Some noted personalities connected with the film industry provided an inner view of Bapu, the artist and film maker, at a programme organised by the Visakha Rasajna Vedika here on Sunday evening. The programme was named Bapu…O Nirantara Gnapakam, said president of the Vedika G. Raghurama Rao.Critic V.A.K. Ranga Rao recalled many episodes of his association with Bapu and the artist’s friend Mullapudi Venkata Ramana and the arguments he had with them. Leonardo Davinci, who painted Monalisa and whose smile is still a mystery, was an expert in many fields and Bapu born after many centuries too had many qualities, Mr. Ranga Rao said, but both were great in their own right. “The films of Bapu and Ramana which I did not like were hits and the one, I liked Gorantadeepam, flopped. Ramana would always tease me that I did not like Mutyalamuggu”, Mr. Ranga Rao recollected.
He said that he had also argued with the duo for changing lyrics of famous poets, like in the case of Sankarambadi’s ‘Maa Telugu Talliki Mallepoodanda’ in which ‘Amaravati Guhalu’ line was changed. Writer and film actor Gollapudi Maruthi Rao said Babu’s movies were interpretation, Raghavendra Rao’s were narration and K. Viswanath’s were feeling.
Film lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja spoke. Rambhatla Nrushimha Sarma, who compiled a booklet ‘Bapu…O Nirantara Gnapakam’ explained how it took shape.
