http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/835.html
- Saravanan writes:
[face=Courier New]ippadiyum oru peN
~ A Hundred Songs of Bhanumati ~[/face]
Part IX: makkaLai petRa maharasi- manamagan thEvai
We now progress to 1957. What we have are four movies and in all the four, Bhanumati’s co-star was Sivaji Ganesan. Let us take up two of these movies in this chapter, and listen to some of Bhanumati’s songs therein.
20. makkaLai petRa maharasi (1957/ Sri Lakshmi Pictures)
Akkamappettai Paramasivan Nagarajan was barely 7 years old when he was enrolled in the TKS Brothers’ drama troupe. As it was customary in most drama troupes of the time, APN was taught the complexities of Tamil grammar, the ancient epics, classic poetry and correct pronunciation, besides singing and acting. He rose quickly in the esteem of T.K.Shanmugam and was given prominent roles at an early age. M.V.Rajamma is said to have fretted whether she could equal APN’s performance as the heroine Seetha when TKS’s stage play ‘gumaasthavin pEn’ was taken up for a movie adaptation. A staunch activist of M.P.Sivagnanam’s thamizharasu kazhagam and opponent of all that the DMK stood for, APN made his debut in cinema when ‘Sangeeta Pictures’ made a movie of his drama ‘naalvar’ in 1953 with APN acting as the hero besides scripting the screenplay and dialogues. In the following years, APN scripted movies like maangalyam (1954), peNNarasi (1955), aasai aNNa arumai thambi (1955), town bus (1955) and nalla thangai (1955). He acted in all of them except the last two. He also acted in nam kuzhandhai and nalla thangaaL (both 1955).
APN came into direct contact with Sivaji Ganesan when he wrote the story and dialogues of ‘naan petRa selvam’ (1956). Sivaji’s disenchantment with the DMK had begun by then, and besides being impressed with APN’s writing skills, Sivaji found in APN a trusted sympathizer and a good friend. In the following year, APN joined hands with actor V.K.Ramaswami and floated a production company called ‘Sri Lakshmi Pictures’. The first project of this company was a simple rural subject titled ‘makkaLai petRa maharasi’. K.Somu, who had directed APN’s earlier ventures like maangalyam, town bus and naan petRa selvam, was appointed the director for this movie.
A village in Coimbatore district. Sengodan is a naïve good-hearted farmer, who knows no other God other than his mother Angamma. Staying back in the hamlet and tilling his land, he sends his beloved sister Thangam to the college in the town. Angamma’s brother is an avaricious landowner in the same village. The two families are not in speaking terms ever since Angamma’s husband ran away unable to meet the unreasonable demands of his brother-in-law after having borrowed some money from him. Kannan, the villain’s son, however does not inherit his father’s wily characteristics. Studying in the same college, Kannan and Thangam fall in love with each other. The storm which breaks out when the warring families become aware of their love and the how the lovers unite finally fill rest of the reels. In the midst of these chaotic proceedings APN inserted another love story- between the brave and mischievous belle Rangamma and the shy Sengodan.
Sivaji Ganesan was, of course, the natural choice to play Sengodan. Speaking simple conversational dialogues in the rustic Coimbatore dialect was a refreshing change to the actor who had been spewing fiery lines in chaste Tamil replete with flowery flourishes all along. Bhanumati played the assertive Rangamma. Kannamba played the dignified matriarch and M.N.Rajam was Thangam. V.K.Ramaswami played the villainous landowner and M.N.Nambiar was the surprise choice for the gentle Kannan. K.Sarangapani, P.D.Sambandham and T.P. Muthulakshmi were the supporting actors.
K.V.Mahadevan was APN’s favourite music director and he came up with a real winner in makkaLai petRa maharasi. The first among equals is the immortal tiller’s anthem ‘maNapaaRai maadu katti’ sung by TMS where Maruthakasi flaunts the specialized attractions of every nook of the Tamil countryside in a solicitous sermon to an aspiring farmer. ‘ondRu sErndha anbu maaRumaa’ is a duet of timeless allure by PBS and ‘udutha’ Sarojini. ‘makkaLai petRa maharasi’ (Jikki), ‘O malliyakka O rOjakka’ (Jikki, Jamunarani & chorus), ‘adi tharapuram thambaram un thalaiyilE kanakambaram’ (S.C.Krishnan & Ratnamala) are the other unforgettable numbers, all set to enjoyable folksy tunes.
Bhanumati had 3 songs in the movie. Listen first to ‘sonna pEchcha kEkkaNum’. The bubbly farm lass Rangamma sings while herding her cattle, and admonishes them to pay heed to her words and tread with caution and confidence. Bhanumati makes merry, interspersing her soliloquy with stern calls of reprimand to those members of her flock who dare to stray. A veritable village feast!
Listen to ‘sonna pEchcha kEkkaNum’
Next is the appealing ‘vandhadhu yaarunnu sonna theriyuma’. Sengodan has just left after a brief visit to her house, and Rangamma is filled with rapture at the sight of the man whom she is destined to wed. Having no one to share her thrill with, she runs to her bovine friends in the backyard and gives them the exciting tidings of the momentous visit. Bhanumati’s song is full of the frivolous sweet nothings that a young girl in love would be prone to indulge in. Hark at Bhanumati mimicking Sivaji in between! Could anyone but her have got away with such audacity?
Listen to ‘vandhadhu yaarunnu’
The third is the unforgettable TMS/Bhanumati duet ‘pORavaLe pORavaLE ponnurangam’. This song is a gentle reminder of how much beauty there is in simplicity. Pausing to wipe the sweat off his brow in the midst of an honest day’s toil, Sengodan spies Rangamma swinging her way across a neighboring field, carrying her father’s lunch. What a welcome sight she is to his parched eyes! He draws her attention by singing lines in praise of her attractive appearance and bemoans her apparent refusal to recognize his feelings for her. Rangamma’s rejoinders are swift and saucy. TMS sounds endearingly wistful and Bhanumati is at her imperious best….
Listen to ‘pORavaLe pORavaLE’
makkaLai petRa maharasi enjoyed a successful run, and the songs became immensely popular.
* * * *
21. maNamagan thEvai (1957/ Bharani Pictures)
An English Film titled ‘The Fabulous Senorita’ (1952/ Republic Pictures Corporation) was doing its rounds in Madras when Bhanumati and Ramakrishna got to watch it. The movie was a musical comedy, narrating the hilarious events that unfold when Estelita, the strong-willed daughter of a wealthy man desires to marry a shy professor in preference to a rich suitor chosen by her father. She poses as twin sisters to wriggle out of the situation, and in the pandemonium that follows, lands in deeper trouble. (Jeans, anyone?) Based on a short story by Charles R. Marion, the screenplay was developed by Jack Townley and Charles E. Roberts. Estelita Rodriguez, Jerry Taylor and Marvin Kaplan played the lead roles in this movie directed by R.G.Springsteen.
Impressed by this breezy entertainer, Bhanumati and Ramakrishna set about retelling the story in an Indian setting and called it ‘varudu kaavaali’ in Telugu and ‘maNamagan thEvai’ in Tamil. Jaggiah was Bhanumati’s co-star in Telugu, while Sivaji Ganesan was the hero in ‘maNamagan thEvai’. T.R.Ramachandran, Chandrababu, Devika, A. Karunanidhi and Ragini were the other actors in the cast. Both versions were directed by Ramakrishna.
An interesting aside: One self-confessed incorrigible habit of Bhanumati was reporting late to work. Waiting one morning for Bhanumati’s arrival in the sets of ‘maNamagan thEvai’, Sivaji Ganesan is said to remarked jocularly to Ramakrishna, “As regards coming late, Amma is thoroughly impartial… she does this not only in other producers’ movies, but also in her own ventures!”
G.Ramanathan set the tunes for the lyrics written by K.D.Santhanam, Maruthakasi and Thanjai Ramiah Doss. ‘pambara kaNNaalE kaadhal sangathi sonnaaLe’ is a great Chandrababu ditty. ‘kOdai idi kaatRu’ ( A.M.Raja/Jikki) with Jikki adamant in her ‘hmmmm maattEn uLLE vida maattEnE’, and AMR pleading ‘thaagathu amma thaamadham nee seivathu’ is another vintage delight. Bhanumati had a comic solo ‘yEngO..kulukku thaLukku thEvaleeyaa?’ and another song that went 'nenjinilE pugundhu.'
Let us listen to 2 other remarkable songs of Bhanumati from the album. The first is the ‘velavarE ummai thEdi oru madandhai’ that Bhanumati sings when a prospective groom (Chandrababu) comes to ‘see’ her. Bhanumati unleashes all her quirky twists in this classical song, bringing it to a hilarious finish!
Listen to ‘vElavarE ummai thEdi’
The second is the rollicking ‘veNNila jOthiyai veesudhE’ ( ‘anda chandaala O jaabili’ in Telugu) sung by Bhanumati, Ghantasala and Pithapuram Nageswara Rao. The song opens with western flourishes and continues in the catchy strain. The idyllic moonlight romance of Ghantasala and Bhanumati is interrupted rudely by Pithapuram’s boisterous humming, and the indefatigable Bhanumati goes on to team up with Pithapuram too! I recall reading that the song featured Bhanumati, Sivaji and T.R.Ramachandran.
Listen to ‘veNNila jOthiyai veesudhE’
~ More to follow ~