I recently caught a few scenes from SS Rajamouli’s Simhadri on TV. Some showed the hero hacking bad people. Some others showed the savior promising more bloodshed. Some scenes had crowds in them cheering the violence. All may have been cheered by the crowds involved in making and watching them. A day before that I [...]
Posts under ‘Telugu’
ఝుమ్మంది నాదం
My introduction to Veturi began with the ETV programme ఝుమ్మంది నాదం years ago. I was so overwhelmed with his repertoire that whenever I heard an interesting song – సరళమైనవి, లోతైనవి, చిలిపివి, గమ్మత్తైనవి, అద్భుతమైన భూతులున్నవి – whose writer I didn’t know, I attributed it to him. I still do and I might continue to for songs [...]
Premarital Choices of Telugu Heroines
A few decades ago every ravishing vamp was made to die, either directly killed by the villain or during her own attempt to rescue someone following her remorse and newfound respect for “our values”. When a supporting character “slipped her leg” in her blind love for the not-so-good guy, towards the end either she died [...]
ఇందిరమ్మ ఇంటిపేరు కాదుర గాంధి
Despite Sirivennela’s signature lyricality and SPB’s towering voice, I was disappointed by the song. One. I think music directors should experiment with other voices for such songs. While his voice adds more weight, SPB’s intonation has become overly familiar and I fail to feel a pleasant surprise, or a did-you-hear-that jolt like in this particular [...]
నేను నీకై పుట్టినానని
Many of Jandhyala’s songs in his early movies gelled well with the situations – especially songs like pisinAri sangham jindAbAd. The other three songs in chanTabbAyi – uttarAna lEvandi dhruva nakShatram, nEnu prEma pUjAri and aTlAnTi iTlAnTi hIrOnikAnu nEnu – are all situational. I think they are easier to write. The one below is a [...]