The year 1975 was culturally important for parallel cinema in Karnataka, with Ms. Satu’s release Hot airBiwi Karanth Chomana Dudi, Pallavi By P Lankesh, Sprinkle By MBS Prasad and GV Iyer HamsageetheWhile the first two films received very important attention, Hamsageethe Despite two national awards, faded with public memory.
A cut up
This year marks five decades of the film, (Hamsageethe Was released on August 17, 1975) who won the praise for his imaginative cinematography by Nemai Ghosh, absorbing music by M. Balamural Krishna and BV Karanth, artwork by P Krishnamurthy, Anant Nag, BV Karani and acting by Rekha Rao, and directed by Iyer. Hamsageethe (Which means Swan song) It tells about the circumstances that lead to the 19th-century Karnataka singer Bhairavi Venkatasubaiya to defy the royal protection and declare them through the self-abolition of the tongue, that “music is not someone’s slave”.
Hamsageethe Talukina is based on the name of Ramaswamayya Sabba Rao (Tarasu), a 1952 novel. Hindi film, Spring out Based on the novel, it was built in 1956. Directed by MV Raman, song composed for Spring out Still counted among the most sweet, and the film won the merit certificate for the best feature film in Hindi at the fourth National Film Awards in 1956.
GV Iyer | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Insider’s approach
Hamsageethe Actor Anant Nag says that his career is an important milestone, “My depiction of Bhairavi Venkatasubaiya was noted for its depth and sensitivity to portray the personal dilemma. It impressed my perspective for later roles and understanding the inner struggles of a character.”
The actor says, “The film underlined the importance of storytelling that echoed with the audience at an emotional and intellectual level,” actor.
According to Anant, around time Hamsageethe Was released, the parallel cinema movement was gradually receiving approval in Karnataka, and encouraged Iyer to craft it on the lines of New Wave Cinema.
Rekha Rao | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Rekha Rao, who plays the role of female hero Chandra, remembers her experience in working with Iyer HamsageetheSaying this, “I was just 16 years old. Iyer saw my performance in a play and decided to cast me for the role.”
Next HamsageetheRekha says she acted in films Kudermote, Nalegalanu MaduvavaruuVRK Prasad Prem-kama And S Diwakar Etihasa“It was a wonderful experience to work with Iyer, he was a master of filmmaking.”
Barefoot filmmaker
Director Ganpati Venkatarama Iyer, known as ‘barefoot filmmakers’ as he abandoned footwear, started his creative career in Kannada Theater. On entering commercial cinema, he acted, produced and directed, finally recognized for LeftistWhich he jointly directed by Girish Karnad and BV Karanth. Hamsageethe Three years later came, and was prepared for the fact that its dialogue did not run for more than 18 minutes.
Critics and film historians are related to Hamsageethe As one of Iyer’s best films, mainly for proper use of classical Karnataka music. Iyer was sure that the limit of the word spoken through the creative powers of music could be overcome.
music
Venkatasubaiah, The Nayak in Hamsageethe, Struggle to master raga Bhairavi. Eventually, his skill and fame increases and he is recognized as a court with a court.
Blinded by the royal favor and rising fame, Venkatasubaiya assured his teacher to a performance, and insulted this public performance of his music shortcomings, his gurus, Tirumalayya die of suicide.
Troubled and repentant, Venkatasubaiya goes in search of a new guru, which he finds in a recluse living in the hills. He learns from his new teacher and attains perfection. Around the same time, he falls in love and requires frequent resources to maintain his life, pledge to his two compositions as certainty for his creditors.
The film includes many songs including Purandar Dasa, Uthaukkadu Venkatasubayar, Jaydev, Shama Chest, and Muthuswamy Dikashitar, and sung with major voices of the day such as M Balmural Krishna, ML Vasatha, Ramahari.
Hamsageethe Still love for its use Tanam, Himadisuhe, Chintam Nastikilam, Manmay, Kalinganarthana Thilana, And Mr. Saraswati, as well as excerpts Geeta Govinda, Nathare, Thawa Virhe Vanmali, And Amba Tawapadamboja.
Dance celebration
In addition to music, Hamsageethe Classical dance was celebrated by the form of forms – Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, and Radhakrishna and Laxman of Adir were choreographed.
The film was shot as an analogy for the harshea of a composer’s beauty to emphasize the barren, the barren of the chitradurg, the rocky background. Art director P Krishnamurthy effectively used Chitradurga Fort with the support of cinematographer Nemai Ghosh.
A still Hamsageethe
Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In conversation with Iyer
When GV Iyer died in 2003 at the age of 86, he was actively chasing his craft and one of his films is unpublished.
The author met him in 1993, when Iyer was making Bhagavad Gita, The first Sanskrit language film with some dialogues in Hindi and Telugu.
Asked why he chose to hold the dialogues Hamsageethe At least, Iyer said, “People have failed to understand that cinema is mainly a visual medium. I believe that silence has more impact on the audience than the words spoken.”
After many readings of the novel HamsageetheIyer decided to translate the lesson through music and silence supported by silence. “I placed the camera on the upper part of the Hidimbeshwar temple to catch the original ethos of that time. In the second shot, I presented a lantern with black-tinted glass. With these two shots, I recited 30 pages of lesson,” Iyer said.
Director was influenced by some great pieces of world cinema such as Ingmar Bergman Wild strawberry And John Ford’s How green my valley was – Some scenes from Hamsageethe These are a sign for these excellent works.
Published – May 14, 2025 10:09 AM IST
