Thread by @rajuvijai

10 years of box office smash #GabbarSingh calls for a celebration, right? Here’s a thread (1/30) on the back story of the film, origin of 2 most popular numbers, Pawan’s advice to Harish and much more...
@PawanKalyan
@harish2you
@ThisIsDSP
#PSPK
#10YearsforGabbarSingh

1)When Harish Shankar explained Shruti Haasan’s introduction scene to DSP in detail, the tunesmith straight away started humming the tune of Aakasam ammai aithe….

Lyricist Chandrabose took almost a month to pen it down.

2)Chandrabose was reeling under back pain when he started writing it. He wrote it sitting on a mat at producer Ganesh’s office.

Shankar Mahadevan was too busy to travel to Chennai to record the song, so DSP, Harish and Bose flew to Mumbai and got it recorded.

3)The trio celebrated recording the blockbuster of a song by breaking into dinner.

Avadhani Garikapati Narasimha Rao was one of many admirers of the song.

During a TANA meeting in the US, he said the song was an answer to critics who felt that Telugu literature has died.

4)'Sahityam chanipoledhu, janalalo rasikatha chachipoyindi’, he would declare.

Coming from Garikapati, it was a flattering remark for Harish.

Till date, the lyrical progression of the song has many in awe.

5)Chandrabose experimented with words like Kangaram and Thayyaram for the song, receiving praise from literary corners.

Pawan was shooting for Panjaa in RFC when he first heard the song. He started tapping his feet the moment musical notes began.

6)He immediately told Harish to commence the production with it. It was a big statement from him as he generally doesn’t begin his films with a song.

It’s another story that Harish had to start the shoot in Pollachi with some talkie portions.

#10yearsforGabbarSingh

7)Now, let’s come to the third song of the film, Pilla nuvvu leni jeevitham.

Harish told Devi that PK would be dancing in the song and he needs a number like Gongura thota kada kapukasa from Venky, with a folkish touch to it.

8)Devi gets to know the song situation clearly and promises Harish that he would deliver a song 100 times better than that of Gongura...

After some days, Devi lands in Hyderabad on some work and rings Harish to know if they can meet.

#10YearsforGabbarSingh

9)The director picks Devi from Novotel and the two go on a ride.

After getting to know that Harish's car has a good music system, Devi said, ‘This tune was composed for another director but he couldn’t take it as he felt it was too massy. It, however, suits your situation.’

10)He plays the tune. Seconds later, the director immediately halts the car right after TRS Bhavan on road due to the mad rush of adrenaline.

He straight away tells Devi, ‘This is my song. Even if that director asks you to give it back, don’t please.’

#10YearsofGabbarSingh

11)Harish requests some space in the song for Pawan to put on his dancing shoes and Devi accepts.

It was Devi who came up with the phrase ‘Ye gannulanti kannulunna junnu lanti pilla’. Impressed by it, Harish requests the composer to complete the lyrics.

12)A bit reluctant initially, Devi agrees to it later.

The song is a favourite of the legendary late Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry.

After watching the film, he would call Harish Shankar to his home to speak about the film for one hour and about the song for another hour.

13)He wanted to know how they specially cracked the expression, ‘Nune lonchi vaana loki jaari padda appadam’.

‘Only monkeys like you both can come up with such expressions’, he would laud.

#DecadeforGabbarSingh

14)Years later, Harish would get to know from Devi that it was Trivikram who couldn’t take Pilla tune for Julayi.
#10yearsofGabbarSingh
#DecadeforGabbarSingh

15)Not many know that Pawan’s lines for Mandhubabulam bit song (Ye tagududaina swargaaniki nichana…) were sung by Harish Shankar. #10yearsforGabbarSingh

16)The unit was rushing that day to shoot that song.

As no Telugu singer was available readily in Chennai at that point of time to record it, DSP asked Harish to croon it. He did it.

17)After watching Dabangg in the morning, Harish cracked the one-line order and characterization of Pawan’s role by evening.

He took 2 days to crack scenes. During the shooting, all that occupied Harish’s headspace was the characterization of Gabbar Singh.

18)He would sleep for only 3-4 hours while on sets but neither his excitement levels diminished for a bit nor his energy levels ever dropped.

#10yearsofGabbarSingh

19)It was at Kolkatta Taj that Harish gave the script narration of Gabbar Singh to Pawan.

The actor was filming for Panjaa there.

#DecadeforGabbarSingh

20)After the completion of the scene where Gabbar Singh storms into the den of villain Sidhappa Naidu and warns him that even if his high command allots him a ticket, he won’t—right before the interval, Pawan said, ‘You seem to have emphasized a lot on dialogue?’

21)To which Harish replied, ‘Yes, sir, we want to see some lines out of you’.

After listening to ‘content unnodiki content out chaalu dialogue’, Pawan, much to the delight of Harish, said, ‘A writer cannot come up with such lines; only a fan can. Go ahead with the shoot’.

22)For Harish, Gabbar Singh’s success was written way before the script.

The only regret he carries is that they couldn’t hold a success meet with Pawan to celebrate its monstrous success.

#10yearsforGabbarSingh

23)As far as the famous Antyakshari episode, it was Pawan’s idea to have a gaana-bhajana episode.

‘Don’t depend on action sequences every time. More than with heroines, I romance with villains in my films. Try to catch that chemistry,’ he advised Harish.

24)Overall, they shot 15 songs for the episode, trimming it to 9 after the edit.

They even shot Abba nee theeyyani debba, which couldn’t make it to the final cut.

After dubbing for the Antyakshari episode, Pawan kissed the dubbing floor.

25)He later told Harish, ‘Cinema is such a great medium that besides giving money and fame, it gives the power to entertain crores of people. This film is going to be a blockbuster, so please keep your feet on the ground after release as you have a bright future ahead’.

26)He even embraced Harish, who got a bit overwhelmed with emotion.

#10yearsforGabbarSingh
#DecadeforGabbarSingh

27)Once Aadhya, who was around three-and-a-half years back then, dropped by the sets in RFC to visit her dad.

When Pawan took her in his arms, she fell asleep.

28)From RFC to Prasad Labs, where he was to dub, Pawan had her on his shoulder while ensuring that the car didn’t cross more than 20 kmph lest she would wake up.

The car was at almost zero speed when it encountered speed breakers.

29)Harish pleaded with Pawan so that he can have her on his shoulder for some time but Pawan didn’t, fearing that she might get disturbed.

For one- and-a- half hours, Pawan’s shoulder was a bed to little Aadhya.

30)Harish, who decided not to have kids, wished that he had a daughter like Aadhya seeing that endearing moment.

He can never forget that visual, while realizing how great a father PK was.

#10yearsforGabbarSingh