Part 4

(continued from Part 3)
Sagara Sangamam - Like most of K.Viswanadh's movies, the genius of Sagara Sangamam is how much it is not about the underlying art, as much as it is about it. The year, 1983, was particularly important to the dance mileu, when another remarkable movie, Ananda Bhairavi, went on to trump Sagara Sangamam for the coveted statuette "bangAru nandi". Though both movies, to a certain extent, deal with the mentor-protege relationship set against similar backgrounds, the music that had been composed to both the movies, cannot be more contrasting. Ananda Bhairavi takes a traditional approach as Ramesh Naidu dips his "swaraalu" and "sangatulu" in "mudralu" and "reetulu" - "chaitramu kusumAnjali", "rA rA rA rAgamai", "sRthikae dhRthi laedA" and many such numbers tread the beaten path of the traditional art, without deviating much from the established accepted norms where traditional dance movies sound only one way (another example, V.Shantaram's classic, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje). Here the emphasis is more on the dance form, as the music serves only as a platform, allowing for the dazzling display to feast the eyes more than the ears. It is just for this same reason that the music in dance movies is remembered less, than its counterpart, in say, movies that revolve around classical music. This very curse of the dance movies on their music, is what that sets Sagara Sangamam apart from its ilk.

Transport the entire setting of Sagara Sangamam into a classical music environment, like Sankarabharanam, and the movie would work just as splendidly, as every care has been taken to a minute degree that the sound should not follow the beaten path of "dhi dhi tai, takiTa tai". The musical template of Sagara Sangamam allowed the lyrics to soar to great heights. The musical pattern of Sagara Sangamam allows the dance bits to be every bit as dramatic. The entire scheme of the score at no point allows itself to dominate the proceedings, just as how Ramesh Naidu's score did in Ananda Bhairavi. When Viswanadh went out of his way to court Ilayaraja to score for Sagara Sangamam, instead of going with his regular, Mahadevan, the intentions of the maker were amply clear that the sound he was looking for was beyond the realm of accepted structure, and Ilayaraja didn't fail him in his choice. Words, which usually take a back seat in dance themed tunes, are allowed to share the pedestal, sometimes even allowed to completely hog the limelight. The opening song "Om namah sivaaya" itself sets the right tone. Veturi's lyrics praising "gaNa"pati (the Lord of pramadha gaNaas) as a "gaNaanka"pati, renders a new dimension in viewing Lord Siva not just as the prime destroyer, but as someone who pervades the entire universe, overseeing everything from sRsTi, sthiti to laya. Veturi's extrpolation of "gaNaanka"pati is, to put it mildly, out of the world.

1 - advaitam, aadi yOgamu
2 - layalu, kAla gamanamu (divamu, niSi)
3 - tri kAlalumulu, naetra trayamu
4 - chaturvaedamulu, praakAramulu
5 - panchabhootamulu, mukha panchakamu
6 - aaru rutuvulu, aahaaryamulu
7 - pArvati tO naDachina aeDu aDugulu, sapta swarAlu
8 - drukkulu, ashTa dikkulu
9 - vAkkulu, nava rasamulu
10 - gAnamu, daSA upanishattulu

Observe how the music for the song caters for all the essential ingredients that drive the purpose of the song - allowing of the words to transcend the situation, the dramatic moments to allow the key behavior, and its primary function - providing the platform for the display of the art form. And that was only the beginning...

The strings of the guitar strum continuously to set the tone. Flute joins in providing a very melodious start off point, handing over the baton back to the guitar. The opening notes of "vae vaela gOpemmala" are as exhilarating as they come. The requirement of the tune is to evoke a sense of childish innocence, a youthful playfulness and yet deliver a deeper meaning beneath the pranks and the play acts. Observe how the charaNams start off at a crescendo and linger there until it is time to come down and settle for the hidden meaning - "vEyi pErulunnavaaDE vEla teerulunnavaaDE, raasa leelalaaDinaaDE raayabaaramEginaaDE" forms the text, while "geetaardha saaramicchi geetalennO maarchEnE, neelamai nikhilamai kaalamai nilichaaDE" stands as the sub-text. Veturi's lyrics constantly alternates between the vastly contrasting moves setting up a frivolous case at the beginning of the stanza ("mannu tinna chinnavaaDE ninnu kanna vannekaaDE") only to reveal the true nature of the act - leela - ("cheeralanni dOchi dEha chintalanni teerchinaaDE"). A classic case of "samvaada rachana", where the lyricist takes both sides of the case and argues with equal gusto. And then there was the dramatics. It was a very tricky situation to start with. The tune cannot be too classical that it cannot lend itself to be choreographed commercially as per the situation, nor could it start off being too commercial that it generates the required innocence and purity need for the situation. Cometh the moment...cometh the man - and the output is a song lending itself to be heralded and degraded at the same time. No mean feat, that.

The lazy breeze of a mid summer night heats up the surroundings and proceedings to just the right temperatures. The whispering silences of the nearby trees comment on the youthful activity scheduled for the moment - "mounamaela nOyi, ee marapu rAni raeyi, edalO vennela, veligae kannula, tArADae hAyilO...". It is quite difficult to answer which ultimately won the contest - the words or the notes - when it comes to lazy, lilting melodies. Do the words, with enough room to live, breathe and infuse energy, come on the top or is it the tune, that has willingly provided the space at its own expense, that needs to be rewarded for its largesse and sacrifice. Such an engaging tussle between the lyrics and the notes is always a welcome sign for both the maker and listener. The song "mounamaela nOyi" is devoid of any orchestral accompaniment. The magical tune, in the able hands of the singers of good repute, Janaki and Balu in this case, attains a haunting quality that is often a rare commodity in telugu film music. Back in the golden age of cinema, an amusing phrase was in vogue that exactly described these kinds of songs - "Daabaa paaTalu" (loosely translating to open terrace songs). Little or no musical accompaniments, very brief interludes, slow pitch of the singers, a tune that is usually drawn out with not too many variations within, generally characterize "Daabaa paaTalu". The most important ingredient that would greatly enhance the enjoyment of the song is that it needs to be listened to on an open terrace, eyes closed, during the nights, preferably alone. "aayegA, aayegA, aayegA, aayegA aanaewaala" from Mahal, most of Rafi romantic solos and renditions, and almost all of the Hindi songs during the 50s, fall under this interesting category. They are not many that come under that category, with only a few making it to the list, in telugu. The ghazal type structure (where the male lover sings longing for his paramour) suits the Hindi format more than it does the telugu variety. And by virtue of its interesting attributes, "mounamaela nOyi" joins the memorable list of "Daabaa pATalu".

Moving on to the business side of things, the 2 songs that truly capture the essence of the art form - "nAda vinOdamu nAtya vilAsamu parama sukahamu padamu", "vaeDam aNuvaNuvuna nAdam" delve more into the dramatic side than explore the nuances of the art. Likewise the dance depicted on the screen isn't traditional in the strictest sense, but as the character explains, is an amalgamation of the important traditional dance forms of the country. The ecstacy emotion (rasAnubhooti) that the notes repeatedly strike in "nAda vinOdamu naTya vilAsamu" compares on par another of Ilayaraja's composition in another's Viswanadh's venture - "andela ravamidi padamuladA", in that, both the songs try to unleash the true feelings of the artist from a more personal level. Veturi's lyrics, particularly "nAda vinOdamu" needs special mention. Expressions like "pramidae laeni pramadhA lOka hima deepam", "Sitagiri charaNam suranari payanam", "tapamuni kiraNam tAmasa haraNam" ascribe a divine feeling relating the celestial dance of Lord Nataraja ("Sivuni nayana traya lAsyam") to the proceedings on the screen. "vaeDam aNuvaNuvuna nAdam" takes a different route though, as it compares the drive within to "sAgara madhanam" to cause to produce the "amRtam" like art that is divine, eternal and blissful, and lives long after the artist has passed on. Veturi's conclusion of the lyrics with a splendid Bhratruhari Subhaashitam "jayanti te sukRtinO rasa siddhA kaveeswarAh, naasti taeshAm yasah kaaye, jarA maraNajam bhayam", translating to, great accomplishers immortalize their lives through their works of art that remain everlasting. Apt words (self) referencing the album Sagara Sangamam and everyone involved - Viswanadh, Veturi and Ilayaraja.

Continued in the next part

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