When Music Drives the Story: Palnati Surya Pratap on Bringing Carnatic Music to Prime Video’s Jagamae Sangeetham

I wanted the family dynamics, cultural nuances and musical world to come together,” Palnati Surya Pratap sheds light on Prime Video’s upcoming musical drama Jagamae Sangeetham

Palnati Surya Pratap makes his series directorial debut with Prime Video’s Jagamae Sangeetham, a musical drama rooted in the world of Carnatic music. Ahead of the series’ premiere, the filmmaker opens up about about placing music at the heart of the narrative and using it as a language through which his characters express their relationships, conflicts and aspirations..

Reflecting on his approach to the series, Palnati Surya Pratap shared, “For me, the heart of the story has always been family and the emotions that bind them together. Music becomes the language through which the relationships, conflicts and aspirations unfold. Since I have always loved Carnatic music and have studied it as well, I wanted that cultural layer to feel authentic and naturally woven into the story. Since this was my first series and a long-format project, it allowed me to explore the characters and their emotional journeys in greater depth.” 

Further elaborating on how he brought together the worlds of Carnatic music, he added, “My approach was to keep the music rooted in its tradition while ensuring that every musical moment organically served the story and the characters, rather than feeling like an interruption to the narrative. I wanted the family dynamics, cultural nuances, and musical world to come together in a way that felt genuine and relatable to Telugu audiences.”

Created and directed by Palnati Surya Pratap and produced bySushmita Konidela