THE DUET:BOMBAY RAVI AND MALAYALAM

Bombay Ravi transformed Malayalam melody
Bombay Ravi(1926-2012) was born in Delhi.He shifted to Mumbai in 1950.
He was born as Ravi Shankar Sharma.He learnt music listening to the bhajans his father sang.He had no formal training;he taught himself  Harmonium. 
He was a trained electrician.He didn't want to shock anyone;So he went to Mumbai to try his luck in Bollywood.He lived on the streets;Slept at night at the Malad railway station.In 1952,Hemant Kumar asked Ravi to sing backing vocals for Vandematharam in the movie,Anandmath.His musical journey began.Chaudwin ka Chand(1960) made him immortal.

Bombay Ravi

He took a break for 12 years, from 1970.In 1982,he made a come back with Nikaah.Hariharan,a music aficionado,convinced Ravi in 1986 to make his foray into Malayalam ,with Panchagni.Ravi has composed music for only 15 Malayalam movies.Six of them were for Hariharan:Panchagni,Nakhakshatangal(1986),Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha(1989),Sargam(1992),Parinayam(1994),Mayookham(2005).Panchagni,scripted by M T Vasudevan Nair,told the story of a heroine of the erstwhile Naxalite movement,who had to face  grim realities again,while trying to have a normal life.The character had a shadow of the revolutionary,K Ajitha,daughter of Kunnikkal Narayanan from Kozhikode and Mandakini from Maharashtra.It was a Naxalite family.Both the songs from the movie by ONV,replaced cacophony in Malayalam with melody,and became a rage.
SONG1:SAGARANGALE/FILM:PANCHAGNI/YESUDAS

SONG2:AA RATHRI MANJU POYI/FILM:PANCHAGNI/CHITRA

Same year,Hariharan came up with Ravi in Nakhakshathangal.The movie had Guruvayur temple as backdrop.Singer Jayachandran donned an important role in the film and sang two songs:Kevala Marthyabhasha and Vreelabharithayay.There were five songs in the movie.Manjal prasdavum,Neeraduvan Nilayil,Aareyum Bavagayakanakkum are the rest. Ravi got the state award for music director and Chitra won the national award for the best female play back singer for Manjal prasadavum.
SONG3:MANJAL PRASADAVUM/FILM:NAKHAKSHATANGAL/CHITRA
                                                      
  
Ravi gained another national award for Chitra for the song,Indu pushpam in Vaisali(1989).It was another night song after Aa rathri manju poyi...
SONG4:INDU PUSHPAM/FILM:VAISALI/CHITRA

       

Though all the songs in Nakashathangal are still fresh in memory,there is a poem by ONV which is seldom mentioned.
SONG5:VREELABHARITHAYAY/FILM:NAKHAKSHATHANGAL/JAYACHANDRAN
                                                     
 After two Hariharan movies,Ravi composed music for Theertham(1987) directed by Mohan.Usually it is not seen in the list of Ravi movies,because the songs are not available.I have seen the movie,which tells the story of a Nambudiri girl,played by Pallavi Joshi.Maybe the makers of the movie thought it not worthwhile to bring out the record,because two of the songs were  by Nedumudi Venu & chorus.The songs,Ganapathiye Nin Achan and Aathintho,written by my friends,Kavalam Narayana Panicker and Balachandran Chullikkad had absolutely no Ravi touch.It had the typical Kavalam folk touch.A third song,Bas More Nainaan by Alka Yagnik is shown in the credit;the lyrical credit  given to Kavalam and Chullikkad.Very doubtful.I remember only the folk songs.
Coming back to Hariharan movies,Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha had five songs,out of which two,written by poet and administrator(he was Chief Secretary,Kerala;after that  Vice Chancellor)stand out:Chandanalepa sugandham and Kalarivilakku(Chitra).
SONG6:CHANDANALEPA SUGANDHAM/FILM:ORU VADAKKAN.../YESUDAS

Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri  wrote two songs.Indulekha Kan thurannu(Yesudas) and Unniganapthi Thampurane(Chitra,Ashalatha).Indulekha is still remembered.The last,Enthinavidam Parayunnacha was from the folk Vadakkan pattu.
The musical melodrama,Sargam had nine songs,five of them by poet and Krishna devotee,Yusuf Ali Kecheri.1.Kannadi aadhyamayen(Chitra) 2.Pravahame(Yesudas),3.Aandolanam(Yesudas,Chitra),4.Krishnakripasagaram(Yesudas)
5.Sangeethame(Yesudas).Ravi won the state award.
SONG7:KRISHNAKRIPA/FILM:SARGAM/YESUDAS

 

 1994 was the land mark year for Ravi.He got the national award in 1995 for the two movies he did in Malayalam in 1994:Parinayam directed by Hariharan and Sukrutham by Harikumar.Parinayam was based on the caste inquisition of Thatri in 1905.It had four songs,written again,by Yusuf Ali:Vaisakha poornimayo(Yesudas & Chitra versions)2.Samajasancharini(Yesudas,Chitra versions)3.Anjusarangalum(Yesudas)4.Parvanendumukhi.The best in the movie,Samajasancharini was in fact composed by Manoj krishnan,assisting Ravi at that time.Hariharan and Yusuf Ali insisted that Manoj do it-Ravi was absent,but they urgently needed the song.This has been revealed by Yusuf Ali.Manoj from Palakkad,whom I know personally,set it to raga,Kamboji.Manoj,later in 1997,sang Chundathu Thenulla for Ravi in the album,Aavani Kanavukal.In 1998, he sang a solo,Samagana (Yesudas had a version)for Ravi,in Kalivakku.I met Manoj after Yusuf Ali's confession.He did music for a Tamil film later.He played the song by Subha in that film,in his car,for me.That movie didn't see light of day.
SONG8:SAMAJA SANCHARINI/FILM:PARINAYAM/YESUDAS

 
So,to do justice to Ravi,let us listen to him.Another night song:
SONG9:VAISAKHA POURNAMIYO/ FILM:PARINAYAM/CHITRA

 Both movies were scripted by M T Vasudevan Nair.The Back ground score for Sukrutham was done by Johnson who won the national second best music director award the same year.He won the national best back ground score award for Malayalam film too.The movie script took a holistic approach to death,taking a leaf out of MT's own life when he was a journalist.Death is a moment to rejoice.The hero walked toward a running train,detached.Among the four songs,Kadalinnagadhamam is a gem.Lyrics by ONV.
SONG10:KADALNNAGADHAMAM/FILM:SUKRUTHAM/YESUDAS,CHITRA

The last work of Ravi, in Malayalam ,too, was for Hariharan.Mayookham(2005)had six songs,including a sloka,Tha Geha Krithya Niratha sung by Vijitha Jai Ganesh.For the first time,Hariharan himself wrote two songs:Kattinu Sugandham (Yesudas)and Chuvarillathe(Jayachandran).Mankombu Gopalakrishnan wrote,three:Ee Puzhayum(Yesudas),Dhanumasa pularikal(Sujatha) and Bhagavathi Kavil Vacho(MG Sreekumar).We see a waning Ravi here.Ee Puzhayum is the average one among them.It was the Debut movie of Mamta Mohan Das.
SONG 11:THA GEHA KRITHYA NIRATHA/FILM:MAYOOKHAM/VIJITHA

Ace director Bharathan called Ravi for Vaisali(1989) and Padheyam(1993).Though Padheyam is not a good work of Ravi,Vaisali was a land mark.Except Poomullakkattil by Chitra,all songs were hits.It told the Rishyasringa story.I was not aware of the Rishyasringa  temple at Kigga,Sringeri, and that Sringeri got its name from him,at the time when I saw the movie.It seems Bharathan didn't knew either;the movie was shot in Idukki.Kigga itself is amazing - I was there four months back.Vaisali was scripted by MT and Padheyam by Lohitha Das.Actor Gopi was one of the producers of padheyam,a compelling story of an unusual love between a young girl and a senior poet.It was Chippi's debut film.Out of six songs by Kaithapram,only two are remembered:(Chandrakantham kondu(versions of Yesudas & Chitra) and Rasanilavinu Tharunyam.

SONG 12:RASANILAVINU/FILM:PADHEYAM/YESUDAS,CHITRA

 Jayaraj,had assiste Bharathan, for six movies,from,Chilambu(1986).He had met Ravi during the recording of Vaisali.Jayaraj,aptly named his debut movie,Vidyarambham(1990).Three songs in the movie,Uthralikkavile(Yesudas),Poovarambin Thazhe(Chitra) and Pathira kombile didn't click much.Kaithapram,it seems,was not having the same wave length.Uthralikavile, was set to raga,Mohanam;Bhoopali in Hindustani.
SONG 13:PATHIRA KOMBILE/FILM:VIDYARAMBHAM/YESUDAS

The case was different when Yusuf Ali teamed up with Ravi,once again proved by Gazal(1993).Out of nine songs in the movie,Isal Thenkanam and Sangeethame are ever green.
SONG14:ISAL THENKANAM/FILM:GAZAL/YESUDAS,CHITRA

Its original was Mujhe Pyar ki Zindagi dene Wale sung by Rafi and Asha Bhosle in Pyar Ka Sagar.Of course,Hindi tune was also by Ravi.
MUJHE PYAR/FILM:PYAR KA SAGAR/RAFI,ASHA

The best of Yesudas appeared in an unreleased movie,Kalivakku(1998).It was to be directed by either Vinu or Paul Njarakkal.It was also the best of K Jayakumar.
SONG 15:YADUKULA KOKILA/FILM:KALIVAKKU/YESUDAS

SONG 16:GAGANA NEELIMA/FILM:KALIVAKKU/YESUDAS

SONG 17:SAMAGANA LAYA/FILM:KALIVAKKU/YESUDAS

Three songs in the movie,Five Star Hospital(1997), directed by Thaha retained some of the inherent qualities of Ravi:Maranno nee nilavil,Ithra Madhurikumo and Vathil Thurakku Kaalame.It had one song by K G Markose-Anadi Gayakan.Lyrics were by Yusuf Ali.Maranno nee nilavil reminds me of the Naushad songs in Dhwani.
SONG 18:MARANNO NEE/FILM:FIVE STAR HOSPITAL/YESUDAS

 There is nothing home to write about the songs in Manassil Oru Manjuthulli(2000).It was the only movie directed by Mumbai business man,Jaikumar Nair with serial actors Krishnakumar and Praveena in lead roles.Along with M D Rajendran,Suresh Ramanthali too wrote lyrics.
Ravi's only Malayalam album,Aavani Kanavukal (1997)had 10 songs.Six solos of Unni Menon,one duet of Unni Menon with S Janaki,One each of Janaki and Daleema.Both Unni Menon and Manoj Krishnan had their versions of one song,Chundathu Thenulla...
While Ravi was very active in Malayalam,Ousepachan,reputed Malayalam composer,lifted a 1965 Hindi tune of Ravi and used it in the Priyadarshan movie,Megham(1999).
SONG:NJAN ORU PATTU PADAM/FILM:MEGHAM/YESUDAS

SONG:O MERE ZOHRA JABEEN/FILM:WAQT/MANNA DEY

 
Ravi died a  sad man-in his final years,he was harassed by his estranged son,Ajay Shankar and his wife,the Marathi actress,Varsha Usgaonkar.Ravi lamented that his son and his wife wanted to throw him out of his house(The Deccan Chronicle,27 December,2011).Ravi's wife had died in 1986. 
Reference:1.malayalachalachithram.com 2.malayalasangeetham.info.3.My talks with Manoj Krishnan,Ravi's assistant

See my post,THE DUET:BENGALI EMBRACES MALAYALAM
 

  

THE DUET: BENGALI EMBRACES MALAYALAM

Salil-da had another wife, Malayalam was a mistress

Malayalam owes it to the serendipity of Ramu Kariat.In the mid-1960s he was determined to make a cinematic statement. He was mesmerized by the scriptwriter of Do Bigha Zamin(1953) and music composer of Madhumati(1958). Ramu Kariat, Director of the epoch-making film, Chemmeen(1965), met that script writer and composer, Salil Chowdhury. Madhumati had two stalwarts and was scripted by Ritwick Ghatak; its Editor was Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who later edited Chemmeen, Ezhu Rathrikal and Nellu.

 

Salil Chowdhury

It was not music that changed Salil's life; it was the story, Rikshawalla that he wrote in the early 50s. His close friend Ritwick Ghatak wanted to make it into a film. But when Bimal Roy visited Kolkata, Ritwick made Salil tell him the story. It was shot in Hindi in 1953 as the famous Do Bigha Zamin. Bimal Roy wanted initially Salil to write the script only but was asked to do the music later. Rickshawalla finally made in Bengali in 1955 was a flop. His debut in Bengali was Poribortan(1949).It had a chorus and a solo,Abujh manre bal morey.Debabrata Biswas, whom he knew from the Indian People's Theatre Association(IPTA )days, sang the debut song for him(source: Wikipedia). Debabrata had sung some of Salil's protest songs.Mahabharoti(1994) was Salil's last  Bengali movie.

Salil Chowdhury(1922-1995) was born in Kothaliya, Sonarpur in the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal; it was also the birthplace of Subash Chandra Bose. Salil spent his childhood in the village, of Harinavi. His father, Dr Gyendra Mohan Chowdhury was working in a tea garden in Assam. The childhood days Salil spent in Assam made him a musician. His father had inherited a lot of Western classical records and a gramophone from the departing Irish doctor. Salil listened to Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Tchaikovsky. He heard the chirping of birds in the jungles and listened to Assamese folk music. Mozart, who died at 35 and created six hundred compositions, was his favourite. He used to joke later that he was Mozart reborn. He taught himself flute. He learnt Piano, violin and Esraj.

He also imbibed progressive ideas from his father who used to stage plays with the coolies and tea garden workers. According to Reghu Chakraborty, Salil's friend and close associate, financial difficulties, pushed Salil to choose music as his vocation. His father, who resigned from his job in Assam, died suddenly. It fell on Salil to look after the family were eight brothers and sisters. When he joined the Bangabashi College in Kolkata in 1944, he became part of the Communist Party. He took part, as a worker in the peasant movement, in the Tebhaga struggle of the Kisan Sabha. At that time,share-cropping peasants had to give half their harvest to the owners of the land; the demand of the tebhaga (sharing by thirds) movement was to reduce the share to one-third. His first protest song was Bheschhe baaner Jale, when he was only 21.

Sabita

Salil joined the IPTA of the Party as a flute player. The song, Kono ek gayer Bodhu he composed when he was 27 became very popular. It infused a new wave to Bengali music. In the mid-sixties, he drifted away from the movement disliked the infighting in the party, the petty jealousies over his success and the Party's attempts to control the artistic content of his work.

One more incident shook his life: he fell out with the singer, Hemant Kumar.

Manna Dey with Sulochana

It was just after the split in the Party that he got the call from Kerala. Chemmen released on 19 August 1965 won the national award for best feature film and Marcus Bartley won the gold for Cinematography at the Cannes Festival. Salil Da introduced Manna Dey to Malayalam, though Manna Dey had married Sulochana of Kannur in Kerala, in 1953. Sulochana rehearsed him for several days to get the pronunciation right. Her father Kumaran had a business in Mumbai. She sang the duet, Ami Tomaro Shongey Bendeehi amaro pran with Manna Dey at a Rabindra Sangeeth recital organized by the Indian Cultural League in May 1948. Manna Dey was teaching Rabindra Sangeeth in Mumbai. Love blossomed."I can claim without the slightest hint of embarrassment that all the love songs I ever sang following our marriage are dedicated exclusively to her," he wrote in his autobiography.

SONG 1: MANASA MAINE VARU/FILM:CHEMMEEN/MANNA DEY

 

Now, let us listen to the Bengali version by Yesudas and Sabita in the 1979 movie, Srikanter Will. Several people are curious why Salil didn't retain, Manna Dey. This is the only song people don't dare to attempt in Kerala-where is the initial humming of Manna Dey when Yesudas attempted?

SONG:NAAM SOKUNTALA TAAR/FILM:SRIKANTER TAAR/YESUDAS,SABITA

Here is the one by Hariharan, for the dubbed version of Chemmeen in Hindi, Chemmeen Lehren(1980). The movie was dubbed into English as The Anger of the Sea.

SONG: PYASA HAI MAN KYA KARU/FILM:CHEMMEEN LEHREN/HARIHARAN

The original of Puthanvalakkare is, Bagh Mein Kali Khili in the 1965 Hindi movie, Chand aur Suraj.

SONG: BAGH MEIN KALI/FILM: CHAND AUR SURAJ/ASHA BHOSLE

Kadalinakkare was based on the Bengali folk song,Hay,Hay,Herilam by Nirmalendu Chowdhury.Salil da wanted Lata Mangeshkar to sing Kadalinakkare; She had a fever, so, Yesudas lent the voice!

SONG: HAY HAY HERILAM/NIRMALENDU CHOWDHURY

   

Salil Da composed music for 70 Hindi,41 Bengali and 27 Malayalam movies and one Malayalam album.111 songs in Malayalam. Out of 27, four were background scores: Abhayam(1970), Dweep(1977), Vellam(1984)and Vasthuhara(1991). After Chemmeen, the next in Malayalam was Ezhu Rathrikal(1968), directed again by Ramu Kariat. It had the Bengali, Kamal Bose, as a Cameraman. Lyrics again by Vayalar Rama Varma. The song, Kaadaru Masam by KJ Yesudas is still fresh.

SONG 2:KAADARU MASAM/FILM:EZHURATHRIKAL/YESUDAS

 

But the rendering of a five-line poem, evoking the depth of night, by PB Sreenivas is haunting. It has no percussion, only the piano chords to seize the mysteries of the night. The only song PB Sreenivas did for Salil is my favourite. The lyric is unique.

SONG3:RAATHRI,RAATHRI/FILM:EZHU RATHRIKAL/PB SREENIVAS

I remember  Kakkakarumbikale sung by Yesudas, Anto, KP Udayabhanu and Latha Raju too. The song, Makkathu Poyvarum was composed by Latha's mother, Santha P Nair in Salil's absence. Salil scored background music for the 1970 movie, Abhayam directed by Ramu Kariat. The music was by Dakshina Moorthy. It had 13 songs/poems.

For the first time, ONV Kurup teamed up with Salil Da for Swapnam (1973) directed by Babu Nanthancode. Madhu and Nanditha Bose were the leading pairs. All five songs are still remembered: 1. Mane Mane 2.Kanakuyile 3. Nee Varu Kavyadevathe 4. Sarike, En Sarike 5. Sourayudathil. Babu the director, later left movies and became a priest, with the name, Brother Thoma. His last movie had this name on the credit card. He was an Adayar Film Institute product. He studied Cinematography, and was a tutor in the Institute for a brief period, under T Vaiyadurai, his guru and dept Head. He worked there for two years there as a production manager. Cameraman Nivas and actor Sudheer were his friends. Nivas had been the cameraman for Bharathiraja, and through him, Babu knew Bharatiraja.

His first movie was Dhakam (1972), in Tamil, and it was a flop. He was assisted in the script by Vaiyadurai and K K Raman; Vaiyadurai wielded the camera. The cast included  Muthuraman, Nandita Bose, Sundarrajan, Pandharibai, Rajakokila, Renuka Parvathi, and Jayaseelam. One of the lyricists on the credit card is Bharati- Bharathiraja?

After becoming Brother Thoma, he gave up chappals. He was seen walking barefoot on the Merina beach, in the scorching son. He didn't join any Church and was a self-styled evangelist. He used to deliver public sermons in Nagercoil towards the end. Former minister B Wellington and owner of Madras Cafe, Narayanan decided to launch a movie project with Baby. When they boarded the train from Cochin to meet him in Chennai, he took a train to Kerala, to avoid them. Thus he left filmdom.

SONG4:NEE VARU KAVYADEVATHE/FILM:SWAPNAM/YESUDAS

Original of Mane, Mane was,the 1971 Tarun Banerji Song, Aarderi nei Aschi.

SONG:AARDERI NEI AAMI ASCHI/TARUN BANERJI

It was recycled into Hindi by Salil, using Yesudas, in 1978, for an unreleased film.The song was,Gaa Mann mere gaao Tarane.

  

  

In those days, novels were adapted into movies. Chemmeen by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Abhayam by Perumbadavam Sreedharan and Swapnam by P Kesava Dev. The next film of Ramu Karyat was adapted from Nellu by P Valsala(1974). It was the debut movie of Cinematographer Balumahendra and actor Mohan Sharma. Prem Nazir and Jayabharathi were in lead roles. Jayabharathi was brought in because Saradha refused the role of a tribal woman. Ramu asked K G George, SL Puram Sadanandan and Valsala to write the script. He took portions from the three and re-wrote. Hrishikesh Mukherjee was the Editor again.
There were four songs penned by Vayalar. Though people think that Manna Dey sang only one song, Manasa Maine, he sang, Chemba, Chemba with Jayachandran in Nellu.

SONG5: CHEMBA CHEMBA/FILM:NELLU/MANNA DEY, JAYACHANDRAN

Lata Mangeshkar sang her only song in Malayalam,Kadali,Chenkadali.Yesudas and Madhuri sang,Neelaponmane and Kadu Kuliranu by P Suseela. 

Original of Chemba Chemba was O bhai re bhai from the Bengali movie, Marjina Abdullah(1973).

SONG:O BHAI RE BHAI/FILM:MARJINA ABDULLAH/MANNA DEY

Kadali,Chenkadali was adapted from Sandhya Mukherjee's song, Sajani, Go Sajani.

SONG:SAJANI GO SAJANI/GEETHASREE SANDHYA MUKHERJEE

See the original of Neelaponmane.

SONG:O NEEL NEEL PAKSHI/ GEETHASREE SANDHYA MUKHERJEE(1973)

  
Director N Sankaran Nair used Salil Da's talents for five of his films Leela (1975), Thulavarsham (1976), Madanolsavam (1978), Ee Ganam Marakumo (1978) and Chuvanna Chirakukal(1979). All the songs in Madanolsavam are evergreen hits. ONV once again teamed up with the Kamal Haasan movie, Rasa Leela. Four songs in the movie have stood the test of time;1.Manaykale Thathe 2.Neeyum Vidhavayo 3. Nisasurabhikal 4. Ayilyam padathe penne.

SONG 6:MANAYKALE THATHE/FILM:RASA LEELA/YESUDAS

                                          


But my favourite is Neeyum Vidhavayo by P Suseela because of the lyrical quality. The widow played by Jayasudha asks the full moon, You too a widow?

SONG 7:NEEYUM VIDHAVAYO/FILM:RASA LEELA/P SUSEELA
                                       

  

 It was during the research for this post that I  discovered, one song in Thulavarsham, Swapnadanam  Njan, was written by my former colleague, Chovallur Krishnan Kutty. Vayalar wrote,Keli nalinam andYamune Nee Ozhuku .These three were composed by Salil Da. Dakshina Murthy was the other composer. Hema Chowdhury was the heroine.

SONG 8:SWAPNADANAM NJAN/FILM:THULAVARSHAM/S JANAKI

Madanolsavam took Salil da to new heights, with ONV. All six songs were instant hits:1.Madaprave Va 2.Sandhye 3.Mele Poomala 4.Ee Malar Kanyakal 5.Nee Mayum Nilavo 6.Sagarame Santhamaka Nee...Nee Mayum Nilavo is ethereal, and my second favorite of Salil. A rare gem.

SONG 9:SAGARAME/FILM:MADANOLSAVAM/YESUDAS

SONG 10:NEE MAYUM NILAVO/FILM:MADANOLSAVAM/YESUDAS

Mele Poomala was sung by Salil's second wife, Sabita (Banerjee) Chowdhury with Yesudas. Salil had three daughters with his first wife, Jyoti (the marriage was on July 14,1952): Aloka, Tulika and Lipika. In Sabita, two daughters: Antara the singer, and Sanchari and the sons, Sanjoy and Bobby.

Aurina Chatterji, granddaughter of Jyoti, and daughter of Lipika, who lives in Mumbai/Toronto, Says that the Jyoti family used to refer to him as Bapi dadu. He was an infrequent visitor at,16, Hi Krest, Perry Cross Road, Bandra, Jyoti's house. Salil, according to Aurina, was a benevolent ghost. The walls of the house were plastered with his photographs. Salil was a tutor to Jyoti in Philosophy. Malayalees have an answer here, in why he gave only copies to Malayalam. It was definitely an aberration. Vayalar Rama Varma's wife's younger sister, Bharathi, became Vayalar's wife. I have seen the first wife as a domestic servant in my place, Tripunithura. N Mohanan, writer, and son of Lalithambika Antharjanam, who was with the Sahitya Akademi called me once to say that the Akademi has sanctioned a pension to Vayalar's wife. But they found he had another wife.

Aurina Chatterji

Now, we have another revelation in Malayalam by Saraswathi, daughter of Karoor Neelakanta Pillai, writer. She says, there was a proposal from Vayalar. As far as I know, Vayalar loved only one woman, the actress, Ragini, who was married to Madhavan Thampi. I was sitting in the actress, Padmini's home in Chennai, in 1987, talking to her. The children in the colony were playing cricket outside. Suddenly, two girls appeared in the room. One girl, I knew-Amala, is now the wife of Telugu superstar, Nagarjuna. The other girl was dark. Padmini, the one-time heroine of Rajkapur, introduced her as Lakshmi; the daughter of Ragini. The Travancore sisters, Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini, danced and were in the limelight for long. Ragini enjoyed her drinks. A genius may have other relationships. To be frank, the Jyoti branch is better. Aloka was a Professor, liked by her students.


Now I quote Aurina, verbatim:
One day, in our Bapi-bedecked hall, my older cousin told me in conspiratorial tones that Bapi had another wife and he had other children and that is why he lived in Calcutta, and that is why we rarely saw him.

Ramu Kariat

Aurina says then that she was a happily stupid child. She continues: I didn't think of my mother's devastation, nor the stigma of my grandmother in the 1960s in India....he once accompanied Charlie Chaplin on Piano...But for all his generosity, when it comes to the outside world, like so many luminaries before and after him, Bapi was less than exemplary in his personal life. He had abandoned a devoted wife, a wife he had fallen for while he tutored her in Philosophy, a wife he had secretly married much to the chagrin of her Brahmin father, a wife who selflessly clothed and fed and mothered many of the Film and Cinema aspirants who followed Bapi from small town Bengal. He abandoned his three little ones, the musically named Aloka, Tulika and Lipika, who to my shock and eternal admiration, harbour no regret against their deeply loving but absent father. He always disappeared behind the fragrance of his tobacco pipe...

Young Salil

Finally, Aurina asks some questions about him if he were alive now: What was it like to hide in toilet holes to escape the British? Did you really think Stalin was a good man? How about Brezhnev? Can you teach me how to create harmonies? What are your thoughts on Putin? What do you think of the CPI(m) now?
(Salil died when Aurina was 12)

Salil with pipe

 
SONG11:MELE POOMALA/FILM:MADANOLSAVAM/YESUDAS,SABITA

Sankaran Nair's Ee Ganam Marakumo saw the ONV-Salil combine again hitting the charts. The four songs in the movie are still known 1. Ee kaikalil 2.Kalakalam 3.Onapoove,Omal Poove 4.Rakuyile Urangoo...

Salil again tried Sabita with Yesudas.Rakuyile Urangoo had its original in Raat kuheli in the Bengali film,Rai Bahadur.Its Hindi version is  Chaand Kabhi in Sapan Suhane.

SONG 12: RAKUYILE /FILM:EE GANAM MARAKUMO/YESUDAS, SABITA

 For Salil,1975 was successful. Three commercial directors, Kunchako, Bhim Singh and P A Thomas commissioned him, proving  Salil a huge success in mainstream Malayalam Cinema. Kunchako invited him for Neelaponman,  Bhim Singh for Ragam and PA Thomas for Thomasleeha. It is also amazing to note that Kunchako used Marcus Bartley as the Cameraman for Neelaponman.A Cannes winner for Kunchako!The three songs out of five, penned by Vayalar are still hits:1.Kaadu Karutha Kadu 2.Kilu kilum 3.Theyyam Theyyam Thare.Theyyam Theyyam was based on his Bengali classic, Dhitang dhitang bole sung by Hemant Mukherjee(1954). Lata Mangeshkar's version followed in Aawaz (1956).

SONG:DHITANG DHITANG/HEMANT KUMAR

Salil met Hemant Kumar for the first time, in the house of Debabrata Biswas, in the early 40s. After joining the Communist Party in 1946, Salil spent most of his time in Jashoda Bhavan, where he took part in political discussions. In one such discussion, Krishno Bandopadhyay suggested to Salil to request Hemant to sing his songs. Salil met Hemant at his Indra Roy Road residence 1n 1948. The party had become illegal after the Calcutta Thesis. Hemant asked Salil to come up with something new since it was a difficult time. Salil went back and finished the half-written song.Kono ek Gayer Bodhu was born.Salil went underground; Hemant himself recorded it as a Puja number was a sensation.

SONG:KONO EK GAYER BODHU/HEMANT KUMAR

Its tune was copied in the 1979 film, Devadasi by Salil himself.

SONG 13: ORU NAL VISANNERE/FILM: DEVADASI/YESUDAS

Sharmila Tagore was there in Chuvanna Chirakukal.Among the four songs by ONV, people remember two. Neeyoromal was based on the 1973 Bengali song, Nayone tari from, Pasher Bari, sung by Dhananjaya Bhattacharya.Parannu poi nee came from, Mone pode Sei, in Antarghat.Hindi version is Kishore Kumar's Man kare Yaad in Aakhiri Badlaa.

SONG 14: NEEYOROMAL KAVYA/FILM:CHUVANNA CHIRAKUKAL/YESUDAS

 
Don't you think, this is a copy of Neelaponmane? Copying a Malayalam song himself!

SONG: NAYANE TARI/FILM:PASHER BARI/DHANANJAYA BHATTACHARYA

                                        
 

ROBERT VADRA,BRASS ,CRASS AND SCRAP

Not Only Vadra,Brass also has an Italian Connection

Brass is an alloy of copper and Zinc.Bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin.But not always tin-it can be arsenic,phosphorous,aluminium,manganese or silicon.Brass is generally used for applications where low friction is required such as locks,gears,bearings,door knobs and musical instruments including horns,bells and saxophone.Its melting point is relatively low:900-940 degree centi grade,like when Robert Vadra lost his temper at a cub reporter.Vadra family was selling brass wares in Moradabad in UP.

Brass was used in Roman coinage and military equipment.So when it comes to military,brass is older than Ottavio Quattrocchi or Bofors gun.Roman coins Dupondi and Sestertii were brass.Hence the Jews boycotted brass.They in Palestine were against Roman authority.As you know,the Roman Governor,Pontius Pilate washed his hands off the famous crucifixion.Not that he was pious.That is politics.

Rahul,Priyanka,Miraya and Robert at Vir Bhumi

Robert Vadra met Priyanka Gandhi when he was 16.She was 13.I have always wondered how he manoeuvered the SPG to meet Priyanka.Once when I happened to enter the SPG ring around V P Singh in Rampur,UP,I had a horrifying time.The one important theory is that Robert's sister Michelle was a classmate of Priyanka;  Robert and Priyanka met at a party.Priyanka's School was Modern School, Delhi.It is not easy to subscribe to this view,though there maybe a speck of  truth in it.

There is a Quattrocchi connection to the love story. Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi grew up with Quattrocchi's son,Massimo.Robert used to visit the Quattrocchi home as a friend of Massimo.Robert studied in the British School,Delhi.He didn't go beyond plus 2,meaning he stopped studying after he met Priyanka.The Vadras were trading in brassware and artificial jewellery.Robert occasionally gifted the jewellery to Priyanka.Both Quattrocchi and Sonia Gandhi shared Vadra family's interest in antiques.Sonia,born as Edvige Antonia Albina Maino to a building mason,Stefano in Orbassano,Italy,is keenly interested in art.Data available with the Registrar of Companies shows that Robert along with his mother Maureen has stakes in Lambodar Art Enterprises India Pvt Ltd.Robert is proprietor of Artex Exports.He has antique stores in Delhi and Italy.

Some think that Sonia knew Quattrocchi in Italy.It is not so.An Italian,Molinari ,introduced Quattrocchi to the Gandhi family.During 1980-87 all major deals went to Quattrocchi.

Maureen Vadra with Priyanka

Robert,who became friendly with Rahul too,was a regular visitor at 10,Janpath.Without any planning,Priyanka once went to Robert's Moradabad home.Their marriage was according to Hindu customs,on 18 February,1997,after a clearance from IB on Robert's family.Robert's mother,Maureen wanted the marriage to be consecrated in the Sacred Heart Church.His father,Rajinder was against the marriage and disowned his son." I was not keen on it after Bofors and the treatment meted out to Maneka",he had revealed to the Outlook on January 21,2002."He is one of the cleanest people I have ever met",Priyanka said of Robert years later."He is someone who is completely comfortable in his own skin",she added."I gave up my life for Priyanka,fighting every day to not be a celebrity",Robert confessed.His acquisition of Priyanka was disproportionate to all his known sources of talent.He was dealing in scrap while marrying Priyanka.He frequented the Oasis discotheque and danced non stop at his niece's birth day party.

Rajinder

The Vadra family was originally from Sialkot,Pakistan.Rajinder's father with family had migrated during partition.Rajinder married Maureen Mc Donagh,an Anglo Indian of Scottish origin.By 2009 Robert's all close relatives were dead under mysterious circumstances.His sister Michelle died in a car accident in 2001 while returning from Jaipur.His elder brother Richard was found dead in September 2003 at his Vasant Vihar residence.It was said he "fell off the roof".His father Rajinder,who was called Eric, was found hanging with an ironing cord  in City Inn guest house in Yusuf Sarai on April 02, 2009.By that time he had separated from his wife.Robert had issued a public notice in January,2002 saying he has nothing to do with his father and brother.Both of them used to make recommendations to Congress CMs and office bearers.

Michelle

Rajinder,after his death was cremated emphasizing the fact that he was a Punjabi Hindu,the Punjabi family name being Vadhera.A report,Vadra Farm Hosts RSS School in The Indian Express dated 09 March 1998 said:"Sanjay Manu Vadera farm,the favourite retreat of the Vadras,has tastefully done-up farm house,a swimming pool and Saraswati Shishu Mandir-a school run by the RSS.Om Prakash Vadera,the family patriarch and uncle of Robert Vadra,says he donated the school to the RSS in 1995."

Mysteries and mystery deaths were not new to the Gandhi family.Sanjay Gandhi wed Maneka on 23 September 1974 at the house of Mohammad Yunus is a mystery.Why Yunus?You have the answer in MO Mathai's book.Sanjay had met Maneka,17,at a party in her uncle Major General Kapur's home on 14 December 1973.The party was thrown to celebrate the forth coming wedding of Kapur's son, Veenu,who was Sanjay's school friend.Kapur was the husband of Maneka's father's sister.

After Sanjay's accidental death,Maneka was thrown out of her house by Indira Gandhi.Maneka's father Lt Colonel Trilochan Anand was found dead in a field riddled with bullets.General Kapur killed himself.Maneka's brother disappeared.

Richard

Robert is the only commoner in India who is exempt from being frisked at airports.The others are the President,Vice President,The Prime Minister,Chiefs of Armed Forces and the Dalai Lama.Robert's name was added in the Warrant of Precedence by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on 28 September,2005.Please remember Warrant of Precedence is to position,not to person.The only one appearing by name is Robert.It gives him immense freedom to handle antiques.

It is a solace that Priyanka follows Buddhist philosophy-she was taught Vipassana by SN Goenka.

Coming back to Massimo Quatrocchi-he is Ad visor to the Luxemburg based Clubinvest on business in India.It has an office in Bangalore.Massimo was in India when his father was arrested in Argentina on 06 February 2007.Priyanka is said to have helped him  sort out the CBI mess.

Brass is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking,especially from Ammonia.This defect was first discovered in Indian Army, in brass cartridge cases used for rifle ammunition during 1920s.Cartridges were stored in stables and ammonia concentration rose during hot summer causing brittle cracks.If something happens,Robert has a solace in the form of a Residency permit in Dubai. 

See my post,QUEEN PROPOSES,GOD DISPOSES