The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

[app_engine]

nanRi, V_Sji!

I'll continue with another KH film (albeit "dubbed" with SPB voice) Almost 180 deg turn from NOT

[app_engine]

#235 மனசு மயங்கும் மௌன கீதம் பாடு
மன்மதக்கடலில் சிப்பிக்குள் முத்து தேடு
(சிப்பிக்குள் முத்து, 1986 , ஜானகியுடன்)

The misra chApu delight (7 beat cycle, tha-ki-ta-tha-ka-dhi-mi) from the second of the three Telugu dubbing movies I've ever seen. (Repeat from an earlier post - those three are sAgara sangamam - salangai oli, swAthi muthyam - sippikkuL muthu, geethAnjali - idhayaththaiththirudAdhE, all IR delights, two had Kamal as hero / K Viswanath as director and the third had MR as director and Amala's husband as kavalaikkidamAna hero).

I remember reading a Sujatha article in Kumudam (or may be in AV) around this time where he wondered about what are the ingradients needed for a film's success (and concluded that nobody in the industry knew / could be sure about). I'm not sure whether there were references about the not-so-great-run of Vikram but I'm sure he contrasted the dismal result of big-budget movies in general to the terrific run enjoyed by movies made in totally contrasting style, quoting the "Thelungu movie that had Kamal as village appAvi" It was ofcourse swAthi muthyam and it got dubbed into Thamizh in due time (possibly the only "Thamizh" movie where they used dubbing for Kamal - SPB spoke for him and possibly earned his ire).

That also meant that the automatic male voice for all songs was SPB in Thamizh (he was possibly the singer for Telugu originals too). (Unlike the employment of "whoever was available" methodology adopted for certain dubbed movies later on, including idhayaththai thirudAthE). Interestingly, though it had lovely songs, in my measure, was not in the same "range" as salangai oli. With one exception, however. The PS beauty 'varam thandha sAmikku' tops over every salangai oli song. Phenomenal number I don't have the same level of closeness with any of the SPB numbers as I have with mounamAna nEram or thakida thadhimi. However, I agree these are good numbers and manasu mayangum is definitely evergreen.

I remember seeing those huge size (printed) posters in Secunderabad / Hyderabad when visiting for an interview in late-85 (for Andhra Cements, they gave 1st class fare and also the job but I didn't join). I have never seen so big posters in Thamizh ever for any movie. Remember visiting Indira Park, Charminar & Birla Mandhir marble structure in Hyderabad during that visit like a typical tourist. Didn't see any movie, watched this movie in Coimbatore...we'll visit Coimbatore of 1986 in the coming few posts on the songs of this movie

[V_S]

App,
Great song to start the soundtrack. Thanks for the excellent insight on how it was viewed then. We will be too busy this week I believe to relish all these great numbers from this amazing film and soundtrack. These soundtracks are milestones will be an understatement. While Salangai Oli had great blend of love and classical art, KV opted a totally different folk based village story on the shores of Godavari (if I am not wrong) in Swathi Muthyam. These songs reflect the life of the villagers more closely depicting strong human relationships. Totally contrasting music. Only Maestro can cross boundaries like this with enormous ease shedding all Tamizh flavor behind and dissolving into their culture completely. It's hard to pick the top one in both these soundtrack. I can listen to Rama Kanavemira any number of times for its innocence in SPB's voice, absorbing reeti gowlai and for its colloquial touches, as if the song is specially made for us. Most important a great twist at the end of the song by KV, daring I say!

[groucho070]

Murali-sir, your cameo in this thread is a great bonus. Thanks for the info (I was right about the differing format).

App, my fav in Sippikkul Muthu is yet to come (ironic for a guy who's not into mythology).

[Plum]

Ah! Godavari delight! I don't know which song affengine has started with - but let me assume it is suvvi suvvi.

It is no wonder only vatapathra saayi was passed by app - the rest soak a pure telugu godavari flavour not easily transferrable to kaaverikarai appengine.

Vatapathra has the underlying classical flavour - although Vairam fails to translate the ethos of the song spectacularly and I don't blame him because he had very little scope in this song - that seems to have salvaged it as a common song between telgu and tamil. What's more, it was tuned to lyrics in telugu so VM had a tough task and hard to blame him for this one.

Coming back to Suvvi Suvvi - that catchphrase, V-S, should tell us that it is Godavari theeram, I think. From the be-sur alaap start - done a little too perfectly by SPB - to the swarams, to the thaananaa by Janaki, what a Gilchristian start to the innings! K Viswanath touched widow remarriage carefully(without alienating telugu sensibilities) but firmly here.

Just look a few posts above for Murali's note on Innale-YEK. A little miracle that this movie managed to run in Tamilnadu - I guess the telugu sensibilities that KV managed to appease took care of tamizh kalaacharam as well. There is no propoganda here but a matter of fact espousal of a woman's feelings - carefully wrapped around her (seeming) surprise, revulsion and shock at the thali episode by Kamal.

Yet, a few reels before, you have her sighing(just watch the end of the thanana interplay with the bumpkin in the beginning of this song - Janaki amma captures a thousand emotional jangling points in that one second), indulging in playful banter , listening to the bumpkin assure her that spring will return in her life - with a cynical and sighing response. (vasthundhA A nAdu, choosthAdA A painOdu) - We'll return to the lyrics later.

These are moments that capture the longing and yearning in her for a normal life just like any other young girl - and our man Raja, and Janaki go to work. SPB has a supporting role only here. KV would boldly go on to do Manasu Palike later in the movie - getting more explicit about the woman's yearnings. More about that later.

Those moments in the riverside with the innocent (whaddya call him - autistic? mentally challenged? bumpkin?) young man along with her child are her escape from the daily hell that is her household - which has turned her into a bhajan-spouting, temple-only-going vidhavai. You can see the certain amount of freedom getting reflected in the thaanananaa phrases before she ends it with a note that elegantly captures a sigh in the tune itself, perhaps reflecting the futility and the short-lived transitionary nature of her small joys here.

He is the only one who treats her like a normal young woman who has feelings - the rest are traditionally bound to expect her to play a role - that of a widow. The interludes are awesome here, and if you dont feel wet with the waters of Godavari on your body, you are Shakespeare's villain fit only for treasons, strategems and spoils. I'll leave it to V_S to talk about the percussion and the rhythm structure, and the progression of this through the song, in maximum pleasure mode in the interludes. Let me focus on the emotions.

The first interlude normalises the relationship between Radhika and Kamal, as she hesitantly but irresistibly is drawn towards the innocence of the young man, and his antics that treat her like any other young woman. It is her oasis - and the violins play at medium tempo without soaring or ebbing. Specifically, immediately after the first burst of violins in the first interlude, there is a splashing gurgling kind of sound - which is not a special effect but a normal tune played by an instrument, wherein lies the genius of Raja - which gives you the feel of floating in water or wetting your feet in a vast expanse of water that Godavari is. As the relationship between the two warms, he is moved enough to relate her story to that of Sita - although it is unfair to blame her husband for kicking the bucket; the husband wasnt given much choice in the matter, was he? - the lyrics go thus in the first stanza:

andA dhanDa undAlani
kOdhandA ramuni nammukuntE
gundE lEni manushallE
ninu kondA kOnallak odhulEshAdA

You came to Ayodhya with grand dreams of living peacefully ever after but what did Sri Rama do - I hope I escape the wrath of Raja_Fan, I am just translating Sir, I am not making this up - he left you to the elements in the unforgiving jungles and mountains like a heartless fiend.

(I am not sure this translated effectively in VM's lyrics)

The beauty of this is you can ask is a bumpkin(autistic?) capable of making such eloquent comparisions. But if you have dealt with children, you know precisely that they are the ones who can invoke these analogies so easily. A later sequence in the movie establishes how the Rama kadha is an integral part of the village culture - Kamal can be seen predicting and performing upcoming parts of the story even as the song progresses, implying that he is familiar with the story

[groucho070]

Plum? Plum? Halloo? Crap, someone got to him, Mods round up the usual suspect (Vinodh, Ajay, for now) please.

[V_S]

Plumgaaru, what happened, please complete it.

[Plum]

- nadu nadula vElaiyum paNNanumla? Multi tasking, Grouch, multi-tasking(contrary to conventional belief around these parts, generously promoted by myself, I do a lot of productive work at office ) . Anyway, continuing:

[Plum]

So, it is not surprising that he connects the plight of Radhika to Seethamma's misery at the hands of Rama(as I pointed out, the analogy is even inappropriate but he is too naïve to notice, isn't he?).

He has internalised that story very much. aggilOnA dhooki - poovvu
moggAlAga thElina nuvvu
neggEvammA oka nAdu -
ningi nElA nee ThOdu

You came out of the agnipariksha unscathed like a fresh bud; you will come out of this misery as well; the elements are with you

The amount of negizhvu she feels at this innocent vote of confidence and hope is caught in a minutely extended suvvi before the second interlude. Look at how she hurries through the rest of the suvvis, perhaps telling herself that the real world Is far too harsh for her to wallow in the pretty picture painted by her friend. Now, comes the second interlude, my favourite.

[Plum]

I have spoken about the second interlude, beautifully picturised as the brass pot floats down the Godavari; Raja throws in a flute piece there, with an underlying sound I know not made of what instruments that make you feel you are drawing a potful of water from Godavari, carefully perched on a shallow bank corner. Then, as the interlude progresses, that beautiful shot of Kamal rowing round and round on his makeshift boat. The next stanza captures the next level of exchanges as the relationship progresses, he is matter of fact about her plight but all the more child-like in his assurance of better days to come.
(first two lines I forget)
pattina grahanam vidisi - nee
bathukuna punnami pandaga gadiyA
ochEnnammA oka nAdu - choosthunnAdu painOdu

The eclipse that has shadowed your life shall disappear; a glowing full moon shall adorn your life one day....the fellow up there is watching over you.

Here, Raja/KV allow Radhika to break down almost, sighing loudly
osthundhA A nAdu - choosthAdA
A painOdu

Shall that day come? Is He really watching over my fate?

Here, KV goes the full distance in his espousal of a widowed woman's feelings and yearnings for a fuller life. Telugu sensibility or not, this is a woman who, encumbered by the tradition, is yearning for a normal life a la other young women. Janaki smoothly walks away with the (wo)man of the match for this innings here with a wistful, sighing rendition at this point. SPB is the hero of this thread, but Janaki is the heroine of this song...

And just now I realised, app engine has written about Manasu Palike first. Never mind, I will restore cosmic balance by writing about it when app features Suvvi Suvvi.