Sri Rama Rajyam Audio Review- Telugu
Movie: Sri Rama Rajyam (2011)
Director: Bapu
Cast: Balakrishna, Nayanthara, ANR, Srikanth, Roja & Others
Music: Ilayaraja
Lyrics: Jonnavithula
Sri Rama Rajyam is a 2011 Telugu epic devotional film, produced by Yalamanchali Sai Babu under Sri Sai Baba Movies banner and directed by Bapu. Starring Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayanthara in the lead roles,Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Srikanth, Roja appear in supporting roles and music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The film is based on the epic Ramayana which was Bapu's final directional venture. The film depicts Rama's rule of Ayodhya after he returns home from Lanka, his separation from Sita and her reclusive life in the forest as she raises their children Lava and Kusa. The film won seven Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards, including the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film – (Gold) for the year 2011. This film is a remake of a Telugu film Lava Kusha, released in year 1963. It was known as the first color film in Telugu Cinema.
The film was critically acclaimed and a commercial success in overseas.The film had a special screening at International Film Festival of India on 28 November 2011.The film was dubbed into Tamil in 2012 under the same title with S. P. Balasubrahmanyam andSunitha Upadrashta voicing the roles of Balakrishna and Nayanatara respectively.
Ilayaraja scored music for this epic, he has scored 15 tracks to the film which indeed is a huge number for now'a'days people, but the original film Lava Kusha had 38 tracks, which is a big ashtonishing factor. All the lyrics are penned by Jonnavithula. The music recived good aplause that time and too many accolades, lets see what it has done in 2011.
01. Jagada Nanda Kaaraka
Singers: S.P.Balasubrahmanyam, Shreya Ghoshal & Chorus
Rating: 4.5/5
The first song describes the re-entry of Rama , Seetha into ayodhya. The song has all the grandeur and majesty which is induced into a beautiful melody. What else can anyone expect when the Legend Raja is involved in a devotional project, throwing pure devineful melodies at us. The song has everything which takes us to Ayodhya for 5 minutes and leaves us there after everything is over. The entry to lord rama is described amazingly by Jonnavithula. I need not say about his lyric, he has written everything which took us near lord rama's kingdom. What else can make things better when singing king is roped to the song- SPB. He is always amazing, evergreen, ever ageless, sweet and out standing overall. Who else can sing this song with taht perfect diction and right amount of expression other than SPB. The female lead was Shreya Ghoshal, surprisingly she never made any mistake in this song. May be she was conscious as she was singing in an epic film, where mistakkes would become bloopers. As she has put her dedication to the song, she has won the filmfare award. Even Jonnavithula won the filmfare for best lyrics. Overall Ilayaraja steals the show with his magic.
02. Evadunnadu
Singers: S.P.Balasubrahmanyam
Rating: 4.5/5
A simple song describing the "Aradugula ajanubhavudu Sri Rama". It sums upto just 1:30 minutes. Indeed a simple and sweet song. Anyone can sing this song but entry of SPB makes it special. Song starts with ANR's wordings saying that he asked Naradha maharshi about "evadunnadu ee lokam lo?" and getting an answer from him as "Sri Rama". ANR says this to Lava and Kusha. Ilayaraja has nothing to do, just give a rhythm to sing those words and he does his job perfectly.
03. Seetha Rama Charitam
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal & Shwetha Mohan
Rating: 4/5
The song which tells the story of Rama-Seetha. We have heard a big song in Lava Kusha sung by Susheela amma and Leela amma. This song is somewhere related to that song. Jonnavithula has lot of work in writing these kind of lyric, which should be classical and simple enough to make present generation understand the scenario & he perfectly nails it. Ilayaraja delivers the right music, to each emotion portrayed in the film. We can see the variations in music when there is lot of buzz during war and very quiet and sad during emotions and rest all song has couple of tabala beats repeating all over to give more scape for the lyric. The song is indeed long because there is no interlude, it continues till the end with lyrics which sums upto 6 minutes 40 seconds. The singers sing for Lava kusha who are telling the "Ramayanam". So singers have to be sweet and should be able to provide various emotions regarding the lyric, but Shreya and Shwetha were wrong choice to this song, they were very frail and dull always portarying the emotional genre irrespective to the lyric. Raja sir would have kept Shreya or Shwetha intact and replaced one of them with some other powerful singer who could give wide range of emotions. But we should be happy that Shreya & Shwetha never made a mistake throughout the song.
04. Sri Rama Lera
Singers: Sriram Parthasarathy & Shreya Ghoshal
Rating: 4.5/5
A song with full of illusion and fantasy. Only Ilayaraja can weave this kind of magic with his music. The music stands A+ in its quality, the instrumentation, rhythm pattern, veena-tabala-violen interludes every thing aws on the right track. Hats off to Ilayaraja sir, this song proves why he is a legend of music. Iam bored of praising him, always there would be short of words to praise Isaignyani(musical genius) Ilayaraja. Jonnavithula was in perfect form, gave the amazing lyric which makes us to check the inlay card whether the song aws by Seethrama sastry. He was too good, the phrases "prati rayi ydehi hrudayam mounam kuda madhram samyam anta saphalam idi rama prema lokam ila saagipovu sneham induloni moksham ravi chandrulinka sakshyam ee nadu veediponi anubhandham", "sri ramuni nauraagam seetha sathi vybhogam sri ramudu rasa vedam sri janaki anuvadam"..!! transfers us into a world where only telugu exsists and nothing. Hats off to Jonnavithula. Shreya and Sriram where as usual frail and dull, Shreya was ok fine but Sriram would have been replaced with Madhu balakrishnan.
05. Devulle Mechindi
Singers: K.S.Chitra & Shreya Ghoshal
Rating: 5/5
The song which continues to tell Ramayanam by Lava & Kusha. In the original picture there was only one tune which was continued till the end of the movie in parts. But Raja sir choose different tunes which are weaving magical melodies in to air making us recollect all those stories heard and seen in our childhood abou ramayanam-the India's epic. Jonnavithula again makes the lyric simple which narrates Ramayanam and is easily understood by any one. That should be really appreciated. We should thank Bapu garu for giving this epic and making the present generation like us to know more about graet epic like Ramayanam. Ilayaraja was best choice to the film. Coming to vocals, here comes the voice of India - Chitra with her ethereal voice and wide range of emotions. Raja sir has brought the right singer to the song, she knows very well how to express, how to elavate the song with small expressions and above all her amazing voice makes the song special. Chitra proves why she is a little-nightingale of India. She can sing any genre in any language with apt expression, which is rarely found in anyother singer now'a'days. Shreya has opened her voice to sound like Chitra, and she definitely steels our hearts accompaning the legend. So two beautiful nightingales of India make the song sound outstanding. If Shreya follows what she has done to this song, she can be next to Chitra in south-India.
06. Gaali Ningi Neeru
Singers: S.P.Balasubrahmanyam
Rating: 5/5
This song plays as a background pathos when Lakshmana goes to drop Seethamma in forest on Rama's order. Ilayaraja steals the show, the song itself has some emotion carried through out by instrumentation. The ghazal souns, mild mridangam, drums, veena, flute sound too emotional making us feel sad with just listening to those instruments. Such was the feel. Jonnavithula writes an amazing lyric, which has pathos feel injected in each and every word," ee thappu leni ee muppu emi? kapadalera evarina kaani nee maate needa vere daari edi leda?" sounds spell bounding. Who else can sing this song other than SPB? Is there anyone who could just attempt to what SPB has done to the song?Probably no one!!no one!!..Such was SPB's rendition. My goodness!! How can a person involve so much in a song and express like him? Only SPB's song. The expression he added to the song worked like icing on a tastiest cake in the world. The emotion he evoked per every phrase made everyone grab their hand-kercheifs towards their eyes to clean those rushing tears. Only SPB can make us feel like that. The expression he gives while saying "Rama..!!" sounds marvelous. SPB is definitely one of the rarest singers India has ever produced.
07. Ramayanamu Sri Ramyanamu
Singers: K.S.Chitra & Shreya Ghoshal
Rating: 5/5
The song again being continued by Lava Kusha. Iam really bored of saying Ilayaraja is great, nothing to say about him he was at his best, nevertheless he stole our hearts along with livers, kidneys and everything from us. He was simply amazing. As usual Jonnavithula wrote simple words to make us feel comfortable. Jonnavithula must be lucky enough to get 15 melodious tunes from Ilayaraja to stick his words into it and get it pictuarised by Bapu garu. Again Chitra and Shreya Ghoshal decide to take us into a world where only magic of Ilayaraja, Telugu Nativity and honey, sweetness exsits. Both Chitra and Shreya were in perfect sync. First Chitra sings then follows Shreya for almost all phrases in the song. Indeed a long song lasting upto 6 minutes 30 seconds. Chitra proves what legendary singing is, the expression she gives while singing "Ee mayya Ramayya mem em ayyi povalayya" sounds stupendous. I dont know how could she lean to such great extent. That might be the reason she is yet singing in telugu industry after 35 years of successful journey and grabs en-numerous chances every year, and no one gets bored of listening to her. Hats off mam.
08. Dandakam
Singers: Surabhi Shravani & Keerthana
Rating: 4/5
A traditional song which is named as Dandakam and effectively composed by Ilayaraja which is used as a welcome song to Seetha and Rama. A very shot song lasting upto 1:12 minutes. Ilayaraja had no work except giving a rhythm to sing the words, and he nails his job perfectly. Both singers have done a good job.
09. Seetha Seemantham
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal & Chorus
Rating: 4.5/5
A typical Ilayaraja's melody weaved with magic of Jonnavithula's lyric. Ilayaraja is king in delivering these type of songs and screws it perfectly. The vocals are provided by Shreya Ghoshal. This is 6th song that Shreya has got in this album, how come Ilayaraja has given too many songs to Shreya in this album. But song sounded amazing. Whole credits to Raja sir and Jonnavithula. A song which is completely situational, this song appears as a celebration song when Seetha is about to deliver lava and kusha. Perfect tune and instrumentation by Raja sir to cathch the situation. Shreya was good but she aws too nasal suiting only to the above songs where lava kusha sang songs about Ramayanam. As done in Malayalam version Raja sir would have given this song to Chitra only. How ever this also sounds great.
10. Rama Rama Ane
Singers: Shwetha Mohan & Anitha
Rating: 5/5
A song which comes when Hanuman tries to cool down Seetha devi's anger and sadness. Ilayaraja provides a peepy tune with all those naughty instrumentation. We have experienced who amazing it sounds when Raja delivers naughty instrumentation, the second interlude would be the proof. Jonnavithula writes a good lyric describing lord Rama's childhood and taking us into Rama's childhood . Its an amazing experience to learn about lord's childhood, the phrases "pasidi bindelone panneru volagapostadanta", "chandamama kavalani sande kada godava anta, addamu lo chupiste sanchi lona dasenante" sounds funny, making us small again remembreing all those days. Shwetha and Anitha perfectly nailed it. Shwetha's voice has a cherubic quality and she uses that to full extint in the song.
11. Kalaya Nijama
Singers: Tippu
Rating: 4.5/5
A song with a mild touch of pathos sung by Lakshmana in the film. Lakshmana explaining his situation to Rama telling that he cant leave Seetha nor go against Rama's order. Ilayaraja again delivers good tune with Jonnavithula's lyric. Tippu came as a surprise into the album, and sounded good.A short sweet song.
12. Idhi Pattabhi Ramuni Yenugu Raa
Singer: Shwetha Mohan
Rating: 4.5/5
Again a short and cherubic tune matching to Ilayaraja's signature tunes. It has a tamil flavour and lite telugu folk touch. Ilayaraja's things. Shwetha Mohan was at her best sounded cherubic, liltty and outstanding. She had full power in her voice, I was wondering why did'nt she use that power when she sang "Sri Rama Charitam" song, may be to match Shreya's frail voice. But this song came as a feast. It is "Radha" not "Rada" small correction.
13. Sapthaswarathamarudam
Singer: S.P.Balasubrahmanyam
Rating: 4/5
A short song which is traditional, again usually Ilayaraja has nothing to do , only to give a rhythm to sing the words. SPB would only be the choice to these songs. He would take the song to where it belongs.
14. Sanku Sakrala
Singer: Shwetha Mohan
Rating: 5/5
This is again the charanam taken from "idhi pattabhi ramuni" song. Same comments applies here.
15. Mangalamu Ramunaku
Singers: Anitha & Keerthana
Rating: 4/5
A sort song of 54 seconds. Nothing to say about this song. The vocals made the song simple.
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