Hyderabad’s physician-musician Dr Bunty has composed for 100 Telugu serials

Hyderabad-based physician-musician Dr Bunty Gadicherla composes music for Telugu serials, balancing his medical practice with his passion for music. Till now he has composed for more than 100 serials

The term ‘physician-musician’ is apt for Hyderabad-based Dr Bunty Gadicherla (Dr Satyanarayana). The general physician, also a music composer and singer, has composed music for more than 100 Telugu serials, including popular serials like Ruthuragalu, Kasturi, Chakravakam and Mogali Rekaluwhich aired on Doordarshan.

Other serials he has composed for, and currently on air, include Pelli Pustakam (on Gemini) and Ravoi Chandamama (on ETV). Also, the title song for his new project, Abhinandana (on Gemini ), is sung by his sister Alakananda Jupudi.

A cheerful and pleasing personality describes Dr Bunty, an in-house doctor at KFin Technologies in Gachibowli and Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University in Masab Tank. “Podduna nenu ragaalatoh, sayantram rogaalatoh untaanu (I am with music in the morning and illness in the evening),” he says with a laugh. While his professional duties keep him busy in the mornings, he is immersed in music in the afternoon but manages to see patients at a private clinic in the evenings.

Many of his patients who know about his musical stint on television, share their favourite songs too. “I never treat my visitors as patients. They easily relate to me when I am empathetic to their health issues. I am proud to say my clinic at Venkataramana Colony in Khairatabad has been running for the past 30 years.”

At a time when the television industry is in a state of flux, maintaining success is challenging Dr Bunty attributes his achievements to the power of strong lyrics and the creative freedom provided by directors. “The directors never dictated. They would present a storyline and ask for a classical, Western or a folk tune,” he says, adding, “Tune created on lyrics, instead of lyrics being written for a tune has a longer shelf life.” Dr Bunty refers to ‘Vasantha Sameeram la’, an iconic song from Ruthuragalu written by Balabhadra Patruni Madhu.

Born into an academic family— both his paternal and maternal grandfathers are doctors — Dr Bunty was always passionate about music. With support from his parents and his aunt Manorama, he pursued dual vocations. His siblings, Dr Challa Maruthathmaja and Alakananda are also in the musical field.

While Dr Bunty composed the background score for Nagesh Kukunoor’s Hyderabad Blues, he, along with his brother composed music for movies such as Prema Sakshi Ga and Toli Parichayam. The brothers also launched Magic Mushrooms, a musical studio to create tunes for jingles, films, background score, and independent and party songs; he and his sister launch private songs through social media.