| G. K. Venkatesh | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 September 1927 |
| Origin | Hyderabad, British India |
| Died | November 1993 (aged 66) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupations | Film score, Music Director, playback singer, Actor, Film Producer |
| Instruments | veenai |
| Years active | 1946 to 1993 |
| Notable instruments | |
| veenai | |
Gurjada Krishnadas Venkatesh (GKV) (Kannada : ಗುರ್ಜದ ಕೃಷ್ಣದಾಸ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ Telugu గురజాడ కృష్ణదాసు వెంకటేష్), (b. 1927-09-21; d. November 1993) was a prominent composer of film music in Kannada cinema during the 1960s, 1970s and until the late 1980s. He also composed music for Tamil and Telugu movies. He produced numerous master pieces of Kannada film music. He also brought in Western background score into Kannada films and scored music for all Bond movies of Dr.Raj in 60-70's.
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He learned music since young and was very talented. Even as a child, he was appreciated by the Raja of Bobbili. He learned veenai from his elder brother G. K. S. Pathi. As a teenager, he played veenai for the great music directors such as S. V. Venkataraman, S. M. Subbaiah Naidu and C. R. Subburaman.
GKV was also a talented singer. Before entering to cinema, he was singing in the in Bangalore All India Radio. He had done chorus under S. V. Venkataraman for Meera.
He became a close friend to M. S. Viswanathan (MSV) while working under S. M. Subbaiah Naidu during the late 1940s. They shared the same room in Jupiter Lodge, Madras when MSV was offered to compose some songs for Genova. When N. S. Krishnan offered an opportunity to M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy to compose music for Panam (1952) for Madras Pictures, GKV became a part of their troupe. He had a chance to sing Ezhayin Kovilai Naadinaen in Panam which was also Sivaji Ganesan’s second film. He was named as their assistant by M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy.
In 1952, he composed music independently for a Malayalam film, which was also dubbed in Tamil as Nadigai. In 1955, he started to compose music for a Kannada film named Sodari starring Rajkumar (his second film) and Pandaribai along with H. R. Padmanabha Shastry. Since then he became a much sought after and one of the successful music directors in Kannada films along with T. G. Lingappa and Vijayabhaskar. He was showered with offers where he composed music from Ohileshwara (1955) till Kalitaaru Henne (1963) in a row. GKV launched P. B. Sreenivos as a successful in Kannada films.
He came back to Tamil films in 1964 for Thirumagal Films movie Magale Un Samathu. Since then he began to compose music for both Tamil and Kannada films.
In the late 1960s, it is notable that Ilaiyaraja and L. Vaidhiyanathan were playing instruments under GKV's troupe, assisting to compose music.
GKV composed music for 51 films in which Dr. Rajkumar played the lead role. He launched Dr. Rajkumar as a singer in the film Ohileshwara (song: Sharanu Shambho) and also recorded Dr.Raj's first duet in Mahishasura Mardhini (song: Tumbitu Manava with S. Janaki). GKV would insist Rajkumar to sing regularly, owing to his grooming in the Gubbi Company. Rajkumar, however preferred PB Srinivas, to sing for him.
In 1974, PB Srinivas, was hesitant to sing the song (song: Yare Koogadali) in the movie Sampattige Saval. The song had the hero singing praises of a buffalo and the conservative-minded PB Srinivas wasn't enthusiastic to sing it. GK Venkatesh proposed to Rajkumar to sing the song. It marked the re-emergence of the Singer in Rajkumar.
A versatile music director, GKV used elaborate Western-style orchestration in his songs, be they of any genre. He successfully brought Master singer Dr. Bhimsen Joshi to sing for films Sandhyaraga (1966). Bhimsen Joshi sang again in 1983 in the movie Nodi Swami Navirodu Heege.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was reluctant to play Shehnai for films during his later part of years. GKV got the Maestro to play Shehnai for lead character Appanna, enacted by Dr.Rajkumar in Sanadi Appanna (1977). The songs became chartbusters and are aired regularly on the Kannada Radio.
Ilaiyaraaja was hired as an assistant by GKV, an event that marked the entry of Ilaiyaraaja into film music composition and direction. Ilaiyaraaja assisted Venkatesh in 200 film projects. Later Ilaiyaraaja went on to become one of the most prominent film music composers in India. When Venkatesh was left with no films and after his failure as a film producer, Ilaiyaraaja took him into his fold, and Venkatesh remained an essential element of Ilaiyaraaja’s ensemble till 1993.
GKV had a small part to play in AVM Productions’s Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu in 1986 in which he acted in the role of Mohan’s musician father. His dialogues were dubbed by V. Gopalakrishnan. The music directors were M. S. Viswanathan and Ilaiyaraja.
He had appeared on-screen in the Kannada movie Kanteredu Nodu in 1961 in the song Kannadada Makkalella Ondagi Banni, composed and sung by himself.
During the fledgling days of Kannada film movement, he produced movies such as Ranadheera Kantheerava, Immadi Pulikeshi in partnership with other artists. In 1987, he produced the Ramarajan and Revathi starrer Gramathu Minnal Tamil film.
Prominent compositions of G. K. Venkatesh in Kannada include:
Some compositions of G. K. Venkatesh in Tamil, include:
Some compositions of G. K. Venkatesh in Telugu include:
| Year | Film | Language |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Nadigai | Malayalam |
| 1952 | Nadigai | Tamil |
| 1955 | Sodari (with H.R. Padmanabha Shastry) | Kannada |
| 1955 | Ohileshwara | Kannada |
| 1956 | Haribhaktha | Kannada |
| 1958 | Anna Thangi | Kannada |
| 1959 | Jagajyothi Basaveshwara | Kannada |
| 1959 | Dharma Vijaya | Kannada |
| 1959 | Mahishasura Mardini | Kannada |
| 1960 | Ranadhira Kanteerava | Kannada |
| 1960 | Dasavathara | Kannada |
| 1960 | Sree Shaila Mahatme | Kannada |
| 1961 | Kanntheredu Nodu | Kannada |
| 1961 | Kaivaara Mahaatme | Kannada |
| 1962 | Bhoodaana | Kannada |
| 1962 | Karuneye Kudumbada Kannu | Kannada |
| 1963 | Kanya Ratna, | Kannada |
| 1963 | Gowri | Kannada |
| 1963 | Kulavadhu | Kannada |
| 1963 | Malli Madhuve | Kannada |
| 1963 | Kalitaaru Henne | Kannada |
| 1964 | Magale Un Samathu | Tamil |
| 1964 | Naanum Manithan Thaan | Tamil |
| 1964 | Thumbida Koda | Kannada |
| 1964 | Nanna Kartavya | Kannada |
| 1965 | Thaayin Karunai | Tamil |
| 1965 | Sarvagyanamoorthi | Kannada |
| 1965 | Sati Savitri | Kannada |
| 1966 | Killadi Ranga | Kannada |
| 1966 | Madhumaalathi | Kannada |
| 1966 | Sandhya Raga | Kannada |
| 1967 | Parvathi Kalyana | Kannada |
| 1967 | Rajshekhara | Kannada |
| 1967 | Rajadurgada Rahasya | Kannada |
| 1967 | Immadi Pulikesh | Kannada |
| 1968 | Jedare Bale | Kannada |
| 1968 | Manasakshi | Kannada |
| 1968 | Goa Dalli CID 999 | Kannada |
| 1969 | Operation Jackpot Nalli CID 999 | Kannada |
| 1969 | Natakala Rayudu | Telugu |
| 1970 | Devara Makkalu | Kannada |
| 1970 | Kasturi Nivasa | Kannada |
| 1970 | Naguva Hoovu | Kannada |
| 1971 | Sabatham | Tamil |
| 1971 | Bala Bandhana | Kannada |
| 1971 | Taayi Devaru | Kannada |
| 1971 | Pratidhwani | Kannada |
| 1971 | Thandhe Makkalu | Kannada |
| 1972 | Bangarada Manushya | Kannada |
| 1972 | Karmika Kallanalla | Kannada |
| 1973 | Doorada Betta | Kannada |
| 1973 | Sampathige Savaal Bhakta | Kannada |
| 1973 | Kumbhara | Kannada |
| 1973 | Ponukku Thanga Manasu | Tamil |
| 1974 | Murugan Kaatiya Vazhi | Tamil |
| 1975 | Yaarukkum Vetkamillai | Tamil |
| 1975 | Thennankeetru | Tamil |
| 1975 | Piriyavidai | Tamil |
| 1975 | Mayura | Kannada |
| 1975 | Mayura | Hindi |
| 1975 | Dari Tappida Maga | Kannada |
| 1975 | Trimoorti | Kannada |
| 1976 | Raja Nanna Raja | Kannada |
| 1975 | Zamindarugari Ammayi | Telugu |
| 1976 | Baalu Jenu | Kannada |
| 1976 | America Ammayi | Telugu |
| 1977 | Olavu Geluvu | Kannada |
| 1977 | Galatte Samsara | Kannada |
| 1977 | Tharam Marindi | Telugu |
| 1977 | Sose Thandha Sowbhagya | Kannada |
| 1977 | Chakradhari | Telugu |
| 1977 | Sanaadi Appanna | Kannada |
| 1978 | Operation Diamond Rocket | Kannada |
| 1979 | Malligai Mohini | Tamil |
| 1980 | Kannil Theriyum Kathaigal (with K. V. Mahadevan, T. R. Papa, Ilaiyaraja & Shankar Ganesh) | Tamil |
| 1980 | Chinnanchiru Kiliye | Tamil |
| 1981 | Pennin Vaazhkkai | Tamil |
| 1981 | Deiva Thirumanangal (with K. V. Mahadevan & M. S. Viswanathan) | Tamil |
| 1981 | Nenjil Oru Mul | Tamil |
| 1981 | Haavina Hede | Kannada |
| 1981 | Hanabalavo Janabalavo | Kannada |
| 1982 | Haalu Jenu | Kannada |
| 1982 | Maro Malupu | Telugu |
| 1983 | Eradu Nakshatragalu | Kannada |
| 1983 | Kashmir Kaadhal | Tamil |
| 1984 | Azhagu | Tamil |
| 1985 | Adhe Kannu | Kannada |
| 1985 | Inaindha Kodugal | Tamil |
| Year | Film | Language | Song | Music | Co-Singer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Panam | Tamil | Ezhayin Kovilai Naadinaen | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | M. L. Vasanthakumari |
| 1954 | Vairamalai | Tamil | Nadana Kalaa Raani | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | P. Leela & A. P. Komala |
| 1955 | Gulebakavali | Tamil | Villenthum Veerannellam | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | Thiruchi Loganathan & P. Leela |
| 1959 | Tamil | Nee Yaro Aval Yaro | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | ||
| 1959 | Raja Malaiya Simman | Tamil | Maaligaiyilae Vasikkum | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | Sirkazhi Govindarajan & P.B. Sreenivas |
| 1960 | Kavalai Illatha Manithan | Tamil | Kannodu Vin Pesum Jaadai | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | K. Jamuna Rani, T. S. Bagavathi & A. L. Ragavan |
| 1961 | Paava Manippu | Tamil | Nilai Maarinaal Gunam Maaruvaan | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | |
| 1962 | Senthamarai | Tamil | Kanavae Kaathal Vaazhvae | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | |
| 1962 | Thendral Veesum | Tamil | Yaen Mama Kovama | Diwakar | L. R. Eswari |
| 1965 | Hello Mr.Zamindar | Tamil | Sondhamumillai Oru Bandhamum Illai | M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy | |
| 1971 | Sabatham | Tamil | Aatathai Aadu Puliyudan Aadu | G. K. Venkatesh | A. L. Ragavan & L. R. Eswari |
| 1975 | Piriyavidai | Tamil | Karunaikkadalae Kaarmugilvanna | G. K. Venkatesh | P. Suseela |
| 1977 | Kavikkuyil | Tamil | Maanathilae Meenirukka | Ilaiyaraja | S. Janaki |
| 1981 | Nenjil Oru Mul | Tamil | Vaazhkkaiyenum Paadhaithanile | G. K. Venkatesh |