Illuminating Spectacle

One of my friends shared a very well written article in Tamizh about the song ‘Neelakkuyile’ from the film Magudi(1984). The article which appeared in the Tamizh edition of a leading newspaper described the song wonderfully and also rightly said that the amazement and the ecstatic feeling one gets while listening to a song are more than enough. When we listen to the chirping of an unknown bird or when we look at the cascading waterfall, do we break our heads or do we simply enjoy that moment? While I too agree with this, I must also add that there is nothing wrong in knowing the technical details as well, as knowing these will accentuate our feelings of amazement and ecstasy and elevate us to a new level intellectually and emotionally.

 The ‘sa ri ga pa dha Sa’ scale is one of the most popular in Carnatic Music. The different combinations of the variants of these swaras give us ragas like Mohanam, Shivaranjani, BhoopaLam, Vaasanti and Revagupti. In the year 1981, ILaiyaraaja came up with a composition that had the same swaras but with a new combination - sa ri1 ga3 pa dha2 Sa. Let me clarify that this was new only in the Carnatic System as the Hindustani System has a raag pertaining to this scale called Vibhas (which again has two versions).As far as Carnatic Music or Tamizh Film music is concerned, this raga was never used until then. Some texts define the name of this raga as ‘VarNa RoopiNi’ while some others call it as Rasika Ranjani. But since the Maestro himself has clarified that it is Rasika Ranjani, let us stick to this name.

 Thus ‘Amude Tamizhe’ from Kovil PuRa happens to be the first composition in Tamizh Film Music based on this ragam. While ‘Amude Tamizhe’ more or less stuck to Rasika Ranjani (excepting for the use of ‘ni’ in a couple of lines in the charaNams), ‘Neelakuile..’follows the Rasika Ranjani scale completely.

 Did I say completely?

Yes, but there is a hidden magic in the second interlude and we shall see that soon. The composition starts with a great delicacy of feeling as the swaras are rendered with mellow tonal depth by Janaki and SPB. With energetic briskness, the Violins enter the fray as the upper Sa is touched by the male voice. The Sitar soothes the heart while the radiant Veena highlights the beauty of the raga with finesse.

 The composition is set in Chatushra ekam tisra gati(cycle of 4 with a speed of 3) taaLam and has the ‘anaagata eduppu’ with the Pallavi starting after 2 aksharaas. The Pallavi is crisp and is dominated by the mid-octave notes (it starts with the ‘sa’ just like ‘Amude Tamizhe’).The last line is a beauty with the phrase ‘paamaalai’consisting of the combination of swaras in the arohaNam( dhaSa padha gapa).Note that the first swara in the preceding group becomes the second in the one that follows. The higher octave violins that back the lines rise like the huge waves with the sitar that says ‘dhapa dhapa dhapa dhapa dhapa dhapa’ moving like a small wave. Swaras blossom again with a fragrance in the first interlude as the Sitar and the Violin smile at each other with ‘ga pa dha pa’. The lilting flute joins and pairs with Sitar. There is more to follow after the strings flow like a stream. Basic and advanced lessons in Violin plucking, fingering and bowing are on display.

Harmony at its best!

 The CharaNams have succinct but powerful phrases. The first half is dominated by the higher octave swaras like the ‘Sa, Ri and Ga with the last line have all the ascending notes. It is rounded off with a short and sweet akaaram.

 The second interlude (remember the hidden magic I mentioned in the beginning?) shines with manifold beauties. First the ‘dha2’is substituted by ‘dha1’ and the raga becomes Revagupti. The strings play this and during the course of the journey adds two more swaras- ma2 and ni3- making it Pantuvarali. The Master then drops the ‘ri’ and ‘pa’ and substitutes ‘dha1’with ‘dha2’ making it Sunaadavinodini, a pentatonic raga.The flute and the Veena have a rendevouz with ‘dha ma ni’ with the former fondling ‘dha ma dha ni Sa’ and the latter caressing ‘ma ga ma ga Sa’. The magic happens yet again in the second time the Veena plays. It plays chromatic notes-ma2 ma1 ma2 ma1 ga3. Though it has only 2 swaras, the chromaticism and the contours suggest Lalit, another Hindustani raga. The strings then play Hamsanandi ( Sunaadavinodhini plus ri1) with the Lalit pattern peeping in again at the end.

So, what we have are 6 different ragas- Rasika Ranjani, Revagupti, Pantuvarali, Sunaadavonodhini, Hamsanandi and Lalit in a matter of seconds.

No doubt, Indian Film Music has seen great legends whose tunes are immortal and are still hummed. It has also seen composers some of whose compositions are packed with technical details. But ILaiyaraaja is surely the only film music composer whose music is full of technicalities and yet sounds great without being a mere intellectual exercise.. That is why, it attracts both the common man and the pundit.

 Blessed to be born in this era!!