'Maata raani mounamidi': Rising to the challenge

The song written by Veenelakanti and composed by Ilayaraja has a unique literary structure

Vennelakanti Rajeswara Prasad maintains that the romanticism of ‘Maharshi’ elevates the musical experience

It is now history. The combination of music maestro Ilayaraja and author-turned-filmmaker Vamsy has churned out many a memorable hit song. One such song was, maata raani mounamidi from ‘ Maharshi ’ (1988), produced by ‘Sravanthi’ Ravi Kishore. It was penned by the then upcoming lyricist, Vennelakanti Rajeswara Prasad. Popularly known as Vennelakanti, he had quit his bank job to pursue a career in films and, started his journey as a song writer with ‘ Sri Ramachandrudu ’ (1986).

“I think it was my fourth song and the first with Ilayaraja,” recalls Vennelakanti, as he speaks about the song from Maharshi which gave his career a boost. “When Vamsy garu narrated to me the scene, I felt it was not one of those regular commercial movies for which I was writing. The hero, madly in love with the heroine, knowing fully well that she is already married, corners her, forces her to sit opposite him and just stares at her. His adoration towards her has not diminished even a wee bit. Vamsy asked me to pen through the lyric the feelings that run in the minds of the hero and the heroine at that moment.”

Song effect

Instead of heavily loaded emotional dialogues, Vamsy and his fellow screenplay writers – Vemuri Sathyanrayana and Thanikella Bharani --preferred a background song to create more effect. Vemuri was also credited with the story, besides being the production designer, while Bharani wrote the dialogues.

“Ilayarajaa had given me the tune, and Vamsy suggested that I write the song in the form of antakshari or mukta pada grastham . And he preferred the latter. The given situation was a critical one as the lines of the hero, who still adores the heroine, should run on a positive note, while those of the heroine, who never loves him, should reflect negativism. Moreover it was not going to be a duet song on the conventional lines. The verses had to bring out their inner turmoil. Above all, one had to stick to the tune given by the maestro, who would never agree to change it a wee bit. If he gives taana , the lyricist has to stick to that and not take the liberty to change it to tananaa . Not an easy task,” smiles Vennelakanti.

He said that when the director asked for a

mukta pada grastham , it was like a celebration. “Such a request is a rarity. When Vamsy suggested it, I felt elated. Because Vamsy himself is a litterateur, he could ask for that. In

mukta pada

grastham , the second line starts with the end word from the first line. And I have written the

pallavi in that

prakriya .”

Maata raani mounamidi

Mouna veena gaanamidi

Gaanam idi nee dhyaanamidi

Dhyaanamulo naa praanamidi

Pranamaina mooga gunde raagamidi

The scene

Maharshi (played by debutant Raghava) is an affluent riff-raff college student. His life changes after his classmate, Suchitra (Nishantha- original name Shanti Priya) slaps him for his wrong deed. He falls in love with her but she loathes him. Suchitra marries her childhood friend Inspector Tilak (Krishna Bhagawan). Maharshi turns a mental wreck. Unable to forget her, he forcibly enters her house, sternly tells her to sit while he himself occupies a place opposite her and stares at her. His mind wanders into an imaginary world.

Mutyala pallakilo koilamma/ Muddharaboyedi yeppudamma/ Aa paala navvullo vennelamma deepaalu pettedi yennadamma

Maharshi’s emotions find expression through the resonant voice of S P Balasubrahmanyam.

And she replies in the tender voice of S Janaki,

Ee mounam raagaala premaavesam/ yennado okari sontham/ Aakaasa deepaalu jabili kosam/ neekela intha pantham.

But he longs for her. Ningi nela koode vela neeku naaku dooraalela.

The song progresses further. As he yearns to live with her, she distances herself from him while trying to bring him to senses.

Andaraani komma idi/ Komma chaatu andamidi/ Koodanidi jatha koodanidi/ Koodanidi madi paadanidi/ Chepparaani chikkumudi veedanidi.

Interestingly, the song was recorded at the Prasad Studios recording theatre, Chennai, on June 4, 1987. That day happened to be the birthday of S P Balasubrahmanyam. Incidentally, SPB had played a major role in encouraging Vennelakanti in a big way during the early phase of the latter's career. And the wordsmith's talent came to the fore with maata raani mounamidi .