HYDERABAD: We often see movie and music directors revisiting old tracks or scenes from classic films to enhance the aesthetics or create connections in their projects. Similarly, in Pawan Kalyan’s movie Bheemla Nayak, the title track references a Kinnera song by folk singer Darshanam Mogilaiah, a Padma Shri awardee, who was introduced to the world by Dr Dasari Ranga. Many folk artists like Darshanam Mogilaiah were recognised by Dr Dasari Ranga, a folk researcher, singer, and actor, who has transformed their lives through his extensive research on folk music. In the film Marri Chettu, partly produced by Dr Dasari Ranga, all these folk artists were featured. CE spoke to Dr Dasari Ranga about his journey and the film.
Hailing from the Wanaparthy district of Telangana, Dr Dasari Ranga grew up immersed in the folk music of his village. “I come from an agricultural background. Since we have been farming since childhood, I grew up listening to different kinds of songs in my village, like Kalpula Patalu (Songs of sowing),” he recalls. Gradually, he developed an interest in folk music and earned a PhD from Osmania University on folk music in Mahbubnagar district. “During my PhD, I collected a lot of Kinnera songs because they are real stories. I travelled throughout Mahbubnagar district and collected up to 1,000 songs from every corner as part of my research. All those songs are beautiful and retain energy while working. When I was travelling with them, no matter how tired I was, I felt relaxed after listening to their songs. Then I decided to introduce these artists and their talent to the world.”
Recalling memorable moments from his journey, Dr Dasari Ranga said, “When I was doing my PhD, Prof Thangedi Kishan Rao and I attended an event discussing the extinction of Kinnera artists. By then, I had already collected data about Kinnera artists. I told them they still exist, but they didn’t believe me. Then I mentioned Darshanam Mogilaiah, with whom I had travelled for eight years, and Gonthu Kinnera artist Kavulla Thalaari Balaiah, who uses his voice as Kinnera. I have done extensive research on him. I challenged them that day, back in 2012, that I would introduce these folk artists to the world. Now, two artists—Darshanam Mogilaiah, a Kinnera artist, and Dasari Nara Kondappa, a Burra Veena artist—have received Padma Shri awards.”
“There are many types of folk artists who use different instruments, each telling different stories. Some recount the Ramayana and Mahabharata, some sing about families, and others describe local stories and real heroes, like Kinnera artists. While a few are already receiving help from the government, I hope the government offers pensions for everyone,” he added.
When asked about the challenges he faced during his research, he elaborated, “Folk research is very deep; no matter how much you dig, there is always something left out. There were many challenges in my journey, including financial problems. I used to work as a part-time lecturer to fulfill my needs. Sometimes I couldn’t even buy books during my PhD due to financial issues. Despite all these struggles, seeing artists happy and receiving the respect and recognition they deserve makes me forget all my hardships.”
Apart from researching folk artists and music, Dr Dasari Ranga has also ventured into films and short films. When asked about his interest in acting, he shared, “My interest in acting has grown recently. I have done a few short films, and ‘Veerangam’ is my first film. Even my father, Dasari Kondaraju Kistanna, was a small artist; he used to get ready as the ‘Kondaraju’ for one day during Muharram (peerela pandaga), which inspired me a lot.”
Regarding the film Marri Chettu, Dr Dasari Ranga expressed his deep care for culture and the environment. “I believe in ‘Save Culture, Save Nature, Save World.’ The movie mainly focuses on the environment, particularly Marri Chettu (banyan tree), which holds stories of the village, along with featuring different kinds of folk artists, beautifully directed by Vemuganti, a Nandi Awardee. Another reason for featuring folk artists in the movie is that when artists perform live, it is a one-time experience. People living in the city often prefer watching at their convenience, and a film format makes it easy to rewatch. Though many of the actors who worked for the film are not professionals, they came forward to act because of the concept. We aimed for a national film award with this movie; we hope we’ll achieve it.”