Oops! the titles never end

"PREMINCHUKUNDAM RAA..", "Pellichesukundam Raa..", "Kalisundam Raa...", "Kshemamga Velli Labhamga Randi", "Choosoddam Randi", "Sardukupodam Randi..."

What's this? In the land of Telugus, everyone seems to be heading somewhere or calling hither. The clarion call apparently is to fall in love, enter wedlock, adjust to the circumstances, be together ever after, go and come back safely etcetera. Is it a youthful dream or good old granny's desire to see her grand children settled in life?

None of these. These are simple movie titles. In the Telugu movie hinterland, the mind is invariably boggled by strange-sounding syllables and stacatto lines that are passed off as movie titles. Dream factories in the Beverly Hills of Hyderabad - read Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and do not hesitate to lock (Big B, you are infectious!) other hillocks too, have their own whims, fancies and superstitions while weaving those Friday fantasies.

If a movie clicks, there is a mad rush to name new productions after them. The hustle is to blindly ape, doesn't matter if they don't fit or sound ludicrous. At this rate, the Telugu filmmakers can win a race for the blind in any part of the world hands down!

Is it dearth of novelty, mass mentality or just a success sentiment thrust on the Telugu moviegoers? All of these, actually. One can see a distinct and deliberate familiarity, a kind of almost geometric pattern that injects an uncanny resemblance to movie titles. Like hounds that hunt in packs, the titles come in hordes and vanish in the same pace.

Try recollecting the names of movies which have the following words as prefixes or suffixes. "Alludu", "Pellam", "Mogudu", "Ammayi", "Abbayi", "Bava", "Attha", "Randi..", "Raa..", the list goes on and on. Relationships, lines from old melodies, casual chatter on the streets, ordinary names, pet names and even typical utterances by womenfolk in day-to-day middle class lives, and even formal invitations, nothing it appears is improper for conversion into film titles.

Filmmakers are liberally a taking out a leaf or two (leaves actually!) from just about anything and everything. Sample these. "Yevandi Avida Vachchindi", "Avida Maa Avide", "Mondi Mogudu Penki Pellam", "Naaku Pellam Kaavali", "Mogudu Kavali", "Naa Mogudu Naake Sontham", "Donga Mogudu", "Donga Pellam", "Allari Mogudu", "Gharana Alludu", "Allari Alludu", "Chudalanivundhi", "Cheppalanivundhi" and now "Ammo Okato Thaareekhu"!

Some are banal, some extremely hilarious. But, the titles are driven home day in and day out on the telly putting Goebbel's to shame. But, this being the land of movies with its denizens' obsession for anything related to the movies bordering onto the maniacal, everything goes.....'cause, they simply love their movies.

And so they eat, drink and sleep movies. And names? What the heck, they come as a bonus raising a few laughs!

By K.V.S. Madhav

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