His name may be unfamiliar, but name his songs and his eyes light up in recognition.
The reclusive MM Keeravani is the composer behind hits like Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai (Jism; 2003), Aa Bhi Jaa (Sur; 2002) and Naatu Naatu (RRR; 2022), which recently became Indian film anthem. First degree shortlisted for Best Original Song at the Oscars (it was also nominated at the Golden Globes).
Keeravani, 61, shares his last name with a Carnatic raga. In Hindi movies, he is referred to as MM Kreem; in Tamil and Malayalam films, as Maragathamani. “Stephen King has two identities (King wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman for a time). I have three,” Keeravani said.
Nomenclature is not the only thing about him that is diverse. Keeravani has had hits in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, since the early 1990s. He has created devotional songs, explosive soundtracks, soothing lullabies and ballads. melodious about love and loss, drawn from Hindustani and Carnatic raga and classical Western influences, combined with his favorite accordion and violin.
Born in Kovvur, Andhra Pradesh, the son of lyricist and screenwriter K Siva Shakthi Datta, Keeravani’s relationship with music formed early on. By the age of five, he had learned to play many musical instruments; By the age of 10, he was performing solo violin before paying the audience.
He started acting in Telugu films as an assistant to composer K Chakravarthy. Then there was the Telugu crime drama Kshana Kshanam (Every Moment; 1991) by Ram Gopal Varma, and Keeravani got his big break. The melodious song Jaamu Rathiri (roughly In the Early Hours of the Night) kicked off his career. That year, Keeravani also won Best Musical Director at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for the soundtrack of Azhagan (Handsome; 1991), starring Mammootty. This series of songs is composed in Carnatic ragas Dharmavati, Khahararapriya and Maand.
It took several years before Keeravani found a foothold in Hindi cinema. His parting came here thanks to a Telugu romantic movie called Boy Friend (1994), which starred Pooja Bhatt and sank without a trace. “The producer of that film wanted to make a movie with my father (Mahesh Bhatt). They decided to do Criminal (1994, Manisha Koirala and Nagarjuna) and invited MM Kreem to join because he worked with that producer on Boy Friend,” Bhatt said. “It was my first love for my father. When he thought of doing Zakhm, he said he couldn’t make the film without Kreem.”
Seamlessly combining old-school tunes with classical influences arranged in a Western arrangement, Keeravani delivered Hindi hits of the late 1990s and early Aughts. Tu Mile Dil Khile from Criminal hit the charts instantly and he followed it up with songs like Chup Tum Raho (Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin; 1996), Gali Mein Aaj Chand Nikla (Zakhm; 1998) and Awaarapan Banjarapan (Jism; 2003). Even when the movies flop, his songs are remembered.
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An integral part of Keeravani’s musical legacy is his collaboration with his paternal cousin, filmmaker SS Rajamouli. Their 12-year age difference means that Keeravani was already a longstanding name in the Telugu and Hindi film industries when Rajamouli started working on his feature film debut, Student No.
Over two decades, the duo has collaborated on 12 films, creating an acronym that goes beyond music. “Working with Rajamouli is like taking notes without a pen and paper,” Keeravani told cinema platform IndieWire in 2022.
As music director for the lavish two-part film inspired by Bahubali mythology, Keeravani drew inspiration from melodious folk music, evocative shlokas and thunderous martial arts tunes. lightning to create a vibrant two-part track. With RRR, the tempo is enhanced even further.
Keeravani’s discography is a study of versatility. His composition for Annamayya, a 1997 film by K Raghavendra Rao about the life of the respected 15th-century poet, is classical and devout and has earned him the National Award. In 2003, he gave NTR Jr one of his biggest dance hits, with Chiraku Anuko (strongly inspired by the Eurodance song Cotton Eye Joe) in the film Rajamouli Simhadri (2003).
“His longevity is entirely due to him being so talented. He gave us both Naatu Naatu and Awaarapan Banjarapan. He’s not one of those old world composers who despise technology. Riya Mukherjee, who wrote the lyrics for three songs (Dosti, Sholay and Nacho Nacho) for the Hindi version of the film, said: “He finds it easy to compose on the violin or harmonium as well as to work on it. with complex music software on your computer.” RRR.
However, the popularity doesn’t seem to interest Keeravani. He rarely gives interviews. Since 2014, he has indicated that he is ready to retire. In a Facebook post that year, he said he would call it the day he hit the 27th mark, in December 2016. Then, in 2015, he made his biggest hit. his until then: the first Bahubali movie. Since then, he’s written, sang, and composed hits like Janani (Mother; from the RRR soundtrack).
In an all-out moment, the Oscar nomination also involves a next-generation Keeravani. The composer has two sons, Sri Simha Koduri, an actor, and Kaala Bhairava, who sang Naatu Naatu with Rahul Sipligunj. If the song were to play at the Oscars, it would be the first song of a different genre.
