Shreemani is known to be a director’s delight. The Chirala-born lyricist not only dishes out a variety of songs within the deadlines given to him, but also writes many versions of a song. Which explains how he has written over 300 songs in a short span of time. Now he enters the big league with Vamsi Paidipally’s Maharshi .
This isn’t the first time Shreemani has got a single card (all the songs in a film are penned by him) for a film; he wrote all the songs for 100% Love, Tholi Prema, Mr Majnu and Srinivasa Kalyanam . But Maharshi is giving him a new high. Talking about the reception to his work as soon as the Maharshi jukebox was out, he says, “A lyricist feels energised when a song — irrespective of whether it’s in a small or big film — is liked by all people. I wrote all the eight songs in Maharshi to suit various moods and situations in it. Each song has its own priority and depth. ‘Idhe Kadha Nee Kadha’ (The soul of Rishi), ‘Padara Padara’ and ‘Choti Choti Batein’ are being lauded.”
Narrating through lyrics
While ‘Choti Choti Batein’ sounds like a generic friendship song, he says it comes in an important phase in the movie. In ‘Padara Padara’, the audience will see Rishi (Mahesh) aspiring nothing less than the best for himself. Through the lyrics, we understand that after reaching his goal, he realises that success is more than materialistic value and its true nature lies in its emotional depth. Shreemani explains, “When there are no people to share your happiness and achievements with, there is no purpose of that success. So Rishi goes to a village to solve a problem for a friend. The friend is a farmer and Rishi, who has not experienced this atmosphere, takes up the plough. Director Vamsi Paidipally wanted the intensity to be conveyed in simple language; he said the standard of the song should be high but the meaning should be easily understood. So I describe the situation as the hero being inspired to take up a plough, when a blade of grass teaches a lesson and the sky comes down. I was asked to write only one song. But later, I was asked to write the remaining songs too.”
‘Pala Pitta’, he says, is a mass number. He explains that ideally, there is no space for romance in this story. The protagonist sacrifices his love to achieve his goal. When he wants that love back and makes an attempt, this folk song emerges. Shreemani describes ‘Everest Anchuna’ as an exaggerated version of the hero’s ambition; as one sees in the trailer, the hero wants to rule the world.
The lyricist says that unlike his songs in Geetha Govindam that were more general, in the case of Maharshi the audience comes to know the story through them, which is perhaps why the audio release was planned closer to the film’s theatrical release.
Shreemani also has an interesting perspective about a song being successful: “Many people think that a song goes to a higher level if the film becomes a hit or a hit song can make a film succesful. I don’t think it has anything to do with a film’s success. My songs for the film Sega (Telugu version of the Tamil film Veppam ) were a big success though the film did not fare well at the box office. I was flooded with compliments for it and director Trivikram gave me a few opportunities.”
Wise with words
Shreemani’s strength lies in his good Telugu vocabulary. He shares that he reads a book every day; the language and similes used by well-known writers are of immense help and improvise his writing. No one in his family has a literary or music background, but he has been subconsciously influenced by a regular reading of epics and stories of mythology by his folks at home. This is perhaps where his love for the written word began.
There are at least 100 aspiring writers in the film industry. Music buffs are quick to react too; the moment a song is out, there are online reviews. Some listeners even look up a dictionary if they don’t understand a Telugu word. Shreemani recalls, “They looked for a word called ‘Nagamu’ (meaning a mountain), for my song ‘Gaganapu veedhi veedhi’ in Attarintiki Daredhi . People love new expressions. The film industry ensures survival and success when you write a beautiful song. We might have great vocabulary but we need to write in a way that a common man understands. I am glad the number of hero introduction and item songs have come down. They will not disappear entirely but an alternative will be sought.”
