- Sreya Sunil

AVM Productions, a pioneer in movie production in South India, returns to Telugu film industry after about half a decade, with their latest movie Gemini starring Victory Venkatesh and Bhairavi in the lead roles. AVM's last two offerings in Telugu were a successful Aa Vokkati Adakku [Rajendra Prasad, Rambha] and an over hyped damp squib Merupukalalu [Arvind Swamy, Prabhu Deva, Kajol]. AVM now joins hands with another pioneer in Telugu Cinema, Suresh Productions [who present this film], to storm the Andhra box-office with a remake of their own production in Tamil with the same name starring Vikram and Kiran Rathod. Saran who directed the Tamil version directs this one too. RP Patnaik, one of the top music directors in Telugu film industry today, scores music for the first time for a Venkatesh film.

The success of Gemini directly affects many people associated with the film. Venkatesh, who tried bringing out 'voice of the youth' in his last musical saga Vasu but with abysmal results, now plays it safe by choosing a remake to reach out to the audience. Bhairavi's entry into Telugu movies with Sontham did not meet with expected success and she is banking heavily on Gemini for her first box-office success. Suresh Productions, whose last three movies Hai [Aryan Rajesh, Nikita], Nee Premakai [Abbas, Vineeth, Laya] and Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein [Hindi remake of Kalisundam Raa starring Fardeen Khan and Richa Pallod] turned out to be box-office turkeys, hope to end this year with a hit in the form of Gemini.

This is RP Patnaik's seventh film [Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu, Santosham, Jayam, Sreeram, Allari Ramudu, Holi being the others] this year and I shall leave it to you to decide which is his best work so far this year. Having said that let me proceed to the songs.

1. Cheli Chedugudu Gemini Gemini (Listen)
Undoubtedly the best song in this album and alas its not RP's baby. RP, unlike many music directors, is said to have sought the permission of the original composer Ramani Bharadwaj to use his highly popular 'O Podu' song from the Tamil version. That's so nice of RP but what exactly did he contribute to this one? He took the tune, he took the phrase 'O Podu'. Well that doesn't make much sense in Telugu, does it? So Veturi, who seems to specialize in such mass songs now, is brought in to transform 'O Podu' to 'Vey Potu' and bingo RP gives us a racy, pulsating, thumping mass number. Only that, its not as racy, as pulsating and as thumping as the Tamil song. RP also uses the same singers - SPB and Anuradha Sriram. While SPB, who adds his kind of spice to enthusiastic mass songs, effortlessly adds that to this one too, it's Anuradha Sriram who shines in this song [only if you would excuse her occasional pronunciation of the word 'potu' as 'potai']

2. Poolalo Tene Prema (Listen)
A soft melodious number exuding RP's trademark style of music in each and every note of its pallavi. Thankfully RP makes Rajesh sing it (and you know why I said thankfully, don't you?). However the orchestration used in this song is very good and different from RP's previous similar songs. While Veturi's lyrics about love reiterate what has been said, thought and conveyed about love earlier, Rajesh's pleasant singing pulls you into the song.

3. Dil Diwana Main Haseena (Listen)
Usha's solo, which starts off with Hindi words and then progresses into Telugu lines, is a feel-good number mainly because of the manner in which this talented singer sings it. Slowly, but surely, Usha is getting into the league of Suseela, Janaki and Chitra. The heroine of this movie is a Hindi speaking girl and to add authenticity to this song a new lyricist (who also penned lyrics for three songs in 'Yeh Dil' - a Hindi remake of Nuvvu Nenu) is made to pen a few Hindi words [like dil diwana, chain churaaye, neend udaaye] that are typically used when talking about love in Hindi songs. A few lines from Kishore Kumar's 'Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si' song from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi composed by SD Burman are also used in this song. Veturi wrote only Telugu lyrics in this song. Usha's pronunciation of Hindi words is as flawless as her pronunciation of Telugu words

4. Chukkallokekkinaadu (Listen)
A short situational pathos song about the death of a person, the sequence of events that follow and the philosophy of life and death. There are very few songs [actually, are there any?] written on this theme and this one shines boasting of some wonderful lyrics by Veturi, perfect rendition by Vandemataram Sreenivas and good orchestration by RP. The manner, in which RP laced this song with a slow start, conch blow, subdued beats and a mellow chorus, is commendable.

5. Brahma O Brahma (Listen)
A not-so-sweet song full of sweet lyrics by Kula Sekhar. SPB sings this one well. In a song like this where the guy is singing eulogies about the beauty of his lover and praising her, how would one justify a line like 'Noorella ee janmani ichhindi nuvve nani'?

6. Cheli Chedugudu Gemini Gemini (Listen)
This one's not as impressive as the first one. SPB gets a major pie of singing in this version and Anuradham Sriram ends up going over-board in whatever little she has. Lyrics by Veturi are aimed at masses. For all practical purposes, lets skip this one and stick to the earlier version.

7. Bandhame Mullu Aina (Listen)
Another short tragic song written by Veturi. This one's about rejection/failure in love and is based on the tune of 'Polalo Tene Prema'. This is the only song RP sings in this album and he sings it well.

8. Nadaka Chooste Vayyaram (Listen)
An average song full of mass beats sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Usha. Lyrics, if they can be called so, are by Veturi and are targeted solely at the front-benchers.

This album definitely does not meet the expectations surrounding it. Expectations!! That's one 'cause', which can either appease us or annoy us based on the 'effect'. But don't we have expectations only from somebody who, we know, is capable of meeting them? So, RP you still owe us another soulful album like Manasantha Nuvve. Until then we can mix and merry with the best numbers from your albums so far.

Sreya's Picks: Cheli Chedugudu Gemini Gemini & Poolalo Tene Prema

Click here to read the other articles by Sreya Sunil

Other audio reviews by Sreya Sunil
Chenna Kesava Reddy
Okato Number Kurraadu
Sontham
Baba
Holi
Avunu Valliddaru Ista Paddaru
Allari Ramudu
Indra
Jayam
Sreeram
Kanulu Moosina Neevaye
Vasu
Santosham

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