Jagamae Sangeetham
Cast: Prakash Raj, Srikanth Meka, Madhubala, Akshay Lagusani, Sushmita Shetty
Director: Palnati Surya Pratap
Rating: ★★.5
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
I want to mention straight off the bat that I haven’t watched the famed Bandish Bandits that everyone raved about when it was released. So I watched the eight episodes of its Telugu remake, Jagamae Sangeetham, with no baggage or hope that it would live up to its potential. The web series managed to hook me, bore me, move me, and dissuade me all within a few hours. While it has its heart in the right place, the web series needed some oomph to make it work.
Jagamae Sangeetham story
The story of Jagamae Sangeetham is quite simple and set in Vaikuntapuram. There’s the young and optimistic Balu (Akshay Lagusani), who wants to live up to his grandfather, Carnatic legend Shastri (Prakash Raj), and be a worthy successor. Pallavi (Sushmita Shetty) is the opposite kind of musician. While Balu is trained in the purity of tune, Pallavi resorts to auto-tune to ensure she goes viral. When Thyagaraju (Srikanth Meka) turns up to challenge his ageing grandfather to a jugalbandhi, an already overwhelmed Balu begins to feel the weight of protecting his family’s honour.
Jagamae Sangeetham review
If Bandish Bandits was all about Hindustani classical, Jagamae Sangeetham taps into the rich art form of Carnatic. Shastri is so stringent in its practice that he does not wish to ‘cheapen’ it with commercialism. His sons try their best to hide the nitty-gritty of economics from him, so he can continue living in his bubble. Balu, who has grown up in a modern world, finds himself torn between honouring his grandfather and falling in love, both with a woman who comes from a different school of music, and Carnatic fusion.
What works in Jagamae Sangeetham
The web series reminded me of a scene from K Viswanath’s Sankarabharanam (1980), in which Shankara Sastry (Somayajulu) is woken up by a group playing contemporary music. When they mock him for being an ‘old school’ singer, not only does he one-up them at their own game, but also schools them on how music is divine, be it Western or Indian. Jagamae Sangeetham seems to embody that in spirit, even if Balu fights against all his might to sing a falsetto when needed, a blasphemy in his world. For all the purity Shastri fights for in his art, he’s also proven to be anything but that when it comes to being human.
{{/usCountry}}The web series reminded me of a scene from K Viswanath’s Sankarabharanam (1980), in which Shankara Sastry (Somayajulu) is woken up by a group playing contemporary music. When they mock him for being an ‘old school’ singer, not only does he one-up them at their own game, but also schools them on how music is divine, be it Western or Indian. Jagamae Sangeetham seems to embody that in spirit, even if Balu fights against all his might to sing a falsetto when needed, a blasphemy in his world. For all the purity Shastri fights for in his art, he’s also proven to be anything but that when it comes to being human.
{{/usCountry}}As the series unravels, you soon learn that there’s much more to Balu’s family than meets the eye. His mother (Madhubala) often serves food to the men of the family at the table and then sits on the floor to eat by herself much later. She is often seen by her father-in-law’s side, but there seems to be a distance between them that takes time to bridge. Her character is later lauded for putting up with Shastri’s patriarchy and ego, which seems an awful message to send. But it’s hard not to be moved by her familiar story. Pallavi also starts off as a character with little self-realisation but ends up wanting to better herself.
What doesn’t work in Jagamae Sangeetham
Jagamae Sangeetham doesn’t fully kick into motion till Thyagaraju enters the fold and the layers are peeled back one by one. By then, Balu and Pallavi’s struggle to make a viral hit, and him wishing to maintain anonymity for the sake of his family’s honour, begin to feel silly. The series ends with Shastri somewhat learning the error of his ways, but Balu is right where he started – wanting to please his grandfather, family, and girlfriend. He’s stretched so thin at one point, but it feels like he can’t help himself.
A lot of the series hinges on Vishal Chandrashekhar’s music, given its theme. But it doesn’t always have the intended impact. Shastri’s pièce de résistance music is good, but feels awfully familiar. There’s little that moves you as the story makes headway, even if the stakes keep getting higher. You understand there’s only one way for this series to end, so the final jugalbandi, while entertaining, isn’t really surprising. Characters also make some odd choices despite the high stakes and the risk of being publicly called out, which seems juvenile.
In conclusion
Telugu cinema has a legacy of beautiful films centred around classical arts, such as Ananda Bhairavi (1983), Sagara Sangamam (1983), Sirivennela (1986), Rudraveena (1988), Swarnakamalam (1988), and more. So the story Jagamae Sangeetham attempts, while heartfelt, pales in comparison. The flair and style with which these stories were told in the 80s seem to be missing in 2026. This coming-of-age story needed stronger writing and more gravitas to work as intended.
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