My composition : Haule Se - हौले से - Varnarupini (Varnaroopini)

Song : Haule Se - हौले से 
Ragam : Varnarupini (Varnaroopini) / Shuddha Dhaivat Vibhas

Singers : Swati Kanitkar, Hricha Mukherjee

Lyrics : Sajeev Sarathie

Flute and Jati Vocals : Siju Sukumaran

Orchestrated and Mixed By :  Sibu Sukumaran 

Composed by : Murali Venkatraman

We present to you a song based on Ragam Varnarupini composed by me (Murali Venkatraman).



Ragam Varnaroopini is a rarely used ragam in Carnatic.  Its aarohanam / avarohanam  is as follows:

S  R1 G3 P   D2 S
S  D2 P   G3 R1 S

Equivalent notation in hindustani (aaroho / avroho) would be:

S  R1 G2 P   D2 S
S  D2 P   G2 R1 S

In the carnatic domain, the only song in this ragam that I am aware of is Shree paadham rendered by Nithyashree Mahadevan. In films, this ragam has been handled extensively mainly by the great composer Maestro Ilaiyaraja in a variety of songs like :  Azhage thamizhE ( Movie : Kovil Pura) , neelakkuyilE unnodu naan (Movie : Magudi) and edhilum ingu iruppaan (Movie : Bharathi).  All these expound the raga in its pristine form. 

The other songs which I am aware of using this ragam partly are "Brahmakamalam" from the malayalam movie Savidham (Composer : Ravindran) and "sindhooram peydhirangi" (composer : Johnson) both rendered by Dr. K. J. Yesudas and "Man Bhi Hai" (Composer : Monty Sharma) in the hindi movie Mirch rendered by Bela Shende.  While "Brahmakamalam" is based pretty much on this ragam,  its lyrics  mention malayamarutham which is a close to this ragam. 

"Man bhi hai" on the other hand, uses this scale only in the mukhda (pallavi) and later strays away.  This ragam sometimes is also referred to as Shuddha Dhaivat Vibhas in hindustani genre - an excellent rendition of which by Swaradhish Bharat Balvalli available in youtube. 

This song is a semi-classical based in ragam Varnaroopini in the voices of Swati Kanitkar and Hricha Mukherjee - both highly accomplished singers who have won many episodes of SaReGaMa.

Lyrics have been penned by Sajeev Sarathie - the author of "Ek Pal kii Umr lEkar" - and lyricist.



Mukhda:
Swati - हौले से पलकों में आ सजनवा,
Hricha- सपनों में मेरे समा सजनवा,
Swati - समा  समा  समा  सजनवा,
Hricha - नैनों को रंग  दे हरा सजनवा,
Swati - नैनों को रंग  दे हरा सजनवा,
Swati - हरा …हरा …हरा सजनवा
Swati & Hricha -हौले से पलकों  में आ सजनवा....
Swati - हौले से पलकों  में आ…
Hricha – तू आ

(Interlude)

Antara 1:
Swati – सांस सांस तेरी बातें यूँ महके,
Hricha – (सरगम) सांस सांस तेरी बातें यूँ महके
     – आस पास जैसे चंपा की लह्कें,
Swati -  आस पास जैसे चंपा की लह्कें,
Hricha – चाप तेरे क़दमों की सुनाये,
Hricha – दे धोखे,
Swati – ये झोंखें,
Swati & Hricha - कि आये सजनवा...

Mukhda:

Swati - हौले से पलकों में आ सजनवा,
Hricha- हौले से पलकों में आ…. आ,
Swati & Hricha- हौले से सपनों में आ..तू आ

(Interlude)

Antara 2:
Hricha – भीगी भीगी रुत में मन तरसे,
        आग जैसी बरसे बूँदें,
Swati –  उस पे बलम की यादें सितम है,
        चैन लूटे मेरी नींदें छीनी
Swati- Hricha –  दे धोखे, ये झोंखें, कि आये सजनवा...

Mukhda :

Swati – धुन बांसुरी की सुना सजनवा,

Hricha – धुन बांसुरी की सुना सजनवा,

Swati– सुना ...सुना ...सुना सजनवा...

Swati&Hricha – धुन बांसुरी की सुना… सुना

(Interlude)

Antara 3:

Hricha – देख मुझसे न जलियो सहेली,
        मेरे पी की देखे जो  छबि तू,
Swati – लाखों में एक वो मेरा सजन है,
        देख होश खो दे न कहीं तू,
Swati – दे धोखे,
Hricha – ये झोंखें,
Swati & Hricha - कि आये सजनवा...

Mukhda:

Swati - सुध बुध  मैं  बैठूं गवाँ सजनवा,
Hricha – सुध बुध मैं बैठूं गवाँ सजनवा...
       गवाँ..गवाँ..गवाँ..सजनवा
Swati – Hricha – ऐसो कोई धुन सुना सजनवा,
Swati- Hricha  - हौले से पलकों में आ…आ

Lalita's Dance at Pattum Bharathamum Concert

Dance : Shivastuti, Trijata-Sita Samvaadam and VaLlikkaNavan pErai 
By : Lalita Venkatraman
Venue : Sydney Murugan Temple
Date : 23rd Sep 2012

Lalita performed 7 different dances off which clipping of three have been chosen and presented here.  Lalita garnered immense praise for her dance and particularly for her abhinayam.  The video features Shivastuti, Trijata-Sita Samvaadam and VaLLikkaNavan pErai.