Playing with words

Bhaskar Bhatla's USP is the use of colloquial language in his lyrics

Many Telugu film journalists are taking up to writing lyrics, dialogues and stories for films. Ravi Kumar is one such film journalist who used his surname Bhaskar Bhatla as a pseudonym and was one of the earliest writers to move to films.

“Many people remark that since I was a movie journalist I took up writing for movies but the fact is to become a movie writer I took up Telugu film journalism,” says Bhaskar.

Bhaskar Bhatla says talent isn't just enough to obtain projects one must have a good reputation for meeting deadlines, answering phones and responding to messages immediately. There could be top writers in the field but producers approach you because you are easily accessible, have a good rapport and also because they might be inhibited and uncomfortable communicating with a senior writer.

He says he has his own loyal clients and what matters to him is not the ranking but whether he is being paid on time and whether he is deriving satisfaction from his work. Bhaskar is sought after for his lyrics and terminology. He uses the colloquial language used mostly by the youth. . He has a penchant for the language spoken by villagers in various districts.

The lyricist is happy about movie aficionados giving a thumbs down to double entendre lyrics from the past ten years and attributes it to increase in education, awareness, understanding and exposure to philosophy, poetry and its new expressions.

“I was not embarrassed writing

Ippatikinka navauysu.ninda padahare for

Pokiri , directors do tell us to add masala. You can give them what they want by not being crude. A writer has responsibility though cinema doesn't,” he avers. He has worked with Puri Jagannath for 15 films in a a row.

After wrapping up his 700th song with Teen Maar , Veera and Kandireega, he has taken up fresh assignments for Madatha Kaja, Kodi Punju, Damarukam , a Balakrishna's film and Nageswar Reddy's project.