Rajan-Nagendra - Music Composers

Music Composers

Rajan used to compose the melodies and set the notations for the orchestra. Nagendra used to dictate the lyrics and tune of the song to the singers.

The lyricists who wrote unforgettable lyrics for them are late Hunasur Krishna Murthy, Uday Shankar,Vijiya Narasimha, Geetha Priya, Dodda Range Gowda, Vyasa Rao and manny more. The prominent Telugu lyricists are Narayana Reddy, Dasarathi and late Vetoori Sundarama Murthy and many others. The most prominent Tamil lyricists are late Kanna Dasan and many more.

The main male vocalists who enriched the melody of their songs are late Gantasala, Kala Govindarajan, P.B.Srinivas, late Kishore Kumar, Balasubramanyam, Jesudas, Rajesh Krishna and many more. The popular female vocalists are Bala Saraswati, Soolamangalam sisters, P.Leela, S.Janaki, Vaani Jayaram, Rani, L.R.Easwari, P.Susheela, Jikki, Chitra and many more.

Their first award film in Kannada was "Eradu Kanasu" in 1973-74 and "Parasangada Gende Thimma" in 1978-79, they were the first recipient of best music director award for the Telugu film "Panthulamma" in 1979 and many more awards from private and public associations such as south Indian film fans association, Chitra Rasikara Sangha, Karnataka films directors association, Kannada chalana chitra pathra karthara sanga, Madras Telugu academy, ugadi puraskara award, Abhinandana film awards Hydrabad kalasagar, Madras etc., Throughout south India. Many of their films have celebrated hundred days and silver jubilees.

Naa Ninna Mareyalaare, Gandhada Gudi, Eradu Kanasu—these huge musical hits of the Kannada screen featured the music of Rajan-Nagendra. Their team was exceptionally good at composing cheerful love duets, although they did come up with a couple of sombre numbers like Baadi hoda balliyinda (P B Srinivas, Eradu Kanasu)

Rajan-Nagendra were in the same class as Hindi cinema's popular composing duo Shankar-Jaikishen. They excelled composing technically flawless and violin-rich orchestral interludes, and enjoyed an equally long innings in the industry.

They had a successful stint in Kannada film industry from early 50s till late 90s, but they started shining from 1973 with Gandhada Gudi songs becoming popular throughout Karnataka and dimmed in early 90s, when new generation music took over thus covering a span of two decades of lilting melodies that has been hugely popular till date in Karnataka and other states of South India.

Nagendra sang a couple of songs in his five-decade-long career. The most popular was Yaaru yaaru née yaaru for the comedian Narasimharaju. He also sang Nammoora santheli in the Jai Jagadish-Lakshmi starrer Gaalimaatu. Somehow his voice was typecast for comic scenes.

Hundreds of Rajan-Nagendra songs were sung by Legendary singers P.B.Sreenivas, S. Janaki, SPB. Almost all of them remain etched as the unforgettable melodies of Kannada Cinema. The Love songs of SPB-SJ-Rajan-Nagendra combination is considered to be heavenly. Such an everlasting haunting melodies Rajan-Nagendra pair created. The duo is also reported to have introduced another illustrious playback singer K. S. Chitra to the Kannada cinema back in the early 1980s.

Rajan-Nagendra made delightful songs in the Rajkumar-Lakshmi starrer Naa Ninna Mareyalaare and Eradu Kanasu, which starred Rajkumar, Manjula and Kalpana.

The pair directed music for about 400 films in Tamil, Telugu, Tulu and Sinhalese including 200 in Kannada.

Hombisilu, starring Vishnuvardhan, was another big hit. In the '80s, they made the music for some Telugu films, including Maa Intayana Katha, Puli Bebbuli and Vayyari Bhamalu Vagalamari Bharathulu. They composed the music for about 35 Telugu films.

Rajan-Nagendra also did a series of films starring Anant Nag, and Lakshmi, notable among them being Benkiya Bale and Chandanada Gombe etc.

Some unforgettable Rajan-Nagendra numbers:

Kannada:

• Aakaasha deepavu neenu
• Aaseya bhaava olavina jeeva
• Baanallu neene bhuviyallu neene
• Bandeya baalina belakaagi
• Beladinglondu hennagi bandanthe kande
• Beluvalda madilalli bevara hani biddaga
• Dundu mallige mathaadeya
• Yellelli Nodali Ninnane Kanuve
• Navaduva Nudiye Kannada Nudi
• Endendu ninnanu maretu
• Jeeva veene
• Kanasalu neene manasalu neene
• Kangalu vandane helide
• Kumkumaviruvude hanegaagi
• Mathu chenna mauna chenna
• Modalane dinave olide
• Muthina hanigalu
• Tam nam tam nam nannee manasu midiyutide
• Thareyu baanige thaavare neerige
• Indu enage govinda
• Naavaduva nudiye Kannada nudi
• Naa ninna mareyalaare
• Neera bittu nelada mele
• Ee bhaavageete ninagaagi haadide

Telugu:

• Emo emo idhi (Aggi pidigu)
• Ennenno Janmalabandham (Puja)
• Ningi nela (Puja)
• Pujaluseya (Puja)
• Veena venuvaina sarigama (Intinti Ramayanam)
• Chinukula raali (Nalugu Sthambhalaata)
• Manasa veena madhugeetam (Panthulamma)
• Sirimalleneeva (Panthulamma)
• Letha chaligalulu (Moodu mullu)
• Neekosam yavvanamantha (Moodu mullu)
• Neekallalo Snehamu (Prema Kahidi)