Keeravani is a name that is now rising as the pride of India. But Keeravani in Telugu becomes Maragatamani when it reaches Tamil. MM cream in Bollywood. Keeravani is not the person we want! He is a music director known for his quirky personality. He used three different names during his musical career. Each language maintained a distinct identity.
There is a story behind this too. An astrologer predicts Marathakamani’s death at the age of 32. When he asked for a solution, he was advised to bypass fate by mistaking the time for thinking that he had died, that is, Vanaprasthav and sanyasa come after Grihasthasram according to Hindu belief. Go to Sanyas now. Come back after 32 years and take up residence. This was the proposed solution.
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Later, he led a monastic life and tried to escape fate by changing names. So Maratakamani became Keeravani and MMcream. It is not known whether the astrologer’s prediction was wrong or the solution worked. He crossed the threshold of death at the age of 32. Keeravani Marathakamani has completed the age of 61 after winning the Golden Globe Award and now the Oscar.
Keeravani’s music became the soundtrack for Malayalam films like Suryamanasam, Nilgiri and Devaragam when Keeravani conquered Tamil and Telugu and Bollywood. But there is little connection between Keeravani and Ilayaraja’s super hit songs. Not many people know this. This Keeravani is a melakartharagam of Carnatic music. Melakartharaagas or Janakaraagas are the ragas which are considered as basic ragas in Carnatic music.
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There are 72 Melakartharagas. Keeravani is the 21st Melakarthar Raag. Melakartha ragas are also known as Sampoorna ragas as they have 7 notes in ascending and descending. Not only Ilayaraja but also Johnson, Dakshinamurthy, Devarajan and Vidyasagar have produced super hits in Keeravani raga.
In Keeravani raga Ilayaraja gave birth to super hit songs in Malayalam
- Bloom 1989 Atharvam
- Oh dear dear 1990 Geetanjali
- Nightingale Bird Flock 1991 For My Suryaputri
- Npooway Pooway 1992 Papa’s Own Apoos
- Kalyanpallakil 1997 Kaliyunjal
- Arunakirana 1997 Guru
- 1997 A Travelogue in the Shadow of Taimavin
- If you forget, 2003 comes to mind
- Lotus Sparrow 2005 Achu’s mother
- Tevaram Nolkunde 2006 Chemistry
- A Flower Garland in Mind 2008 Today’s Thought
Others
- Kamalambike Rakshamam 1992 Johnson with family
- Ninte Mizhiil Neelolpalam 1974 Arakallan Mukalkallan v. Dakshinamurthy
- Sangeetme nin Poonchirakil 1980 Meen G. Devarajan
- Manikyakallal 1997 Varnapakit Vidyasagar