M. Ranga Rao’s wide musical canvas
The Hindu
M. Ranga Rao composed some of the best Kannada film songs
The contribution of Telugu land to South Indian film music is enormous. S. Janaki, P. Susheela, Vani Jairam, P.B. Sreenivos, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Ghantasala — the list of singers from this region who became household names is long. Similarly, composers such as G.K. Venkatesh, S.V. Venkataraman, Satyam, M. Ranga Rao and others made significant contribution to southern film music.
The story of M. Ranga Rao, who composed music for nearly 100 Kannada films is interesting and moving too. Armed with a mechanical engineering diploma, he got a job in HAL, Bengaluru. Along with his wife, he moved from Kakinada to Bengaluru. Circumstances were so tough he could not even afford a bus pass. Ranga Rao cycled to work every day. N.S. Shridhar Murthy, a chronicler of film music, in his essay on the composer, writes of how this took a huge toll on his health. He quit his job, but very soon S.V. Venkataraman, the musician who composed for M.S. Subbulakshmi’s Meera, asked him to play the veena for the Telugu film Tyagayya. Without thinking twice, Ranga Rao took up the assignment. Little did he know that his music would immortalise him.