http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/1011.html
- Govind writes:
Songs based on the raaga Keeravani.
Raaga Keeravani is the 21st MeLaKarTha with AaRoHaNam and AvaRoHaNam as follows:
S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N3 S
S N3 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S
More details about this raga can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeravani
Keeravani is a very popular raaga and there are several excellent keerthanai's composed in this raaga. One that comes to my mind right away is the Papanasam Sivan classic "Devi Neeye Thunai". I remember listening to this while I was a child in our old Grundig spool recorder. My father had recorded this song by MS from an AIR concert. The song captivated me.
As part of today's SOTDs we feature songs based on this raaga. Illayaraja seems to love this raaga and and has composed several songs in this raaga. Ofcourse, everyones favorite is Katril Enthan Geetham from Jhony. But as we are going to discover, there are more gems from the Maestro in this raaga. The songs that we feature encompass different moods.
Other Illayaraja compositions and their associated raagas can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/ilaiyaragam/so ... htm‏
Song: Oru Kunguma Chengamalam
Movie: Aaradhanai (1981)
Music : Illayaraja
Actors: Nizhalgal Ravi, Sumalatha
Singers: SPB and S. Janaki
Listen
I don't know too much about this movie. The video of this song can be found here. It features a thinner version of Nizhalgal Ravi with a slightly older version of Sumalatha :). I wouldn't be surprised if this movie sank without a trace. A very soft song, and very easy to listen to.
Song: Keeravani
Movie: Paadum Paravaigal (Anveshana) (1985)
Music: Illayaraja
Actors: Karthik, Bhanupriya
Singers: SPB and S. Janaki
Lyrics: http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=362
Listen
Next, we move to another wonderful song from the movie Anveshana (dubbed in Tamil as Paadum Paravigal). Anveshana was director Vamsi's second movie after Sitara. It starred Karthik and a very new Bhanupriya, post Sitara (another Vamsi movie).
As for the movie, it is an excellent one. Made using a budget of just 15 lakhs, it is one of the good thrillers that has come out of south Indian cinema. The movie opens with a woman running through the forest, being chased by something or someone. She is brutally killed. Why was she killed by whom? The villagers suspect that it is the work of a man eating tiger.
Bhanupriya is an ornithologist, she wants to decipher the music (raagas) in bird calls. She therefore goes to the jungle where her uncle owns property or something. The local forest officer is sure that there is a man-eating tiger on the prowl. Karthik suddenly shows up in the jungle as a manager on her uncle's property. One day while exploring the forest, Karthik finds a tape recorder. While playing the tape, he finds it being one of bird calls. Suddenly the bird calls of the wild is interrupted by a woman' s scream, the woman who is killed in the first scene. Karthik, is revealed to be a police officer, now tries to find out how the woman died.
The story moves on in a very exciting way. Three shadowy figures try to kill Bhanupriya's character all the time. She escapes with Karthik's help all the time. Finally things come to a head and the killer is revealed. I am sure you guys guessed that a man eating tiger is not the culprit. I watched the telugu version and my telugu being quite sketchy, I couldn't guess the killer until the end.
Today's song is featured on Karthik and Bhanupriya, whilst they fall in love. In the song, I particularly the flute interlude between the 1st and 2nd charanam. The tune of this song is so very simple and yet it so mellifluous. I hope you enjoy this song as much I did when I first heard it.
Song: Thanga Changili Minnum Paingili
Movie: Thooral Ninnu Pochu (1982)
Actors: Bhagyaraj, Sulakshana
Music: Illayaraja
Singers: Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki
Listen
An excellent song, featuring Bhagyaraj with his oversized glasses and Sulakshana. Bhagyaraj's movies were quite the rage in the 80s, and I am not ashamed to say that I enjoyed his humor. From Netru Indru Naalai to Andha 7 Naatkal to Mundhanai Mudichu. Of course, the double-entendre in the dialogs that he wrote were particularly popular. Thooral Ninnu Pochu follows the life of a village simpleton played by Bhagyaraj who wishes to get married to Sulakshana. He encounters various pitfalls in his pursuit and the film is about how he goes about finally achieving his goal.
Song: Paadi Parantha Kili
Movie: Kizhakku Vaasal (1990)
Actors: Karthik, Kushboo, Revathi.
Music: Illayaraja
Singer: SPB
Listen
Kizhakku Vaasal is a wonderful rustic story, starring Karthik, Revathi and Kushboo. Karthik plays a theru koothu vidhwan. Kushboo is the daughter of the local zamindar. Kushboo and Karthik clash often and once Kushboo playfully says that she wishes to marry Karthik and Karthik thinking this is true, sends his mother Manorama to the zamindar's home to ask for Kushboo's hand. Clearly the zamindar rejects the proposal. Karthik's mother dies from the shock and Karthik goes and bashes up the zamindar's goons. The zamindar comes to know of his daughter's folly and apologizes to Karthik. He asks Karthik to perform koothu for his daughter's wedding. Illayaraja composes Paadi Parantha Kili for that occassion.
Revathi's role as a courtesan forced into the family business is pretty powerful in this movie. The excuses she comes up with to protect her dignity from the evil landlord played by Vijaykumar is excellent. Karthik and Revathi fall in love and she finally sees hope in the world. A very nice movie. A very original story.