Carnatic ragas in film songs
Tiruchi S. Gurunathan
"IN THE song `Kannodu Kanbadellam' from the movie, `Jeans,' Nityashri Mahadevan begins with the ragam Suddha Dhanyasi, smoothly glides over to Abheri in the swaram and towards the finish in the line `Talaiva,' gives a cinematic touch to bring in a novelty," said Tiruchi S. Gurunathan. "Interesting observations as these not only demand a special ear but a curious mind and a feel for pure music," he added.
Gurunathan presented a two-hour concert on the common ragas in Carnatic and film music at Rama Rao Kala Mantap, T. Nagar, as part of the Nungambakkam Cultural Academy concert, in Chennai recently.
Gurunathan belongs to a family of musicians and is related to Veena S. Balachander. He was into serious Carnatic music while he worked as a sub-inspector of Police in Thanjavur and later with the Railways.
A student of Ettayapuram Narasimhan, he was also trained under Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna and in a career spanning 41 years, Gurunathan said, he has had thousands of classical concerts/demonstrations in India and abroad.
Gurunathan was felicitated during the 80th birthday celebrations of the Kanchi Paramacharya and also at the Mantralaya Mutt during Raghavendra Jayanthi.
Passion for music
Rewinding to his days after he opted for VRS from the Railways as an officer he said, he has had more time to spare and observe the nuances in film music too. Ragas were the common link. Analysing the "common factors of ragas dealt with in kritis and movie songs" became a passion.
As Gurunathan gradually acclimatised himself with the intricacies of film music, he studied the ways with which raga scales were suitably handled to give equal importance to lyrics. When he observed the soft variations given by music directors, compared to the raga-embedded kritis that saint composers had structured, his desire to share the information with public was doubled. "That set the ball rolling," says Gurunathan, whose aim has always been to bring in as many people as possible to appreciate Carnatic music through film music. Gurunathan was one of the first to present a series on `Ragas in Film Music' on Doordarshan in 1992.
"This is the right way to initiate people who aren't into the serious Carnatic fold. See how "Samajavaragamana" (film "Shankarabharanam") is a hit with people who do not understand hardcore Carnatic," he says.
Ragas handled at the concert at the comparative session were Sriranjani, Mohanam, Hindolam, Abhogi, Sindhubhairavi, Kalyani, Kanada, Suddhasaveri Natabhairavi and Madhyamavathi.
Mohanam has always been the most preferred raga in films next to Kalyani, he said, as it features in the highest number of songs.
After he handled Tyagaraja's "Rama Ninnu Nammina," he sampled the raga in film numbers as "Giridhara Gopala," "Aduthathu Ambujathai Parthela," "Priya Priya O Priya," and "Aaha Inba Nilaavinile" from "Maya Bazaar" sung by Ghantasala.
In "Ilamai Kolam," Ilayaraja has handled Hindolam in the song "Sridevi Enn Vazhvil" with a brief stopover on the other Nishadam (anya swaram) which lends uniqueness to the number. "These are aspects where films can take the freedom of deviation, perhaps to lay stress on the lyrics to convey the message," he observed.
Gurunathan detailed the difference of treatment given to the 22nd Melakarta raga Kanada in an old and new film number that he presented.
Although "Pudhu Vellai Mazhai'' in the film "Roja" has a contemporary and upbeat feel, G. Ramanathan's old "Mullai Malar Mele" gave ample scope for the listener for comparing the exact run of the swaras on the raga, he said.
The descending swaras of Suddhasaveri as in Tyagaraja's "Dharini Telisi Konte" also has been projected well by Ilayaraja to suit the romantic mood in "Meendum Kokila" he said, as he demonstrated it with the song "Radha Radha Neeyenge."
RANJANI GOVIND
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