Kannada lyricist and director Geetapriya who wrote over 250 immortal songs and directed 40 films tells Deepa Ganesh that his love for Kannada poetry brought him to the film industry. Money never came his way, but he cared more about giving his best to his work

The man who put a song on everyone’s lips, Kannada lyricist and director Geetapriya has lost his voice. Frail and weak, he walks into the living room of his house, gesturing that he has no voice to speak. With over 250 songs and 40 films to his credit, Geetapriya was a sought-after person in the Kannada film industry. In a career that spanned six decades, he directed some of the top actors of the industry and launched several others. When you meet him now, it is hard to imagine that this is the same man who filled the Kannada film industry with a charm and grace that was so unique to him. He is brimming over with memories, but when his voice pins him down, his actions overtake words.

Geetapriya’s original name is Lakshman Rao Mohite; his pen name came to stay and the world knows him as Geetapriya. His father worked for the cavalry regiment of Mysore State Troops, the imperial service called Mysore Lancers, which was stationed in Bangalore. Marathi was his mother tongue, but his love for Kannada poetry knew no bounds. “I studied in a Kannada school, and Kannada literature classes was something that I loved most,” recalls Geetapriya, as his voice tosses him between a croak and words marked by the complete absence of sound.

The great Kannada poet Pu.Ti. Narasimhachar lived in the same quarters as Geetapriya’s family did and the poet’s daughter was his classmate. Pu.Ti. Na’s poetry mesmerised Geetapriya, and till date remains his favourite poet. He read voraciously – Shivaram Karanth, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar, Ta.Ra. Su, Aa. Na.Kru… — and was inspired by them. He began to try his hand at writing right from his middle school days and sent his poems and short stories to magazines like Taayinaadu, Ramarajya and others. Bellave Narahari Shastry, the Kannada scholar was his father’s friend, and Geetapriya often went to him with his writings.

His mind may have taken solace in the creative realms, but Geetapriya’s reality hardly offered any comfort. They were a large family of eight members and there was always a paucity of resources. “I completed my CA intermediate even as I took up small writing assignments. But this wasn’t enough. I began to look for a job and found one as a clerk in Cubbon Park restaurant.” Geetapriya had a brief association with Kannada theatre in his student days and it was here that he became friends with Vijaya Bhaskar and M.B. Singh. “We all acted together in plays,” he says, chuckling. When Geetapriya got a job, all his friends came to the restaurant and since working in the film industry was their collective dream, they discussed for hours. “Kalyan Kumar, cameraman N.G. Rao everyone would be there. One day, Vijay Bhaskar said ‘give up your job, let’s work together in a film. N.G. Rao has decided to make one.’ I couldn’t do it because my salary of Rs. 35 was very crucial to the family. I worked very hard. I would leave home by 5.30 a.m. and return at 11 in the night. But Vijay Bhaskar kept insisting. I decided to tell my mother. She looked worried for a few minutes, and said ‘Do what you like most’…” Vijay Bhaskar promised Geetapriya that every month Rs. 40 would be handed over to his mother, and he lived up to it. “Till my mother passed away she would remember how Vijay Bhaskar personally came every month to hand over the money for one full year till the film was complete.” With Shri Rama Pooja in 1954 Geetapriya made his entry into the film world. “After the film, Vijay Bhaskar had told me that whenever he got a chance to compose music for a film, he would make sure that I was the lyricist….,” said Geetapriya, going into a poignant silence as words fail him.

Geetapriya, like all other artistes of the Kannada film industry, moved to Madras. He worked with Y.V. Rao for the film Bhagya Chakra, wrote dialogues and songs. Ramanjaneya Yuddha in 1963 became a super hit what with songs like “Jagadishanaduva Jagave Natakaranga”, and this was followed by the film Onde Balliya Hoovugalu for which Mohammed Rafi sang “Neenelli Nadeve Doora” and “Aadutiruva Modagale” for the film Bettada Huli.

In Koodambaakam in Madras, it was the practice of all the Kannadigas to meet and chat over coffee and snacks. Geetapriya met thespian Rajkumar, Narasimharaju, Balakrishna and others during these meetings and became good friends with them. “I had a story in my mind. One day, I narrated it to Rajkumar. He immediately said it was a very nice story and it should be made a film with him acting in it. That was a great moment for me,” recounts Geetapriya. Over the next one year, Geetapriya finalised the script for his first directorial venture Mannina Maga. But there was no money, a set would easily cost 50-60,000 rupees. “Rajkumar had said he would drop everything and come when I was ready to start. Someone told me of a house in Sadashivnagar which could be used for shooting. With trepidation, I told Rajkumar about this and he agreed without a second thought. “We also shot in a village Pichchalli and had booked accommodation in the Nandi Hills. Rajkumar wanted to stay in the village itself, and as long as our shooting schedule was on, he stayed there. The simplicity of yesteryear actors is unbelievable…,” says Geetapriya. The making of the film also got stretched because of lack of finances and when it was finally released in 1968, it ran for more than 100 days in Bangalore’s Kapali and Bharath theatres. To this day, the songs of the film “Idena Sabhyate” and “Bhagavanta Kai Kotta” remain the Kannadiga’s favourite.

Geetapriya recalls many fond moments from his industry days. Vishnuvardhan had great regard for him, and when he was making the film Hombisilu, Geetapriya had problems with Vishnuvardhan’s body language. Hesitatingly, he told Vishnuvardhan, who had already made a name for himself. “I will do as many times as you want till you like it,” the actor had said going through the rehearsals with total commitment. “The way Balakrishna, Narasimharaju and Rajkumar would practice their lines! They would try it in so many different ways before they got it right. It was a pleasure to work with them,” he remembers.

Geetapriya wrote a variety of songs. He could write romantic songs like “Premavide Manadi” and “Besuge”; equally convincingly he could write “Gopi Lola”, “Gudiyaliruva Shilegalella” and the like. “I would imagine myself as the character that was singing the song. That perhaps made it possible,” he explains. Earlier, with Vijay Bhaskar and T.G. Lingappa, a song would be composed, but with the entry of composers like Satyam, the song had to be written to a tune. “This was difficult. It curbed free flowing imagination. Eventually, we got used to it…”

With a long career, hundreds of songs and so many films, including three in Tulu, Geetapriya’s earning hardly matched his output. “They gave us Rs. 50 for a song. For direction I used to get Rs. 1000. I never asked for more, just took what came my way. It was so important to earn a good name that nothing else mattered to me. Yes, I have suffered because of that…,” he says his voice completely fading. But the next instant, as he takes me through his album his face brightens with good cheer.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review> Music / by Deepa Ganesh / Bangalore  – April 11th, 2014

Venugopal and Shylaja run an unusual music magazine from Mysore, Ragamala. This stunningly produced publication will be out with its third volume on April 6

Venugopal teaches statistics at Maharani’s Science College, Mysore. Shylaja teaches English at Government First College, Nanjanagud. Apart from their interest in history, economics and women studies, the couple are music lovers. In 2013, the duo started a niche magazine on music, Ragamala. Stunningly produced, the magazine predominantly features articles that are translated from English to Kannada. The magazine digs into the archives of musical history and brings together a whole lot of views on music and musicology, written by musicians, litterateurs and musicologists at different points of history, apart from a rich treasure of photographs. While their first issue was on Pandit Ravi Shankar – Godfather of World Music, the second is Kelu Janamejaya, collating ideas on listenership. The third magazine will be released on April 6, which is a collection of articles by Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, Sahaspandana. Ragamala, as it is evident from its content and design, is a magazine that is striving to be serious, unlike other music magazines that have walked the hall of fame and currently run on reputation.

Excerpts from an interview:

When and how did the idea of this music magazine come about?

The idea of Ragamala took shape during informal discussions with Sarod maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath. He felt that something worthwhile about music should be brought out in Kannada. He was particular that it had to be on music and not the musician because majority of the writings are on the musician. These discussions led to the birth of Ragamala. It was exactly at this time that Sitar maestro PanditRavishankar passed away. By default the first issue of Ragamala was on him. Classical music like any other classical art form needs some initiation and training. It is important to understand what to listen for in music. With this in mind, Rajeevji conducted two sessions of guided listening – one on music in general and another exclusively on listening to instrumental music. This formed the background for the second book “Kelu Janamejaya” about music listening.

As editors what do you perceive as the problems of putting together and bringing out a niche magazine like this?

Basic problem is we are new to this type of scholarship. Creating abstraction of music through language is very challenging. Serious scholarship on music is also less in Kannada.

What kind of response has the magazine elicited? Are the readers of your magazine connoisseurs of music or has it attracted general public too? Did you have a target audience in mind?

First we thought of reaching people who are already into music and have a dialogue with them through Ragamala and its activities. It was a pleasant surprise that many from general public, who were from different backgrounds responded very positively to the book. In fact, some told that the series created a confidence in them that classical music is not beyond them. But our readership is very limited.

Your magazine deals with both Hindustani and Carnatic music. The first issue is on Pandit Ravishankar and the second deals mostly with Carnatic. Do you have an editorial advisory team? How do you decide what goes into an issue?

We don’t have a formal editorial board. Ours is a loose group. We discuss with people who are very well versed in their respective fields and in the process many ideas come. If an expert in a particular area of music is capable of editing a particular issue and willing to help us then we prefer to entrust him/her with the responsibility of that issue. For instance, one of the forthcoming issues is on the music and musical experiments of Pandit Rajeev Taranath. We have requested Dr. Krishna, a professor of English and a disciple of Rajeevji to edit that issue. This will make the book really worthy. In fact, the issue on music listening started with the idea of documenting guided listening programme. Finally it resulted in something different. Shylaja is initiated into Carnatic music formally. We are ardent listeners of both Hindustani and Carnatic music.

Your second issue, Kelu Janamejaya is about listenership. Has it undergone a major change in the recent times?

Yes, many are attracted to classical music. The question is more about the quality of listeners. Once we start learning the rules of the game, we can appreciate the game better. Musicians need informed listeners. Like culture, taste is also acquired over a period of time.

Your next issue is a collection of articles by T.M. Krishna in Kannada.

We feel that the questions T.M. Krishna has been raising can’t be ignored. They are very crucial. Definitely they will expand the horizon of our understanding of Carnatic music. His articles on GNB, Kishori Amonkar can be considered a model for music criticism. His thoughts on bhakti, dharma, gender, caste are very vital and we feel that there is an urgent need to address these issues. It is perhaps the right time too. We agree with TMK’s view that now Carnatic music is safe, it has guaranteed audience and now we can take the risk of discussing these issues.

I feel that the magazine doesn’t give details about the source of its articles and photographs. Historical details are important for us to map the movement of history itself.

We totally agree with you. Historical details are important. We are also learning in the process and trying to correct ourselves. The second book has the list of source materials at the end of each article. We need to be more meticulous. It is a process of learning for us too.

(For copies, write to CH-73, 7th Main, Saraswathipuram, Mysore – 570009)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review> Music / by Deepa Ganesh / Mysore – April 03rd, 2014

This evening, Bangalore home boys Thermal and a Quarter are all set to show their very first movie. It is titled WFW/DFD, and will be screened at B Flat, Indiranagar at 9 pm.

Bruce Lee Mani, the frontman, gives us a devilish laugh before telling us he cannot reveal the meaning behind the title. “You might find out when you watch the movie, even though it’s not explicitly spelt out. But you just might,” he teases.

“It’s a very simple movie. It’s not a full length feature film, it’s neither fiction nor a documentary. It basically aims to showcase the work of artistes and their life, what it’s like to be in this line of work,” he explains.

He says artistes are constantly questioned by people who tell them it’s not a real job they are doing, and they will never make any money. “Basically, the film is about making a life in the arts and what it does to you,” Bruce says.

40 days in UK

The movie has been almost entirely shot in the UK, while the band was touring last year, doing 30 gigs there in 40 days. While the movie was directed by the band, the man behind the lens was the band’s close friend and publicity photographer, Harmit Singh.

“He traveled along with us and shot footage every day. We didn’t really anticipate a movie to come out of it. But once we were back, and we looked through the footage, we realised we had something. The experience of the festival motivated us into doing this,” he says.

The band has no clue what they’ll do with the 30-minute movie after this Saturday, but they plan to find out along the way.

The screening will be followed by a gig, featuring quite a few covers. “The gig is also connected to the movie in some way. We’re going to play some obscure songs by well known bands and then some obscure songs by some obscure bands,” informs Bruce.

The gig will featue an addition to the three man group, with Ramanan Chandramouli, from the now defunct band The Bicycle Days, taking on guitar duties.

WFW/DFD, B Flat, Indiranagar, 6.30 pm

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Shyama Krishnan Kumar – Bangalore / April 05th, 2014

 Bangalore :

Actor and playwright Girish Karnad on Wednesday launched the second edition of Carnatic musician T.M. Krishna’s book ‘A Southern Music – The Karnatik Story’ published by Harper Collins . He was joined in the release function by Capt. Gopinath for a felicitatory address, while Gopalkrishna Gandhi read a few portions from the book.

After the official release, Mr. Karnad opened his talk by saying, “When I saw T.M. Krishna teach students on YouTube and heard him say, ‘Just as an engineer or doctor, it doesn’t take anything more to be a musician too. But how you take your role across is what it matters,’ I thought the meaningful musician in him came across,” said Mr. Karnad, observing that Mr. Krishna was not “just a great musician, but a thinker who had soaked existing musical traditions while authoritatively questioning irrelevant ones.” The book steered beyond the music sphere and enveloped life itself, said Mr. Karnad. Capt. Gopinath said that the book wasn’t just for music connoisseurs but any lay person who wanted to know this “inclusive world”.

“It took me three months to figure out what I wanted to write, but once I had the form within me, I had to say the things that were within me, ” said Mr. Krishna.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Ranjani Govind / Bangalore – March 26th, 2014