Producer V L Narasu was waiting at his Narasu Studios in Guindy, Madras, for music maestro Saluru Rajeswara Rao. He was remaking Gyan Mukherjee’s Hindi super hit, Kismet (1943), in Telugu ( Bhale Ramudu ) and Tamil ( Premapaasam ). He had signed Vedantam Raghavaiah to direct both the versions and Saluru Rajeswara Rao to compose the music.
ANR on board
Akkineni Nageswara Rao, when he heard that Kismet was being remade in Telugu, desired to be the lead actor in it, because ever since he saw Kismet years earlier, he wished to reprise his idol Ashok Kumar’s role if the movie were to be produced in Telugu. His wish came true when the role was eventually offered to him. Brushing aside friends’ reservations that the role of a thief might not suit his image, ANR went ahead and signed the film. Gemini Ganesan was chosen for the Tamil version and Savitri played the female lead in both the movies. ‘Sathavadhani’ Vempati Sadasivabrahmam was entrusted with the job of writing the dialogues and lyrics. As the music sessions for Bhale Ramudu (1956) were being held at that time, Narasu sent his production manager K Balajee (later day popular Tamil actor and producer) to bring the music maestro.
As soon as Rajeswara Rao alighted from the car, Narasu’s face lit up, for reasons beyond his film’s music session. A lover of Carnatic music, Narasu Iyer requested Rajeswara Rao to sing any one of the ragas before the actual composing session began. Interestingly, Rajeswara Rao, a student of Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu and who also honed his skills under stalwarts such as Musiri Subramanyam Iyer, gladly obliged, and took everyone in the composing room into ecstasy, with his rendition of the Kalyani raga. Narasu’s eyes welled with tears of joy and he remarked, ‘Kalyani raga flows from the genius like amrutham, the divine potion.’ He then gave the song paper to Rajeswara Rao to set it to tune.
In fact, the song paper arrived late that day. The song was placed twice in the movie with slightly altered lyrics. The previous night, Sadasivabrahmam was working on the songs, sitting in the balcony of his home opposite Gowdiya Mutt in Royapettah. His long time associate, Chirravuru Venkatarao, a scholar in Telugu and Sanskrit, was taking down the song while listening to him. The Hindi lyric written by Ramachandra Baryanji Dwivedi better known as Kavi Pradeep (more famous for his patriotic song – Aye mere watan ke logo ) reads:
Dheere Dheere Aa Re Baadal/ Dheere Dheere Jaa/ Meraa Bulbul So Rahaa Hai
Shor gul Na Machaa (sung by Amirbai Karnataki and Ashok Kumar).
Sadasivabrahmam did not find much difficulty in coming up with a matching lyric.
Oho…Oho Meghamaala Neelaala Meghamaala/ Challaga Raavela Mellaga Raavela
“Neither did nannagaru (Rajeswara Rao) find it difficult to set the tune. Without depending on Anil (Krishna) Biswas’ Hindi tune, he made an original composition. Perhaps the kacheri (concert) he had done at the behest of V L Narasu Iyer before the music sessions, inspired him,” recalls S Ramalingeswara Rao, eldest son of Rajeswara Rao.
The scenes
When her younger sister Tara (Girija) says that she is not able to get sleep, Rupa (Savitri) sings her the lullaby-like song (in the melodious voice of P Leela). Ramakrishna (ANR) listens to the song from the drawing room.
Eeleela Dudukuthanamela/ Voorukove Meghamaala Vurumuthaavela Meravagaanela/ Challaga Raavela Mellaga Raavela/ Gootilona Ramachiluka Nidurapothondi/ Chiluka Bediripothondi/ Voorukove Meghamaala.
Ramakrishna steals a diamond necklace from the villain, Nagabhushanm’s (CSR) house and sells it to a jeweller. On knowing that the necklace belongs to Rupa, he brings it back from the jeweller. When he comes to give it to Rupa, she is taking a nap in a chair in the sit-out. Ramakrishna quietly adorns the necklace on her neck and sings in Ghantasala’s euphonious voice,
Oho Meghamaala Neelala Meghamaala/ Challaga Raavela Mellaga Raavela/ Vineela Meghamaala/ Nidurapoye Ramachiluka Bediripothundi Kala Chediripothundi.
Rupa wakes up, touches the necklace which surprises her, looks around with joy and sings (in P Leela’s voice): Aasalanni Tharakalugaa Haaramonarinchi/ Alankaramonarinchi/ Maaya Chesi Manasu Dochi Paaripothaava, Donga Paaripothaavaa/ Challaga Raavela Mellaga Raavela.
The song, which starts as a soothing lullaby, soon turns into a mellifluous duet. Bhale Ramudu was a big hit and the song, a bigger hit as it crosses the six-decade mark.
