A lesser known dark side of the moon - #acnotes

I'll begin this #acnotes with a disclaimer that Telugu is neither my native language nor have I learnt it at school. The love for this language is purely because of my Ammamma (grandmother) who took me to Telugu movies as a kid during summer vacations. Especially, K. Vishwanath-garu's movies.

And, this song from Kamal Hassan's 100th movie, Amavasya Chandrudu was directed by another icon - Sri Singeetham Srinivas Rao. The movie, was partly inspired by a 1969 Broadway play - Butterflies are Free, which was later adapted to screen in 1972.

Without digressing any further, I chose to write about Sundaramo Sumadhuramu in particular because of its opening lines or prelude which is perhaps the school song/anthem for those with complete loss of sight or low vision.

Thanks to Kamal Haasan and SSR's conversation in Apoorva Singeetham (currently available on YouTube ), I got to know about the Telugu version of this song. I like the Tamil version and some of the reasons I am not going to delve into that version is this prelude isn't there in Tamil, also it's quite popular/familiar, and of course, because of its lyricist.

Now, here's the prelude to the song I wish to shed light on.

"sarigampadani saptswaral-u miku

avi edurangul-o indradhanussulu maku"

Translation:

"If sa ri ga ma pa da ni are the seven notes

you hear, the same seven notes are the shades of the rainbow we see."

"manase oka margamu

mamate oka deepamu

aa veluge maaku deivamu"

Translation:

Our will is the way,

love lights this pathway.

And this love/God is our guiding light

/or this love/God lights our pathway.

(On a different tangent: Anbe Sivam which translates to Love is God, is Kamal Haasan's iconic movie from 2003. In hindsight, it looks like he had already subliminally cued in his philosophy, in this song from 1981. Well, he was a screenwriter for this movie as well.).

What's more prolific with these opening lines by Venturi Sundararama Murthy (VSM)- garu is there's no condescending tone, this doesn't patronize the disabled, and more importantly the lyrics elevates them/ the singers to the same level as any other person. More importantly, it does not seek sympathy in the eyes of the onlookers.

5 lines speaks volumes. 5 lines convey that they're no less human because they lack one amongst the 5 senses. In fact, their other senses speech and hearing has made it up to be their sight. Or, your love for them is sufficient to fulfill that need (perhaps).

What follows is a song shot in montage style that shows the leads Nancy and Raghu/Chandram falling in love. And these lyrics, no matter how much I try, I don't think I would be able to do justice. So, for once, close the eyes and read the lyrics with your ears. Maestro's music will hold your hands and guide its tips across the raised dots of emotions penned by VSM-garu. Well, if you've read about reading between lines previously, then this time you'll feel them truly.

In other words, the music is the subtitles you need to understand this song. Listen closely and the music will double as the Braille that will let you see the unseen, tell tales that are untold, and give you a glimpse of the dark side of the moon.

https://lynkify.in/song/sundaramo-sumadhuramo/ERDXNgzl

#acnotes

PS: Amavasya Chandrudu could be loosely translated to Dark Side of the Moon.