Ramajogaiah Shastri | Photo credit: Ramakrishna G
Lyricist Ramajogaiah Sastry’s dream is coming true. His songs – classy or massy – instantly connect with Telugu film lovers, especially the youth. Whether it is the soulful ‘Sadashiva Sanyasi’From Khaleja, Playful ‘Kurchi Madathapetti’ Guntur Karam,’‘Mailepula Taxi’, a celebratory wedding song from an upcoming film pomp and showOr the electrifying track from the recently released film ‘Bhairav’ kalki 2898 Ed., 53-year-old Ramajogaiah has a unique way of expressing words. His lyrics, taken from everyday life, are spontaneous and catchy, attracting listeners and turning his songs into chartbusters. Ramajogaiah, who completed 20 years as a lyricist in September, has made a significant mark in the Telugu film industry.
the simple things matter
“The mind is alive, the subject is in a state of mind that is unfinished. Manmu Dani Appreciation Cheyadam Lo Fail Avatamu Kani, Chinna Chinna Vishaye Goppa Sutralu (These are the simple things that matter the most in our lives but we fail to appreciate them.)Chedapaku Raa Chededavu (Don’t spoil it or else you will get spoiled) Parula Sommu Pamu Wantidi (It is dangerous to keep an eye on other people’s property), boats flourished (Hard work will pay off)…these are very beautiful, small phrases in Telugu but great principles,” he says
Singer’s dreams
Simple and emotional writing is his mantra | Photo courtesy: Ramkrishna ji
Born in Muppaalla village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, Ramajogaiah was a film buff and had a passion for singing. Being the only child of his parents, he did a BTech in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT. Though he wanted to work in a steel factory in Chennai and also fulfill his dream of becoming ‘another SP Balasubrahmanyam’, he moved to Bengaluru in 1995. There he got in touch with writers and auditioned to become a singer. “I was told I couldn’t become a singer as I had no formal training in music, but I was advised to hone my writing skills,” he recalls.
His career as a lyricist began with devotional songs for about 40 cassettes, then he moved on to writing Telugu songs for Hindi tracks and a project for actor Ravichandran (which did not materialise). “Though I was in Bengaluru, I was happy writing in my mother tongue, Telugu,” he says.
Ramajogaiya Shastri with singer Mangali and director Sai Kishore on the sets of the movie ‘Dhoom Dham’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Catchy wedding number
Ramajogaiah Sastry’s ‘Mallepula Taxi’ (for) pomp and show) is trending with over 2.5 million views. He had written the hook lyrics of the song even before Gopi Sundar composed the tune. He also makes a special appearance in this catchy wedding song sung by Mangali. Ramjogaiah, excited with the response, says, “This film is special because director Sai Kishore is a disciple of Macha Srinu Vytla garu with whom I started my career. Actor Chethan Krishna is the son of producer Ram Kumar GaruMy close friend. Gopi Mohan is the writer. I have full faith in Chetan’s talent and hope this film will be a big break for him.”
He said that after his suggestion, music director Gopi Sundar came on board. The team had composed four songs but this song, a catchy number, was added as a special attraction. “We had initially thought of including a male and a female singer but it turned out to be a solo female song. Mangali was thought of from the beginning,” he added. “Parents have a special attachment to the last child. Similarly, we felt this was the best song for us to start the film promotions.”
He loved the dual role of an engineer by day and a lyricist the next. Eventually, he quit his job and moved to Hyderabad in 2001 to work in the Telugu film industry. Here, he became a disciple of the legendary lyricist (late) Sitarama Shastri and made his debut as a lyricist. youth army in 2004.
Ramajogaiah believes that destiny decided the path for him. “Destiny led me to different things and finally brought me here (songwriting),” he says.
team player
His mantra as a lyricist is simple; he does not write to show off his language skills, but ‘to express the emotions of a character’. Two things drive his creative process, whether he can fulfill the responsibility given to him and adopt a new approach. Calling himself a ‘creative team player’, he says, “I look for uniqueness in my field. My guru (Seetaram Shastri) could write 100 songs on inspiration, but I try to see how uniquely I can write the 101st song.”
Serving different areas
Enjoying this round | Photo credit: Ramkrishna G
Ramajogaiah, who has written songs in all genres – item songs, romantic duets, playful songs – jokingly says that his surname ‘Shastry’ sometimes works negatively for him. “When they see Shastri in the name, they think I am some literary genius or a poet. I tell them that I will write what I know but I can rise to any occasion without ignoring the points given by the director.”
He explains, “I am making a film that has commercial elements and I always think about the purpose of the song. I want my song to be simple, yet touch people from different walks of life.”
He doesn’t have a favourite song, but he points out that tracks like ‘Evare Nuvvu’ are milestones in his career (Raju bhai)nuvvakkadunte nenakkadunte’ (Gopi Gopika Godavari),’One Niranjan (One Niranjana),”Sadashiv Sanyasi’ (Khaleja),”salute to you salute to you‘ (Janatha Garaje) and ‘Devra’ (from the upcoming film Devra).
With positive thinking | Photo courtesy: Ramkrishna Ji
Ramajogaiah leads a busy life and writes around 100 songs per year. Devara, Thandel, Raja Saab, Bhaje Vayuvegam, Indian 2 And game changer These are some of his ongoing projects.
When he is not writing, he sings and spends time on social media and photography. While he loves to see himself doing cameos on the big screen in unique get-ups, Ramajogaiah loves to eat hot food Buzzis Eating masala dosa at a roadside stall or in a restaurant. His goals are to stay positive and celebrate life. “Keep an eye on your sensibility so that every song turns out well.”
