Srivathsan Nadadhur
It’s not justified (and it’s humanly impossible) to reduce the repertoire of Ilaiyaraaja’s work across many generations through a 1000-worder. So, commemorating his birthday today, we at Klapboardpost.com have picked five Telugu songs of the master composer in his 2010s i.e. over the last decade that offer a glimpse of his genius. The intention behind the same is to humbly prove how he’s reinvented with the times and how his songs age like fine-wine!
Jagadananda Karaka – Sri Rama Rajyam
It’s very surprising why a filmmaker like Bapu with his great eye for song picturisation went onto work with Ilaiyaraaja in only a handful of films. However, Sri Rama Rajyam, the last of their collaborations, was a cherry on the cake without an iota of doubt. It is a well-known fact that Ilaiyaraaja has barely composed in the mythological space through his career and it’s not quite surprising that he’s reserved his energies for what’s one of his finest albums in the 2010s. However, if one were to choose a song that defined the impact of his music in the film, it would be Jagadananda Karaka. With the initial line being an ode to the Tyagaraja’s pancharatna kriti by the same name, the dominant usage of the veena and the Indian percussion instruments align with the idea of bhakti so well that it’s hard to be left unmoved. Shreya Ghoshal’s confidence in Telugu while singing complex lines (of Jonnavithula) like ‘Sarvabhowmuniga poorna kumbhamule swagathalu palike’ in addition to S P Balu’s assurance contribute to what’s an immensely spiritual experience.
Mattiloni Chettu – Dhoni
Actor, filmmaker Prakash Raj has always proclaimed himself to be a fanboy of Ilaiyaraaja (who can’t be?) publicly and it’s quite evident why his directorial Dhoni remains a very special music album on many fronts. There’s an inherent freshness in it and Dhoni feels like a personal statement from the composer that he has saved the best for his favourite child. Mattiloni Chettu’s orchestration is quite subtle – the kind that lets the singer unleash his/her efficiency and where the lyrics get a great showcase. It’s the unlikely intro song that presents the middle-class, middle-aged protagonist in the film and his difficulties coping with the vagaries of life. It’s extremely tempting to give S P Balasubramanyam and the lyricist Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry more credit for this, given the flavour they lend to an otherwise simple number with a catchy, folksy twist.
Koti Koti – Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu
This is another film where the auteur-fanboy collaboration produces great results. Gautham Vasudev Menon is one of the rare filmmakers in the current era who is a master in blending a film’s music with its soul. It doesn’t require one to say that the songs in his films are so organic to the setting – and they literally flow. Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu was one of the most anticipated films of its times not only for the director or its stellar cast but also for the expectations set by the music album before the release. The Western classical touch with the orchestration in the melody uplifts the emotional impact of a song almost effortlessly and is a great example to prove how well has Ilaiyaraaja adapted with the times. Koti Koti Tarallona served like a reminder for a new generation of what a quintessential Ilaiyaraaja melody would sound like. Ilaiyaraaja could have almost told ‘I have provided a taste of my melody to your parents, it’s your turn to experience it.’ The honey-dipped voice of Karthik is always bound to justice to a well-composed melody. There’s a chirpy spirit in the composition that can potentially help you get over a bad day at the office.
Punnami Poovai – Rudramadevi
Even Ilaiyaraaja’s most loyal fans would agree that Gunasekhar-directed Rudramadevi wasn’t one of his better albums, though it’s by no means an effort you could discard. One of its charms is Punnami Poovai that arrives at an opportune situation that allows the lyricist and the composer to flourish. It’s a situation where a princess (who’s masked herself as a man for long) celebrates her femininity on a full-moon night. She’s so liberated, happy to find herself beyond the throne, enjoying her sensuality along with her female counterparts unabashedly. Lyricist Sirivennela delicately captures womanhood in his words through elements from nature, makes it immensely personal and lends it a purity that blossoms with the lightness in Ilaiyaraaja’s music. The Shreya Ghoshal-sung number is extremely impactful because it mirrors the protagonist’s mind in the film poignantly – it’s as if she has suddenly found wings and is flying mid-air. The beauty lies in the fact that you could sense this even if you merely listen to the song and not watch it.
Kanulu Kalanu Piliche – Abbaitho Ammayi
The post-2000 era has seen a lot of Ilaiyaraaja’s works that didn’t get their due because of a film’s mediocrity. There’s no better example to suggest this than Abbaitho Ammayi, the Naga Shourya film that arrived for the New Year day in 2015 and sank without a trace. Though the music album, for the most part, remains strictly average by the monstrous standards that the composer has set over the years, it’s hard to get past Kanulu Kanulu Piliche without a re-listen. If there’s any song that musically symbolises the words ‘a balm for the soul’, this is it. The song immortalises the magic of first love, the heartfelt joy it provides and the praise for it wouldn’t be complete without addressing Haricharan’s composure in the vocals. Composure isn’t a word you may associate with vocals often, but the spiritedness in the lyrics is so wonderfully controlled, preserved in his voice that you can’t help it. Chinmayi’s presence only takes this impact forward.
