Saturday, October 29, 2011

AGAYAM MAZHAI POZHINJA - DHIKATRA PARVATHI



ANANDA BHAIRAVI, SAHANA, BEHAG, NEELAMBHARI.

Aagayam Mazhai Pozhinja - Dhikkatra Parvathi
Singers:VJ - Music:Veenai Chittibabu

Navatharang's Thikkatra Parvathi(1974) starred Srikanth and Lakshmi. It was directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, and based on a story by Rajaji. The film won the National Award for the Best Tamil Film, and also won the Film Fare Award in the same category, and also fetched the Best Director Award for Singeetam Srinivasa Rao.

"Bharat Ratna" Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (1878- 1972) was a great man in every sense - a zealous patriot, a trailblazing social reformer, perceptive thinker, profound scholar and author. As a writer, Rajaji was awarded the Sahitya Akademy Award. Rajaji's lucid translations of the Ramayana and Mahabharata will find place in most urban Indian households.

His other popular works in English include Baja Govindam, Thirukkural, Upanishads, Hinduism - Doctrine & Way of Life and The Geeta. His book on Marcus Aurelius is held as a celebrated treatise. His "Stories for the Innocent" makes irresistible reading. He has written around 30 books in both English and Tamil. Many of his stories had social messages, espousing eradication of evils like untouchability and dowry system. In Thikkatra Parvathi, he advocated total prohibition, by detailing the havoc caused by drink.

Singeetham Srinivasa Rao (born 21 Sep 1931) is among the most popular directors of Southern India. Thikkatra Parvathi was his second film, Neethi Nijayithi(1972) being his first. After Thikkatra Parvathi, it was Kamal who brought him back to Tamil with Rajapaarvai in 1981. Singeetam's runaway Telugu hit Sommokadidi Sokokadidi(1978) was dubbed in Tamil as Iru Nilavugal. Later Singeetam distinguished himself in films like Pesum Padam, Apoorva Sahodarargal, Michael Madana Kamarajan, Magalir Mattum etc.

He has directed more than 55 films in Telugu, Kannada and Tamil. His latest experiment is an animation feature film, Pentamedia's "Son of Aladdin" (scripted by Mark Zaslove). Singeetam is now excitedly doing the spadework for 3 different movies: a Science Fiction film in Telugu, another film called "Traffic Jam", and Kamal's next film titled "Krishnaleela". Asked about his age, he laughs and says "I think like a 21 year old!".

The music for Thikkatra Parvathi was by the renowned Veena Maestro Dr.Chittibabu. Chittibabu was said to be a child prodigy who gave his first fullfledged performance when he was barely 12 years old. He was trained by the great Emani Sankara Sastri, and blossomed into one of the most acclaimed Veena players of his generation. While his traditional pieces are soul stirring, his innovative works like "Musings of a Musician", "Solitude", "Rhapsody", "Rendezvous & Old Memories", "Fairy tale", "Royal Salute", "Temple Bells/Serenade" etc showcase the genius in all his glory.

Chittibabu was no stranger to Tamil film music. His veenai was the mellifluous backbone of Sridhar's Kalaikkoyil. Thikkatra Parvathi, was perhaps the only film he independently composed music for, and though he gave a wonderful musical structure to the story, his work went largely unnoticed, perhaps due to the film coming a cropper. In fact, VJ was amazed when I mentioned this film and her songs in it!

And Chittibabu chose VJ to sing both the songs that he envisaged for the film, an acknowledgement by one great artiste of another great artiste's talents.

"Aagayam mazhappozhinja aathukku kondattam" is a song that details vividly, stage by stage the joys of expectant motherhood and nature's magic called childbirth. Chittibabu's imaginative composition and innovative interludes make this song a timeless miracle. Each charanam has a different structure; the entire song delights in its unexpected turns. VJ brings such evocative moments to the song, it has to find place among her best efforts. Listen to the exuberance each time she sails into your heart with "Pulla perum kaalam vandhaa ponnukku kondaattam", and let us discover anew this forgotten masterpiece.

http://www.vanijairam.com/Pages/Vani1974.html

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