil (4 June 2026). "Peddi: Music Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (4 June 2026). "'Peddi' movie review: Ram Charan and AR Rahman power a weakly-written sports drama". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  26. 1 2 Sri, Yashaswini (4 June 2026). "Peddi movie review: Ram Charan carries a worthy but uneven sports drama on his shoulders". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 June 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Nyayapati, Neeshita (4 June 2026). "Peddi movie review: Janhvi Kapoor feels wasted in Ram Charan film that raises important questions about identity". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Prakash, B. V. S. (4 June 2026). "Peddi Review: A Lacklustre Sports Drama Barring Shocking Climax". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 8 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  29. 1 2 Acharya, T. Maruthi (4 June 2026). "Peddi review: Ram Charan and the emotions hit sixes, the writing gets run out". India Today. Archived from the original on 9 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  30. ↑ Sudhakaran, Sreeju (4 June 2026). "Peddi Review: Ram Charan's Aura-Show In A Messy Sports Drama". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Rawal, Sugandha (11 November 2025). "AR Rahman faces backlash for working with harassment-accused Jani Master on Ram Charan's Chikiri Chikiri: 'Hypocrisy'". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 July 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "Jani Master Suspension To Be Extended, Says Anil Vallabhaneni". Deccan Chronicle. 19 August 2026. Archived from the original on 20 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  33. ↑ Tanmayi, Bhawana (26 May 2026). "Peddi song Hellallallo faces backlash, netizens call Ram Charan's dance moves 'cheap' and 'vulgar'". Moneycontrol. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Don't like item songs? Peddi lyricist says you are the 'item'". India Today. 15 June 2026. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "World Albums: Week of June 20, 2026". Billboard. 17 June 2026. Archived from the original on 9 July 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "India Songs". Billboard. 15 November 2025. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "India Songs". Billboard. 14 March 2026. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Official Asian Music Chart – 14 to 20 November". Official Charts Company. 14 November 2025. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Official Asian Music Chart – 13 to 19 March". Official Charts Company. 13 March 2026. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  40. ↑ "Official Asian Music Chart – 12 to 18 June". Official Charts Company. 12 June 2026. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  41. ↑ Peddi Telugu Audio Jukebox | Ram Charan | Janhvi Kapoor | A R Rahman | Buchi Babu Sana. T-Series Telugu. 28 May 2026. Archived from the original on 14 July 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via YouTube.
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