Saravanan Natarajan writes:
தேன்மலர் மறப்பதுண்டோ தென்றலே உன் நினைவை....
Posting here a tribute to the great composer V. Kumar that I wrote last year on the anniversary of his demise 7th January:
Posting here a tribute to the great composer V. Kumar that I wrote last year on the anniversary of his demise 7th January:
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world,
and not a stone tell where I lie…
- Ode on Solitude (Alexander Pope)
The birthday of A.R.Rahman, birthday of Yesudas, birth anniversary of O.P.Nayyar, death anniversary of Jaidev, birthday of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, death anniversary of C.Ramachandra, birth anniversary of Mahendra Kapoor , the death anniversary of R.D.Burman and the birth anniversary today of our Seergazhi Govindarajan have all been remembered, with rich and well-deserving tributes being paid to these legends in various web pages by ardent fans so far in this month. However, the death anniversary of the great V. Kumar passed by quietly on January 7, unsung and unwept.
18 years have gone by since that unassuming musician made his final bow; his mortal remains consigned to fire, his immortal works for us to admire…
I have always been an ardent fan of V. Kumar. There is something so caressingly mellifluous in most of his songs, that I have been irresistibly drawn to them. When I started becoming aware of film music in the late 70s, Kumar's songs were often aired on radio, and I used to listen to them spellbound…
* * * * * *
The 60s are often regarded by many as the golden era of Tamil film music. And perhaps rightly so. This was the decade that marked the conscious departure from classical compositions to light music, which suited the social themes that began to gain prominence. This decade also set high standards of excellence in lyrics (Kannadasan/ Vaali) and playback singing (TMS/PBS/Suseela/Eswari).
The 60s also saw the emergence of the inevitable monopoly of Viswanathan-Ramamoorthi (and later only MSV) as the undisputed monarchs of Tamil Film Music, with K.V.Mahadevan playing alongside as a viable alternative. The numerous composers who were in the reckoning in the 50s found themselves swept away by the gargantuan V-R wave that engulfed Tamil Film Music towards the late 50s. Even the great G.Ramanathan, in spite of proving that he could come up with equally enchanting light numbers, found himself sadly sidelined. R. Sudarsanam’s uninterrupted reign at AVM was rudely terminated when V-R bagged Paarthaal Pasi Theerum. S.M. Subbiah Naidu was left with very little work, the pride at his protégé MSV’s ascendancy could be his only consolation. S.V.Venkataraman was another veteran who did not figure in the new scheme of things. T.G.Lingappa was yet another victim of this wave, even his friend of yore Panthulu’s loyalties gradually shifted to V-R. The other giants who found themselves dwarfed by the emergence of V-R were the talented Telugu composers who were an integral part of Tamil Film Music in the 50s- Pendyala Nageswara Rao, Susarla Dakshinamoorthi, Saluri Rajeswara Rao, Aadhi Narayana Rao, Thathineni Chalapathi Rao, Master Venu and Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao were suddenly out of work, at least as far as Tamil Film Music was concerned. Of course, another reason for this could be that the trend of making bilinguals with these composers at the helm had not continued into the 60s. M.B. Srinivasan, who opened his account so grandly in 1960 with Paathai Theriyuthu Paar, could not get a single Tamil film again throughout the 60s. KVM was the only composer who could withstand the V-R wave, and continued to chart a course of his own.
Thus V-R and KVM together accounted for most of the films that came out, especially in the early 60s. By the mid-60s, the number of films that were released each year had increased marginally. Consequently other composers could get some opportunities. Let us have a closer scrutiny of the year 1965. The year remains an important year in the annals of Tamil Film Music, for it marked the dissolution of the powerful V-R partnership and the emergence of MSV as an independent MD. The total number of films released that year was 43. Out of this, V-R’s tally was 11, MSV’s individual tally after the split was 5, and KVM’s score was 8. So 19 films remained for other MDs.
Joseph Thaliyath Jr of Citadel Film Corporation continued to patronize T.R.Papa, and Papa composed music for the two Citadel films that came out in ’65- Vilakketriyaval and Iravum Pagalum. MGR, perhaps out of compassion for his old friend, ensured that Subbiah Naidu got at least one film- Aasaimugam. It was a luckier year for R.Sudarsanam – he was the MD for 4 films that were released in ’65: Poomaalai, Anbukkarangal, Karthigai Deepam & Ennadhaan Mudivu. Veda composed music for Sarasa B.A., Oru Viral and Vallavanukku Vallavan. G.V.Iyer decided to remake his Thaayi Karulu in Tamil, and so retained G.K.Venkatesh as the MD for Thaayin Karunai. Obscure MDs like Chelladurai (Panam Tharum Parisu) and Ibrahim (Vazhikaatti) ventured to make timid forays. R.Parthasarathi gave some lilting melodies in Kalyana Mandapam. And while continuing with KVM for his bigger films, Devar let P.S.Diwakar compose music for his two smaller ventures this year- Kaattu Rani and Thaayum Magalum. Jayakanthan’s Unnai Pol Oruvan had no songs, with background music by Chittibabu.
That leaves us with two films of 1965 yet to be accounted for, and these two films, Neerkkuzhi and Naanal were the ones with which V.Kumar made his entry into Tamil Film Music. And this was the scenario when V. Kumar sought to begin his innings. As Kumar himself had candidly admitted, his career was a marked by a constant struggle for survival, and he had to repeatedly prove himself, before he was grudgingly acknowledged as a composer of merit.
* * * * *
Kumar (named Kumaresan) was born to Varadarajulu Naidu and Danabaghyavathi Ammal on 28 July 1934 in Madras. Though not formally trained, he grasped the nuances of classical music when he used to sit beside his sister when she was being taught. He studied in St. Paul’s in Vepery and later graduated with a B.A. from Loyola College.
Kumar started working in the Telephones Department when his love for music egged him on to form a small troupe and conduct music programmes. He also started composing music for the stage. ‘Kann Thirukkuma?’ was the first play for which Kumar composed music. Drama troupes were flourishing in Madras in the 60s, and Kumar and his band were sought after by various troupes, including Cho’s Viveka Fine Arts. In due course, through a mutual acquaintance, Kumar was introduced to Kailasam Balachandar.
A science graduate from Annamalai University, KB was working as an upper division clerk in the Accountant General's office in Madras. He had staged plays even as a student, and was keenly interested in the stage. He was inspired by Ragini Gopalakrishnan, who while working in the Post Master General’s office, was also successfully running a drama troupe. Thus when KB set up his own troupe in 1957, he called it ‘Ragini Creations’. Pushpa Latha, The Last Judgement and Chathurangam were some of the early successes of Ragini Creations, and KB himself acted in some of those plays. KB’s troupe was further fortified with the inclusion of talented amateurs like Sundararajan (not yet Major!), who was working in the Telephones Department and Nagesh, who was struggling with an ill-paid job in the Railways.
Vinodha Oppandham was the first play that Kumar worked for KB. They developed an instant rapport, and this association was to continue fruitfully for many years. Arunachalam Studios’ A.K.Velan made KB an irresistible offer to direct a film Neerkumizhi, based on one of KB’s play of the same name. And one day, in the course of further discussions, Velan casually suggested that Kumar compose music for the film. Kumar, who was perfectly content scoring music for the stage, was initially filled with apprehensions about the feasibility of this idea. But Velan and KB gave him confidence, and encouraged him to make an attempt. Kumar was ably supported in the music composition of Neerkkumizhi by an experienced musician Rajagopal Kulasekar ( better known as R.K.Sekar and best known as A.R.Rahman’s father).
Kumar was an integral part of KB’s early films. Who can forget classics such as ‘aadi adangum vaazhkkayada’ (Neerkumizhi), ‘vinnukku melaadai’ (Naanal), ‘oru naal yaaro’ (Major Chandrakant), ‘aduththaathu ambujthai’ (Ethir Neechal), ‘punnagai mannan poovizhi kannan’ (Iru Kodugal), ‘unnai thotta kaatru vandhu’ (Navagraham), ‘vellai manam konda’ (Paththaampasali), ‘naan unnai vaazhthi paadugiren’ ( Nootrukku Nooru), ‘kaathoduthaan naan paaduven’ (Velli Vizha) and ‘Moothaval nee koduthaai’ (Arangetram), each album filled with songs that merged with and lent immense value-add to KB’s narration.
Even while working with Kumar, KB moved on to MSV, and after Arangetram, KB never worked with Kumar again. However, Kumar had proved himself by then. Other banners such as Mukta, for instance had become Kumar regulars (Ninaivil Nindraval, Bommalaattam, Niraikudam, Aayiram Poi). Kumar was filled with enough offers to enrich Tamil Film Music throughout the 70s. He coaxed A.M.Raja out of his exile and made him render that singular ‘muththaarame un oodal ennevo’ (Rangaraatinam), and introduced the young Malaysia Vasudevan in ‘paalu vikkira padma’ (Delhi to Madras). Besides working with the leading singers of the time, he sought out sidelined singers of yore and gave them some superb opportunities- Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi ( kuyil koovi thuyil ezhuppa/ illadha pillaikku naan), Koka Jamunarani (punnagai mannan/ ellorum kuzhandaigal), A.L. Raghavan ( navagraham), S.C. Krishnan ( Sedhi ketto).
Each page of the chronicles of the 70s in Tamil Film History is filled with the haunting handiworks of Kumar: ‘kaalam namakku thozhan’ (Peththa Manam Piththu), ‘kannellam un vannam’ (Onne Onnu Kanne Kannu), ‘devan vedhamum’ (Rajanagam), ‘padaithaane brahmadevan’ & ‘sivappukallu mookkuthi’ (Ellorum Nallavare), ‘unnidam mayangugiren’ (Then Sindhudhe Vaanam), ‘ilamaikkoyil ondru’ (Janaki Sabatham), ‘inangalile enna inam’ (Nalla Penmani), ‘thirukkoyil thedi rathi devi’ (Mittai Mummy), ‘naal nalla naal’ (Pannakkara Pen), ‘Oraayiram karpanai’ (Ezhaikkum Kaalam Varum), ‘ennai azhaithathu’ (Oruvanukku Oruthi), ‘pennalla nee oru bommai’ (Sondhamadi Nee Enakku), ‘ennodu ennanavo ragasiyam’ (Thoondil Meen), ‘madanorchavam’ (Chathurangam), ‘unai parka vendum’ (Annapoorani), ‘sapthaswaram punnagaiyil’ (Nadagame Ulagam), ‘aalayam nayagan’ (Nangooram), ‘kangalaal naan varaindhen’ (Mangala Nayaki)… Many of these films bit the dust, but Kumar’s compositions make sure that they remain in our memories..
* * * * *
The 80s was the decade of Ilaiyaraja; Composers like Kumar gradually faded from the scene and were soon forgotten. After Shankari- 1984, we didn't get to hear anything of Kumar. After a few years came the film Meendum Mahaan (1987), which had a good melody in 'pattu poochi pattu poochi' (SPB/Chitra), and Vividh Bharathi announced the MD as simply 'V.K.'. Later I was delighted to know that the initials stood for V. Kumar, and prayed that this should be the beginning of a second innings for Kumar. But that was to never happen.
Doordarshan used to feature some Mellisai songs of Kumar, and that'was all we got to hear of him. The sight of him standing and conducting those songs made me inexplicably sad, as I thought of his wonderful contribution to Tamil film music. He composed music for several non-film devotional albums and also for some Doordarshan serials. In 1993, I happened to watch Kumar being interviewed by Mano in DD's Metro Channel, and was struck by the extraordinary humility and simplicity that Kumar exuded. He was open in his admiration for other composers like MSV and IR, and spoke unassumingly of his own works.
Then in early 1996, came the sad news of Kumar's sudden demise, reported in an obscure corner in an inside page of Dhina Thandhi.
In 1999, a journalist friend was tracing Kumar's career for a magazine. I was in Chennai then and was able to assist him in a small way. He came home one Saturday afternoon and we both sat listening to Kumar's songs that I had collected over the years. The afternoon made way for the evening, and the evening merged into the night, and we were still lost in Kumar's music, and our thoughts and memories associated with it. The article came out in two parts in October 1999.
When I started contributing to dhool.com’s ‘Song of the Day’ series in 2003 and wrote on few songs of Kumar, I gained the friendship of Govind Krishnamurthi, who is a great fan of Kumar. He introduced me to Kumar’s son Suresh Kumar. Suresh and I exchanged a series of mails and had long conversations on the phone. Suresh shared so many fond recollections of his father, though by the time he was a child, Kumar's career in tfm had almost come to an end.
Suresh was keen that a retrospective of his father's works should be undertaken, and when we spoke to each other over the phone, he gave me a moving account of his father, his life and times.
And to cap it all, Suresh's mother Swarna (a talented singer herself) spoke to me. As a consequence I wrote a chronology of Kumar titled ‘Malarum Nianivugal’ in dhool.com. I traced the decade 1965- 1975 of his glittering career in detail. In the course of that humble endeavor, I had the opportunity to meet Swarna in her residence in Chennai. She was dignified and modest, fiercely proud of her husband’s achievements, disappointed at him being sidelined and forgotten, and happy to know that Kumar had a large fan following even now.
My conversation with Swarna made me acutely conscious of Kumar’s greatness, as a composer of remarkable merit, and as a noble human being who was simple, gentle and compassionate.
* * * * *
What better way to offer our tribute to V.Kumar than to revisit two of his best compositions ever!
The first song is from Thoondil Meen (1977/ Sudarshan Enterprises) starring Lakshmi and her then-husband, Mohan. The song may have disappeared from the amnesic airwaves, but isn’t it enshrined forever in our memory enclaves? For those of us who grew up listening to film music in the 70s in particular, this exquisite creation will remain very, very special.
Kumar’s favorite singers SPB and Suseela at their dulcet best, Vaali coming up with evocative lines that bring to life his beloved friend’s vibrant music vistas, the on-screen chemistry of the lead pair reflecting their off-screen intimacy… and Kumar as the master sculptor chiseling the song to wondrous shape… the song remains the perfect paean to sublime marital bliss.
How many auspicious joys the opening lines herald! The unconventional structure of the pallavi is a delightful surprise. The deft diversion with ‘en angamE unnidam sangamam’ and the graceful descent to the opening line fills me with rapture. The three interludes are filled with the melodious flourishes that Kumar is saluted for. The charaNams are so beautifully conceived- the first depicting the newly-discovered joys of conjugal intimacy (hark at PS lower her voice bashfully in ‘sugangaLai ninaithu!’), the second one mirroring the proud excitement of impending parenthood (SPB holds court here with his indulgent ‘naan aRiyaadha ragasiyam ondRu’), and the third charaNam painting the family portrait that is now complete with the arrival of their bundle of joy. And Kumar ensures that this beauty in conception is carried over to the execution as well- the charaNams flow in enchanting harmony. As is his wont in many of his songs, Kumar allows the second charaNam to meander on a course of its own before canalizing it back to the pallavi.
What a song!
https://www.youtube.com/
* * * * *
This one is from Nangooram (1979/Lankal Fims). Filmed on Lakshmi & Vijaya Kumaratunga. Sung by SPB & Swarna. Lyrics by Kannadasan. Music by V.Kumar and Khemadasa. The success of Pilot Premnath- 1978, led to some Tamil films being shot in Sri Lanka in the late 70s and early 80s. Neelakkadalin Orathiley-1979, Mohana Punnagai and Raththathin Raththame- both 1981, for instance. Nangooram was one such Indo-Sri Lankan collaboration, and was filmed almost entirely in the picturesque isle. It starred, besides Muthuraman and Lakshmi, the popular Singhalese Star Vijaya Kumaratunga (Former President Chandrika’s late husband).
Nangooram remains a milestone in the history of tfm, as its music was jointly composed from V.Kumar from India and Khemadasa from Sri Lanka.
Sollendrum mozhiyendrum porulendrum illai, sollatha sollukku vilaiyedhum illai’ wrote our bard years ago. But here, he bemoans the wretchedness of a love that hasn’t gathered courage to be expressed. ‘A glance from you sets my soul singing scores of songs’, he says, ‘and at the next glance, my heart tortures itself with so many questions…. my heart forms millions of words, yet my hesitant tongue stores them, unspoken.’ Most of us would have undergone this agony at some time; and for us this song is so special. For SPB sings from our tormented hearts, as he savors the pleasure of falling in love, laments the pain of not being bold enough to express it, and finds solace in the hope of a day, not far, when this love can find articulation and approbation.
http://www.youtube.com/
* * * * *
Discussion at:
