Bitter and vengeful for a reason

A generation of audience greatly adored her for her matchless portrayal of three characters — the carefree and ebullient shepherd girl Gowri (Moogamanasulu), the epic heroine, Sathyabhama (Sri Krishna Tulabhaaramu) and the risen-to-riches Rani Malini Devi (Pandanti Kaapuram). The last mentioned role has shades of both Gowri, who waits for her beau, and the self-conceit of Sathyabhama. Today, Jamuna is synonymous with these three characters, thanks to her performances.

The roots of Malini Devi’s character can be found in the 1964 Hollywood saga The Visit, starring Ingrid Bergman along and Anthony Quinn. Impressed by Bergman’s portrayal of Karla in the movie, which was based on famed Swiss author Friedrich Durrenmatt’s German novel, Der Besuch der alten Dame (The visit of the old lady), actor-producer Prabhakara Reddy wrote his own version of the character in his story, Pandanti Kaapuram (1972). He renamed her as Savita/ Rani Malini Devi.

Tinge of negativity

Nevertheless, Jamuna was not the first choice to play the role. Prabhakara Reddy narrated the story at first to Bhanumathi Ramakrishna. Though she had played a role with negative shades in Swargaseema (1945), Bhanumathi had by now evolved as an actor par excellence portraying varied roles as the lead player. Image and other considerations made her opt out of the project. Open to challenges, despite warnings from well wishers, Jamuna picked it up and dazzled with her fine portrayal of a role that has a tinge of negativity.

However, she placed a condition to director Lakshmi Deepak that he should include a justification scene behind Malini Devi’s retribution. So a scene is created wherein Lakshmi (played by Devika) meets Malini Devi to know why she is destroying her family, Malini narrates how her husband Srinivasa Rao (Gummadi) had deceived her in the name of love and the trauma she underwent thereafter.

Jamuna’s belief that this one scene would undo all the negativity in the role and earn her sympathy from the audience, proved right. Lakshmi who comes to confront her, blesses Malini Devi and leaves. With anguish and retrospection, Malini Devi breaks into a song. This evocative lyric was penned by Gopi and composed with a haunting tune by S P Kodandapani.

Manasaa kavvinchake nannilaa/ Yedureedaleka kumilenu nenu/ Sudigaalilo chikkina naavanu nenu/ Manasaa…

As P Susheela’s melancholic voice takes us into a reverie, the director shows us Malini Devi’s joy-filled young days in the company of her beau.

Aanaadu vennela nenai karigaanu kougililona/ Eenaadu cheekati laagaa migilenu cheekatilona/ Nenodi poyi gelupondinaanu/ Gelichaanani navvanaa yedvanaa/ Manasa…

The song progresses as she laments at the bygone times:

Momupai mungurulemo vasivaadi malliyalaaye/ Gundelo korikalannee kanneeti chaarikalaaye/ Ye teegakainaa kaavaali todoo/ Naa jeevitham saapamaa paapamaa/ Manasa…

Gopi unravelled the inner turmoil of Malini Devi in such simple but effective words that the song not only touched a million hearts but also won him kudos.

Sakhamuri Ramachandra Rao, an associate director for the movie, recalls the song was recorded at Vijaya Gardens by sound engineer A Swaminathan and was shot at Nandi Hills and at a palatial set created at Majestic Studios, Madras.

The scene

It is the story of four brothers — Narayana Rao (S V Rangarao), Srinivasa Rao (Gummadi), Madhu (Prabhakara Reddy) and Ravi (Krishna). Srinivasa Rao falls in love with Savita (Jamuna) and promises to marry her. He knows she is carrying his child. However, he marries his niece Lakshmi (Devika).

When Savita gives birth to a baby girl, tries to put her in an orphanage and commit suicide, she is saved by a rich man who laters bequeaths his property to her. Savita changes her name to Rani Malini Devi and vows to destroy Srinivasa Rao and his family and succeeds. Then Lakshmi confronts her and Malini introspects; that’s when this song expresses her plight.

The movie also introduced a newcomer Sujatha as Malini Devi’s daughter Shanti (brought up by SVR). She later became the popular heroine, Jayasudha. Vijaya Nirmala’s son Naresh and baby Dolly played the child characters.

Along with the other compositions of S P Kodandapani, Manasaa kavvinchake is popular to this day.