A who’s who of India’s top artists pep up the powerful epic

Tales of devotion and sacrifice lie at the heart of Telugu mythological epic Kannappa. The film charts a spiritual journey, so it’s only fitting that its soundtrack by South Indian composer Stephen Devassy unravels the lore and divinity with rhythmic grandeur. Roomy drums underscore “Sri-Kala-Hasti”, while “Om Namah Shivaya”—featuring inimitable singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan—marries folk and dance with high emotion. Clans are introduced and stories of love and war unfold across the record’s 19 tracks as Devassy stirs the mood with powerfully dramatic odes like “Ye Devudu Kanaledhura”.