Latest revision as of 07:02, 24 March 2023

[edit] Introduction

MM Kreem’s Bollywood top 10
From: March 14, 2023: The Times of India

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MM Kreem’s Bollywood top 10

The global chartbuster, Naatu Naatu, earned him the coveted Golden Globe in January, and now, the Oscar. But composer MM Kreem has been a past master of melodies for over two decades. Here’s a list of his Bollywood top 10

[edit] YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS

[edit] As in 2023 January

Sushil Rao, January 14, 2023: The Times of India

When MM Keeravani won the Golden Globe Award for the best original song on January 11, he was fulfilling his destiny. As a four-year-old in Kovvur, Andhra Pradesh, he had walked up to his father, Koduri Siva Shakti Dutta, and narrated a dream: “A divine being asked me to open my mouth and stretch my tongue out. I did, and it placed a burning coal on my tongue.” Then, abruptly, the young Keeravani declared: “I want to learn music.”


The whole family was surprised. “It was not that he was exposed to a lot of music to have been influenced. Nevertheless, we took him seriously and got him educated in music,” celebrated writer-director and Keeravani’s uncle V Vijayendra Prasad tells TOI. 
Prasad has written the stories of Baahubali – the beginning and Baahubali – the conclusion , besides many other films. He is also a playback singer, and the father of SS Rajamouli, currently the toast of Telugu cinema.


Now 62, Keeravani won the Globe for the song "Naatu Naatu" written by lyricist Chandrabose for the Telugu film RRR that was directed by Rajamouli. But his music has wowed audiences in different languages for years. It’s just that his name sometimes does not ring a bell because of the aliases he works under. In Bollywood he is known as MM Kreem and in the Tamil film industry as Marakathamani.

He carved his space in Hindi cinema with the song "Tu Mile, Dil Khile", sung by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu in the 1994 film Criminal . Jism , released in 2003, was another highlight of his Bollywood career. Music director RP Patnaik says Keeravani’s music in the 1996 film Is Raat ki Subah Nahi showed his skill and acumen. “He has sung for me and I have sung for him. We shared a good bond. In fact, Keeravani is someone everyone loves in the film industry,” Patnaik says.


But Keeravani had to earn his way to the top with diligence. He started as an assistant to an assistant of well-known music director Chakravarthi more than 30 years ago. “It is his grounding in classical music and literature that has taken him so far,” says Patnaik, who rates Keeravani’s music in the Nagarjuna-starrer Annamayya as of a very high order.


Keeravani has provided music for nearly 100 films in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada since his debut with the film Manasu Mamata in 1990. Directors feel comfortable working with him, and K Raghavendra Rao, who won the National Award for best director with Annamayya in 1997, has collaborated with him on more than 20 films.


“It is your sheer hard work and determination that has taken you places. You are an example of what one can achieve through commitment,” Rao tweeted as soon as the Golden Globes announcement was made.

Keeravani once said he chose the screen name MM Kreem to make life easy for his Bollywood colleagues, but with the Globe under his arm he’s become a household name. His uncle Prasad and others in the family are, of course, delighted.


“We saw the spark in Keeravani when he was a child. We were certain that he would go places but did not imagine the heights he would reach winning the Golden Globe. It is a matter of pride for our family, the Indian film industry and the country,” Prasad says. 
Now an Oscar for "Naatu Naatu" would be the icing on the cake, and the song is already on the shortlist.

[edit] Creme de la Kreem of Bollywood


RRR‘s infectious "Naatu Naatu" fetched him the coveted and elusive Golden Globe award, but for nearly three decades music director MM Keeravani, aka MM Kreem, has regaled Hindi film lovers with a bunch of unforgettable melodies. Avijit Ghosh lists a selection of his Bollywood compositions.


"Awarapan, banjarapan, ek hala hai seene mein”


Film Jism (2003) | Lyrics Sayeed Quadri | Singer KK


He falls hook, line and blinkers in love with a woman who has no love to give. And when he discovers that he has been used, his embittered heart goes into a tailspin of restlessness. No words or alcohol can comfort or soothe him. Kreem’s tune perfectly syncs with Sayeed Quadri’s searching lyrics of a lover dealing with a gaping void in a wounded heart. And the late KK’s sensitive rendition makes it a pitch-perfect paean to ardour and ache.

"Jaane kya dhoondta hai yeh mera dil”


Film Sur (2001) | Lyrics Nida Fazli | Singer Lucky Ali 
The hallmark of Kreem’s compositions is how effectively they translate a scene’s mood into music. In this bouncy track, travelling becomes a metaphor for the buoyant side of life. And the composer uses the violin and the flute to capture the protagonist’s energy and joie de vivre.


"Chup tum raho, chup hum rahein” 


Film Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi (1996) | Lyricist Nida Fazli | Singers KS Chitra, MM Kreem


The happy wife is standing before her dressed in eye-catching party-wear when she, an edgy woman in love with her husband, croons these meaningful lines. Notice how the song emphasises the word ‘chup’ throughout the track. Director Sudhir Mishra’s film set the template for the new Mumbai mafia movie. But the film flopped and the clutch of hummable tunes that Kreem composed – do listen to the despairing "Jeevan kya hai" – were lost like wildflowers in a desert.


"Tum aaye to aaya mujhe yaad gali mein aaj chand nikla"
Film Zakhm (1998) | Lyrics Anand Bakshi | Singer Alka Yagnik 
She is wedded to him in secret. And society calls her a mistress. She loves him deeply and madly. But his visits are rare. His unexpected arrival at her home is the background to this song in Mahesh Bhatt’s semi-autobiographical film. When love is an occasional crumb, the serendipity of finding it can trigger uncontrollable emotions. This vital scene brimming with exhilaration and tenderness needed a melody to match the moment. And Kreem rose to the occasion with one of his most enchanting tunes. Zakhm is his best score in Hindi films; "Hum yahan" sung by Kumar Sanu is another outstanding track.

"Tu mile, dil khile aur jeene ko kya chahiye”


Film Criminal (1994) | Lyricist Indivar | Singers Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik and Chitra 
Another Mahesh Bhatt flick. Criminal was inspired by the Hollywood superhit The Fugitive , where the protagonist is suspected to have killed his wife and is on the run. Kreem delivered one of his most remembered songs in this action thriller. In this semi-classical number, where the singers are made to summon the higher octaves, the music director employs a throbbing bassline to inject a shot of sensuality in what might have been otherwise a routine romantic track. And what a difference it makes!