For example, when the estranged husband character makes an entry at the wrong time, the card KB uses is Sruti Betam (pitch distortion). KB’s understanding of Carnatic music comes out very clearly when we see these placeholders in the context of the film. The male lead happens to play the mridangam which incidentally works in enhancing the romantic quotient between the leads!Īnother novel idea in the film was to use different aspects of Carnatic music like Sarali varisai, Thani Avartanam, Abaswaram, Sruti betam, Mangalam as placeholders throughout to carry forward the narrative.

The female lead is a popular Carnatic singer. Right at the beginning of his career, at the height of black and white cinema, one of KB’s landmark films was Apoorva Raagangal. Though the film was about complex relationships, KB sets this with Carnatic music playing the interlude. But this piece is just not about Sindhu Bhairavi alone but about many of his other films right from his early career days where it would appear that the director was waiting for some opportunity to plug Carnatic music in his films.

The film Sindhu Bhairavi, one of KB’s later works, that too among his best hits, has a Carnatic musician as the central character. For a filmmaker to indulge in references to Carnatic music in a film like Sindhu Bhairavi which had it as its backdrop is not surprising. On his 88nd birth anniversary, here’s a closer look at this aspect. In his own ways – some direct and some subtle - he did his best to mainstream Carnatic music as much as he could, through his many films. Ace director K Balachander (popularly known as KB) one of the most revered filmmakers in India, used this film as a medium to plug this important message that for music to reach many, it needs to be understood.īy his own admission, KB was a big fan of Carnatic music and hence didn’t want it to be seen as some highbrow art form.

It was felt then (and may be even now) that Carnatic music was elitist in nature.

K balachander sahana serial