Friday, December 13, 2013

Telugu-thanam - 2

For starters, I'm glad that I get a chance to write another post with a title I used way back in 2009. Rather, it looks like I'm bringing an extension (or should I rather call it a sequel?) of the title with this one; and I hope I'd have to do it more often than not, in which case I plan to convert this as a separate label on my blog. For readers who do not understand Telugu, here's what the title says out loud - "Being Telugu". As this blog of mine essentially started out as a platform for throwing the spotlight on a few good songs that lie around us but are typically overlooked, the basic premise of this title was to throw a similar spotlight on such music in the Telugu music and film industry (particularly, the popular parts of the industry), where the focus has been to find songs that actually have profound Telugu literature and lyrics in them. I should probably rightly say, 'stumble upon', than 'find' as the chances of finding a well written Telugu song these days is poorer than finding drink-able water in the river 'Musi' in the midst of Hyderabad!

Well, the track in question, "Choosthunna", came out a couple of years ago, in 2011 to be precise, and I've been trying to write this post ever since I first heard it (Yes, I'm 'THAT' lazy at blogging). Its part of the soundtrack composed by Babu Shankar for the film "Mogudu", directed by one of the more impactful directors in the Telugu Cinema scene, Krishna Vamsi. I shall not talk about the 'impact' the movie actually had on its characters (pun intended), let alone the audiences. I digress here, and shall indulge myself with the song.

I can say two things primarily. One, no one can clearly and sufficiently summarize the importance marriage has for Indians, and of course, the Telugu people. The value it commands, the beauty it holds and just the sheer amount of excitement and change it brings to the average Indian life is astounding. Take that and two, make the venerable Sirivennela Seetaramasastry pen words for a song on that. The recipe is alluring enough already! (as alluring as Pulihora (Tamarind Rice) on a festive morning). Word on the street in the industry is if you have a hefty topic to make an allegory on, and you've Seetaramasastry writing the song, the composer is in for a difficult day at the studio!

Thankfully in this case, Shankar carries it off with elegance as he infuses intense melody for the vocal tracks with very subtle instrumentals. The percussion base doesn't tread the traditional Tabla line, with those much exploited tempos and rather maintains a slightly funky electronic-techno note and a faster tempo, with a slight riff on the Tabla playing along constantly. A humble thrum of a guitar keeps company somewhere at the back, but violin takes precedence and majorly has its own duet with the vocals through the song. I absolutely love the way, the violin notes don't exactly follow the same tune as the vocals, but have their own intensity which complements the vocals; which Karthik (the by-default singer for a good song in Telugu these days?) renders with his nonchalant efficiency.

I would probably need a couple or more Ph.Ds in Telugu literature before I can fully be able to comment on the way Seetaramasastry writes. However, what catches my attention is the way this song talks more about how the groom's beginning to feel about the bride and his marriage (which is probably demanded by the film's script), than just generally line up accolades to the process of wedding itself. That lends a more human touch to the entire song, in a way where the groom says that he is just submerged with wonder and curiosity, for the bride and what she's bringing into his life. The words that say that he's finding himself, or a new reflection of his in the bride just drive the point home. The, there are the stanzas, one, talking about the panache she has in the way she's decked up for the wedding and the second, talking about what he would do with her in his life. Each line has a strong motif to a classic element of the Telugu culture, yet figuratively, all these motifs delicately apply themselves back to our average lives. All this talk just makes me go back to school and sit in one of my Telugu classes. (And I'm so glad I got a shot at learning the language academically, while I could).

I'll leave you, fellow language enthusiasts, music lovers and Telugu folks, on that note with a suggestion to go check out the song when you can and if possible, dig up and read the lyrics. I'm sure it'll leave you a smile on the face no less. Meanwhile, I'm off to the usual ranting on the pathetic state of Telugu cinema, its music and literature, with the meager hope of reviving and writing a sequel to this title again!