Grey Cells

 

Generally, if a movie is remade in some other language, the tendency of the Music Directors is to use the same song tracks and the BGM tracks (I am not talking about a dubbed movie, but a movie remade either with the same cast or a different cast). But Raaja sir, who is known for his innovative thinking seldom does this. At times, out of compulsion ( by who else, but our ‘ignosent’ directors?) he would have had to compromise but even in such instances, he would have shown some variation-either in the tune or in the interludes.

I am reminded now of a news item in a Tamizh magazine in 1983 when the audio of Sadma was released, by none other than Amitabh Bacchan, who incidentally wanted to play  Kamal’s role in the Hindi version but was politely refused by Balu Mahendra). The news item said ‘ILaiyaraaja has simply recycled the tamizh tunes. Why? No creativity?’

I was put down by this comment and wanted to check out the veracity. Since ‘net’ those days meant only a fisherman’s net and since I was living in an island, I had no access to the album. Thankfully, during the vacation we went to Madras and Sadma had just then released. When I listened to the songs in the Cinema Hall, I was wondering if that reporter had plugged his ears with cotton. Anyway, media has always been like this, right? And yes, this role as now been taken over by Social Media and the number of ‘reporters’/’critics’ has increased manifold!!

Let us now look at a beautiful piece from a Telugu movie-which needless to say was remade from Tamizh. The Bharathiraja directed Pudiya vaarpugaL was remade as Kotta Jeevitalu with Suhasini and Hari Prasad in lead roles. This is the title track of the movie far as I remember, the title score of the Tamizh version had the tune of ‘tam tana nam tana’ being hummed.

Here the piece starts with the prelude of ‘ChoLam vidakkaiyile’! What follows is a beautiful piece in the Kharaharapriya scale with obvious shades of Andhra folk. The Flute brings serenity while the keys between 1.10 and 1.27 add a new colour. The guitar that joins the flute in the beginning and whenever the piece is repeated and the strings from 2.02 –that jump with ‘ta ka/ ta ka dhi mi’- give the western contours without any frills.

Wish the ‘pedants’ and charlatans listened to such pieces. But will they? Even then, does it matter?

Raja4376 · Kottha Jeevitalu title music