Krishna Kanth or KK, as he is called among his friends, is beaming at the warm reception to Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha . A hit can work wonders not just for the principal cast and crew but also for a lyricist. A film that works at the box office has a better chance of its songs being heard.
KK has recently written for films like Jil, Bhale Manchi Roju, Kumari 21F and Dochay but KVPG is where he earned his first ‘single card’ credit, as the industry terms it. He has penned all the songs for the film. “The film’s songs picked up momentum even before its release and ‘Nuvvante Na Navvu’ started becoming a favourite. Now the other songs are also rising in popularity,” he says.
Andala Rakshasi was his first film as a lyricist. KK, who heads the graphics division at a private enterprise, met Hanu Raghavapudi through a mutual friend. “Hanu had already begun working with Ananth Sriram for Andala Rakshasi . Nevertheless, he heard me out and then I wrote two songs,” he recalls.
The film wasn’t a major box office grosser, but the songs went on to become hits. “Not many knew that I had worked for the film. But whenever people heard the songs even two or three years later, there was appreciation,” he says.
With Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha , he got to work with Hanu Raghavapudi for the second time. KK credits Hanu for his fine taste in music and lyrics. “Hanu himself is a poet and has an ear for good music. He would give me a detailed narration of each sequence. I would listen to a tune, think about it and sometimes, when I am on the road, words would come to me. As soon as I stop my bike, I would write down the lyrics. Hanu and I spent a lot of time on the songs.”
KK began writing poems in his spare time since school days. He wanted to see his name in a film’s credit. “There would be thousands of aspiring artists. Writing, I felt, is an easier way to see my name on screen,” he says. KK understands that unlike in the era of audio cassettes and CDs (the CDs are still around, but the shift is towards the digital platform) where lyricists are prominently mentioned, today there is very little attention to credits. “The name recall is slow, but I am sure recognition will come,” he says.
Next, he is working on Indraganti Mohanakrishna’s film starring Nani. “Nani liked my work and recommended my name to Mohanakrishna,” he says.
An ardent admirer of the writings of Vetturi and Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry, KK is glad that filmmakers like Sukumar encourage his work. Someday, he hopes he will be able to explore newer vistas for his writing.
