GHANTASALA – THE GOD OF PLAY BACK SINGING

(Birth Centenary Celebrations)

Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao (popularly known as Ghantasala) is the greatest Telugu play singer and one of the greatest singers India has ever produced. Today the 4^th December 2022 is the Birth Centenary of this great singer.  

Gaana Gandharva : The melody and majesty in his voice is unmatchable and he was peerless and un-parallel during his life and time and 48 years after his death.     Normally playback singers specialise in a particular genre of songs and find it not so comfortable singing songs of other genres.   But the Ghantasala was so comfortable in all genres of songs, viz., devotional, classical based songs, folk music, romantic duets, solos, sentimental numbers, peppy numbers and the very special genre only used in Telugu industry `Padyams”.    No leading play back singer has ever mustered the courage to sing Padyams.   Padyam (verse that is sung in dramatic style) was a part of the performing arts of Andhra, mostly through mythological dramas.   Aalap which is a prelude to a raga occupied a major part of rendering Padyams in the olden days in mythological plays and films.   Ghantasala redefined the technique of rendering Padyam by compressing the Aalap yet doing a balance between music, lyrics and diction which made his style of rendering Padyams very popular among the Telugu speaking people and Padyams in Telugu movies disappeared with the death of Ghantasala.  He was one playback singer in the film industry who could do justice to all forms of music- classical, semi classical, light music and folk music.    As rightly said by his mentor Chittor V Nagayya   ``Many singers attempt to match their voice with the shruti, but Ghantasala is one rare singer in whose voice shruti is always present.’’   This is very unique and only those who are borne with divine blessings could achieve this unique feat.  The song “Siva Sankari” from the Telugu film Jagadeka Veeruni Katha sung by Ghantasala and composed by popular music director Pendyala Nageswara Rao was in Darbari Kanada raga with the mixture of Hindusthani and Carnatic classical shades, is believed to be one of the most difficult compositions ever experimented in Indian film songs.  The song continues to receive wide acclaim by music lovers/musicians and music critics even today.

The famous Hindi Film Singer Mohammad Rafi, who was a contemporary to Ghantasala, had great appreciation for the song Siva Sankari and also for the song “Payaninche O Chiluka”  of Ghantasala in film “Kuladaivam which was sung by Mohammad Rafi as “Chal ud Ja re Panchi”  in Hindi film Bhabhi.  Mohammad Rafi with pure heart made a public statement that the ending raga/alaap in the song Chal ud Ja re Panchi, he was not able to do justice similar to Ghantasala.   Lata Mangeshkar who had come to sing along with Rafi for the Hindi version of “Suvarnasundari” asked Ghantasala to join her for at least few lines in Hindi (for the song ‘Kuhu Kuhu Bole Koyaliya’) as she liked his excellent rendition of Hindustani ragas in Telugu version (Hayi Haayiga Aamani Saage). But Ghantasala politely refused saying it is not proper for him to do so when his great friend Rafi had come to render the same song.

As it is not humanly possible to have such melody and variety and range, he was respectfully referred to as Gaana Gandharva

Modest beginning:  Ghantasala stayed and learnt classical music from Patrayani Seetharama Sastry, in Vijayanagaram Ghantasaala sought meals as madhukaram (obtained by begging at a few houses)  with a sling bag.    During his stay in Vizianagaram along with the Carnatic music, Ghantasala also had the opportunity to observe and learn the nuances of other forms of music like folk music, Burrakatha (an oral story telling technique popular in the villages of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Harikatha (art of storytelling accompanied with music and dance) and drama.    In  July, 1942 Ghantasala got his diploma in music from Maharaja’s Music College, Vizianagaram

He participated in Quit India movement and was jailed for 18 months.  During his stay in the jail Ghantasala had the opportunity to meet and interact with eminent personalities and freedom fighters like- Bezawada Gopala Reddy, Potti Sreeramulu, Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu, Bulusu Sambamurthy, Erneni Subramanyam among others. He was given his major break by singer-cum-actor Chittoor Naagaiah to sing with Bhanumathi for the Telugu film Svargaseema  in 1945.   He established himself as a playback singer with super hits songs of movies like Keelur Gurram, Laila Manju and Devdas.  

Ghantasala predominantly worked in Telugu industry but sang few songs in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.    He has evolved the Telugu play back singing and taken it to dizzy heights.    Before Ghantasala mostly the heros used to sing songs themselves.    Most of the legendary singers have seen a dip in their career when new trends have come and new singers have come in the arena.   But Ghantasala was an exception that he remained on top not only over 3 decades of his career adopting himself to new trends and no one could unsaddle him from the top of the popularity even after close to 50 years of his death even by SP Balasubramaniam who took over the metal from him after his death and went on to become a legend himself.    The Telugu Music lovers do not like any other singer to be compared with Ghantasala as none could ever measure upto his talent, range and melody.  

Voice of NTR & ANR : NT Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao were legendary Telugu actors and are like two eyes of Telugu film industry.   Right from the first movie till the Ghantasala death he has sang more than 90% of the songs picturised on them and he was instrumental in their super success and stardom in a great measure.   I do not remember a single movie of either NTR or ANR without Ghantsala singing for them.   Going by their personality, mannerism, body language and nature of movies acted NTR and ANR were like South pole and North pole but Ghantasala used to adopt his voice so well that we used to feel as if they were singing.  It may not be an exaggeration to say that several films that were just average became commercially successful because of Ghantasala’s songs. He also sang for Sivaji Ganeshan, M.G.Ramachandran, and Gemini Ganesan in Tamil,  Rajkumar in Kannada and Prem Nazir in Malayalam in several films.   Of all the great qualities Ghantasala possessed the best has been singing the song with lot of feel and emotion coupled with his screen friendly voice we always used feel that the song is coming from the character on the screen and whenever we used to listen it on radio we could related to the character in the movie

Most Revered Singer :  Apart from being a great singer Ghantasala was a very simple and great human being.   He maintained excellent relations with co singer, directors and cine artists.   Not only film personalities but people in all walks of life used to respect Ghantasala. He never had any difference or issues with any one and remained gentle and kind hearted person to the core.    He was simple and gentle, always used to wear While Dhoti and while kurta or shirt and wear chappal.   Going by his simple disposition people used to wonder how he can sing peppy numbers and romantic duets.    Jeevita chankram is the only Telugu movie for which Shankar Jaikishan the top Hindi music directors at that time have scored music.   It was reported that recording was done in Bombay and Ghantasala reached recording theatre in Dhoti and kurta.    The orchestra team of Shantakar Jaikishan expressed their doubt can this simpleton can sing a peppy number under their music direction.   SJ used to use over 80 piece orchestra.   But once recording of the song “Kallalo kallu petti cudu”  started people were awestruck and after Ghantasala finished the song and came out, all stood and clapped for him

Grooming and nurturing new talent: He encouraged and groomed other singers though he was the first and last choice for all top producers and actors.    SPB shared many incidents of his generosity, kindness and mentorship in shaping his career.    Once when SPB and Ghantasala were a record a song together and he was to be informed about it, Ghantasala went all the way to his house in scorching heat and waited outside his house sitting in the varandah when the house was locked till SPB came back.   This was when Ghantasala was ruling the Telugu playback singing as an undisputed king.   SPB always used to get emotional describing this incident.    Apart from singers he encouraged young and talented lyricists and music directors and never had any reservation to sing under the music direction of newcomers.  

Awards and recognitions: Ghantasala was conferred "Padmashri" by the Government of India.  The Indian government released a postage stamp in 2003. He is the first movie singer-composer of the south to be accorded this honour. The US Postal Department has released a postal stamp on Ghantasala in 2014.  He won the best playback singer award in Andhra Pradesh every year for nearly 30 years, a feat unachieved by any other playback singer.  On his completing 25 years of singing career, Andhra State Government organised grand celebrations in Lal Bhadur Shastri stadium, Hyderabad.  Apart from celebrities from Telugu, Tamil and Hindi Industry, over 30000 people attended that function.    Statues were put up in over 40 cities of both Telugu States in honour of Ghantasala and his Birth and Death Anniversaries are celebrated all over the both Telugu states and all over the world.  Many musical awards were constituted by the government and other institutions in the name of Ghantasala.  

Devotional songs and Bhagvat Gita: Though it is very difficult to make out in which genre Ghantasala was the best, he recorded some of the best devotional songs in Telugu both for movie and private albums.    Ghantasala served as the Aaasthana Gaayaka (court musician) for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and recorded many devotional songs on Lord Venkateswara and other Gods and Goddesses.  After the saint poet Annamacharya in the 15th century, Ghantasala was the only singer to perform devotional songs inside the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple near the Lord Moola Virat.

While on death bed he did greatest service to the music lover of the world.    Even though he was coughing blood and in experiencing acute throat pain due to a botched treatment he has set up a temporary recording arrangement in the hospital and recorded Bhagvatgeeta slokas and their meaning in Telugu from his hospital bed.    The LP which was released by HMV after his death has sold and continues to sell millions of copies and remains on the top of the charts.   After 48 years also it is being played on all occasions at temples and other places and remains a masterpiece.    

Ghantasala – the Music director – Ghantasala holds a unique record of being the only play back singer who scored music for 110 movie.  Due to heavy playback singing assignments, Ghantasala has stopped scoring music for movie from mid 60s and could not realise his full potential as a Music director. His compositions for films like Pathala Bhairavi, Chiranjeevulu, Mayabazar,Gundamma Katha, Lavakusa, Bhandipotu, Pandava Vanavasam, Rahasyam and others are evergreen. 

If there is one who richly deserved Bharat Ratna in play back singing category it is Ghantasala.   But like NTR and SVR from Telugu film industry two colossal actors who too deserved Bharat Ratna, Ghanasala fans too has to satisfy with Padmasri only.    But it does not make a difference to millions of the his music fans because conferring Bharat Ratna on Ghtantasala would have brought honour to the award itself.     

4^th December, is the Birth Centenary of Ghansala.   We at Prabhakar Crooning Corner will pay tributes to Ghantasala by present 100 songs of Ghantsala over the period of few months starting from today. 

Ghantasala and his melodious voice will live on till eternity

S. Prabhakar

4.12.22