Telugu, Rhythm and Rap

Lyricist and indie musician, Pranav Chaganty is steering local music into a new era. His recent track ‘Rage of Kaantha’ from the film Kaantha, is already winning hearts, while his socio-politically charged creations continue to showcase power and beauty of experimental scores

xTurning the rhythm of his mother tongue into rap, Pranav Chaganty, better known as ‘Abhinavakavi,’ is taking Telugu from the pages of poetry books to the beats of hip-hop, transforming classical verses into rap flows, indie tracks and viral Instagram reels. He’s proving that Telugu isn’t just a language — it is rhythm and music, and it’s alive. “Telugu has all the qualities a language needs for rap: rhythm, sweetness and meaning,” he says. His latest release, Rage of Kaantha signals that this is more than music — it