Presenting today the song 'Maargazhi paarvai paarkkava’ from Uyire Unakkaga. Sung by SPB and S.Janaki. Lyrics by Vairamuthu. Music by Ilaiyaraja.
And before anyone starts wondering if Ilaiyaraja composed one song in a film that had music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, let me hasten to clarify that this film is not the Mohan-Nadiya starrer of the same name (1986/ Motherland Pictures).
Sri Manickam Films’ Uyire Unakkaga' is destined to lie hidden in the cans forever. It starred Prabhu & Sulakshana. It was produced by Kallakkudi Manickam and directed by S. Kumar.
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It was in Mid-1983 that we came back to India after 3 longs years of living abroad, and I was grateful to be back where I had easy access to Tamil film music! However, as I was yet to make friends in my new school in Chennai, I was generally feeling a bit depressed. Within one month all schools were shut down for an extended period to express solidarity with the Srilankan Tamils. Having nothing else to do, and no friends yet to pass the time of the day with, I fell back upon my old ally- Radio Ceylon. My day started with Pongum Poompunal and ended with Kanavulagam.
I can never forget the songs that were aired regularly during that unexpected vacation, and along with songs like ‘Thennankeetrum thendral kaatrum’, ‘Ninaivile manaivi endru’, ‘Yaaradhu sollamal nenjalli ponadhu’, ‘Pothi vecha malligai mottu’, ‘Siricha kolli malakkuyilu’, ‘O vennilave vaa odivaa’, ‘Thendral ennai muththamittadhu’; ‘Maargazhi paarvai’ found place unfailingly in Pongum Poombunal.
The other enchanting SPB-SJ duet from this film, ‘Poo enbadhaa pon enbadhaa poo maalai neeye Radha’ (lyrics again by Vairamuthu) was another favourite among Radio Ceylon listeners. Besides these, Uyire Unakkaga had two more songs: ‘Annakkili ammanukku aadiyile maavilakku’ (MV & SPS/ Vaali) and ‘Thannikkule thannikkule ena irukku’ (GA, Saibaba & Sundararajan/ GA).
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Vairamuthu, in his, ‘En jannalin vazhiye’, wistfully calls such stillborn songs of his as ‘ Urangi kidakkum mottukkal’. IR too often put his heart and soul into songs whose films were never released later--‘Maargazhi paarvai paarkkva’ is right up there with ‘Kodi inbam maeni engum paaiyndhadhammamma’ (Nenjilaadum Poo Ondru/ SPB & SJ), ‘Aananda thaen kaatru’ (Manippoor Maamiyaar/ MV & SPS), ‘Maalai sevvanam’ (Ilayarajavin Rasigai/ IR & Swarna), ‘Magizhampoove unnai paarthen’ (Pudhiya Adimaigal/ KJY & PS), ‘Alaigale Vaa’ (Kavithai Malar/ SPB & Uma Ramanan), ‘Maargazhi maadham mun pani velaiyile (Panchami/ SJ & TVG) and ‘Kanna vaa vaa’ (Malargal Nanaigindrana/ JC & SJ).
The dream ensemble of Ilaiyaraja, Vairamuthu, SPB & S. Janaki collaborate here to put together an exquisite duet. Janaki’s enticing humming is invitation enough, and SPB’s pallavi hints at lusty longings hiding behind the air of laid-back romance. Janaki joins him well into the charanam - hark at her irresistible exclamation of pleasure at his ‘ullankaiyil then irukka’ --And just when you expect SPB to bring back the pallavi after Janaki's surging end to the charanam, like an unexpected cascade of summer showers, Ilaiyaraja takes you on a mesmerizing musical odyssey...
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It was the wedding reception of the second son of a universally liked writer/director, known for his brilliant sense of humour. VIP celebrities were arriving one by one. There was a sudden flutter of excitement and a hushed silence... around 15 young men, all friends of the third son of the writer, had prostrated at the feet of an amazed Ilaiyaraja who had just arrived! The third son and his friends were such ardent fans of the Maestro....and so they remain to this day...
Chitralaya Sriram sir, this one is for you! Wish you many, many happy returns of the day and a great year ahead, filled with an abundance of lovely music of your beloved Ilaiyaraja such as this.
Presenting today the unusual ‘Vanakkam’ from Agni Saatchi (1982)
Sung by SPB & P. Suseela.
Vaali's verses set to tune by MSV.
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Deepavali fell on 14th November in 1982. And true to tradition, a host of movies were released, sending film crazy fans into feverish frenzy. Pareetchaikku neramaachu, Pagadai pannirendu, Adhisayappiravigal, GopurangaL saaivathillai, Oorum uravum, Nizhal thedum nenjangaL, Vaalibame vaa vaa, Kanmani poonga, Deviyin thiruvilaiyaadal and Darling Darling Darling were all unleashed on the public that day. Some were hits and many were misses at the box office, but Deepavali, ever associated with firecrackers, new clothes, sweets and new movies (not necessarily in that order), lived up to its expectations!
Also among the Deepavali releases was Agnisaatchi (kavithalaya). The film starred Sivakumar, Saritha, Arundhathi, Sivagami, Poornam Viswanathan and others. Kamalhasan and Rajnikanth chipped in with special appearances. K.Balachandar was at the helm, with his trusted B.S.Loknath and N.R Kittu lending reassuring support.
The story was stark and shocking; the theme heavy and heartrending; the handling sensitive and skillful. And Saritha, in the complex role of a woman carrying the baggage of a childhood trauma, stole the show with her splendid performance. Her character had a plethora of ramifications.a devotee of Tamizh in general and Bharathi's verses in particular, a connoisseur of creativity, a woman madly in love with her husband, a humane human whose indignation at the wrongs she witnesses comes in for derision, an innocent mind irreparably harmed. Saritha was awe-inspiring, frightening, brilliant, revolting, enthralling, puzzling, irksome, wonderful..in the end, leaving behind a lingering impact.
The film did not do too well commercially, though. The seasoned KB ought to have foreseen the fate of such a solemn saga. Years later, in a candid chat, he would express his hurt thus: “In my characterisation I like to paint the grey areas. Ideal women, like ideal men, do not exist, do they? I struggle with the character and situation. But often this is not appreciated. In Agnisaatchi, the heroine's righteous anger at the denigration of women was misunderstood as madness!"
But all was not lost. Agnisaatchi was adjudged the Second Best Film of 1982-83 by the TN Govt. (Engeyo ketta kural and Ezhavathu manithan won the first and the third places respectively). Saritha rightfully walked away with the Best Actress Award (Another honour that came her way that year was the Kalaimaamani citation ) and Sivakumar bagged the Best Actor Award. N.R.Kittu was pronounced the Best Editor, also for Agnisaatchi.
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One more award of the TN Govt. went to Agnisaatchi The Mellisai Mannar also scored. His score, worth many an encore and more, fetched him the Award for the Best Music Director of 1982-83. Stringing together the prose-like poetic lines of Vaali into simple and soulful songs was no mean task, and MSV proved his mettle even as his detractors were writing him off. 'Kanaa kaanum kangal mella' crooned by SPB, with Saritha reciting poetry in between, was the dazzling jewel in the crown. 'Adiye Kannamma amaithi ennamma', in the ageless allure of P. Susheela, was another winner. Saritha half-sang,half-recited some pudhukkavithai lines 'Aam. Bharathi pudhiya thamizhukku podappatta piLLaiyaar suzhi'; 'Kosuve unnakku kodi namaskaaram' , 'En thalaiva, en peyarai oru paper-il ezhuthi adhai thadavi paar', 'Aarambam, silapaadhigaarathin mudivil oraarambam' was another novel attempt, sung by MSV, L.R.Eswary and Vani Jairam. SPB's 'Unnai enakku pidichirukkirathu', originally composed for Agnisaatchi, was used later in Poikkaal Kuthirai.
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As far as my limited understanding goes, Pudhukkavidhai is all about letting the words flow, free from the shackles of grammar, rhyme or even meter. The choice of apposite words, the felicity of expression, the imagination strewn in the similes, the metaphors, the analogies are all what go into a good Pudhukkavithai. And the abrupt breaks in the lines store surprises in their very unpredictability. Such lines are generally not ductile enough to be set to tune, and hence do not find place in Tamil film music, where the lyricists write what is generally known as Isai Paadalgal. Hence to find a pristine Pudhukkavidhai form in Tamil film music is a rare treat.
Vaali and KB were old friends; they had worked together for the first time in Major Chandrakanth, way back in 1966. And in the years that followed, Vaali wrote the songs for many KB movies. However, after 1973, KB worked only with Kannadasan, till Thanneer Thanneer, where he got Vairamuthu to write a couple of songs. In the aftermath of Kannadasan's demise, KB returned to Vaali and it was a grand reunion indeed. Vaali's Pudhukkavithai efforts were intelligently harnessed by KB, for the Agnisaatchi’s heroine is shown to be a poetry enthusiast. And so Vaali's lines filled the frames, and lent a poetic touch to the poignant proceedings.
An adapatation of a Pudhukkavithai such as ‘Vanakkam…mudhal variyai ezhudhumun’ is remarkable in the annals of Tamil cinema. (MSV did it again in 'Oru indhiya kanavu'- he took a Pudhukkavithai from Vairamuthu's 'Thiruthi ezhudhiya theerppugal' and tuned the wondrous 'Anaamika'. When Vairamuthu expressed his amazement on listening to the song, MSV is said to have remarked smilingly that there was nothing in this universe that cannot be set to music!
Take this song as a case in point. The song is more of a musical recitation of the poetic prose. The music blends into the background unobtrusively. Vaali has let his imagination soar in the romantic lines (Remember Emily Dickinson's "Going to him! Happy letter!') That 'Uppukkadal karpukkeda' imagery is a stunning revelation of Vaali's poetic capabilities. Susheela has shown scintillating sagacity in her delineation of the convoluted lines, and I always thought her voice was well suited for Saritha. SPB is in his usual "make merry" mood and interprets the lines with perfect understanding. MSV strikes gold in this one, even while playing from the sidelines…..hark at the auspicious percussion in the end as she dreams of marital bliss. Bliss!
Presenting the quaint ditty ‘Anju rooba nottai’ from Andaman Kaithi (1952)
Sung by T.V. Rathinam.
Lyrics by Ku.Sa. Krishnamoorthi
Music by G. Govindarajulu Naidu.
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This mournful, meandering (literally, from Karachi to Trichy to Andaman!) story by Ku.Sa. Krishnamoorthi was adapted for the stage by T.K.Shanmugam, and ‘Andaman Kaithi’ was a hugely successful drama. Its success must have prompted its celluloid adaptation. Ku.Sa. Ki wrote the script himself and penned the lyrics as well for the movie Andaman Kaithi (1952/Radhakrishna Films).
The film was directed by V.Krishnan and had a galaxy of stars in its cast- MGR (this was the first film where he was referred to as M.G. Ramachandran in the titles; he was called M.G. Ramachandar in his earlier ventures), Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, P.K. Saraswathi, M.S. Draupadhi, K. Sarangapani, T.S. Baliah and T.N. Sivadhanu.
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The proceedings were punctuated with a surfeit of songs. Each song that Govindarajulu Naidu created for the film is worth cherishing. Among those that I recollect, Bharathiar’s ‘Kaani nilam vendum’ finds emotive delineation by C.S. Jayaraman and MLV. ‘Vaazhvin jeevan kaadhale, valarum anbin nilaiyaale’ has two versions by Ghantasala (happy) and P. Leela (pathos), each one enthralling in its way, glittering with Ku.Sa.Ki’s alliterative wordplay. ‘Vanna malar thannai kandu’ (beginning with ‘O…Balu, O…Leela’), is a fetching Ghantasala/ PL duet. Chandrababu and Ratnamala have a hilarious duet ‘ I love you..I love you.. aasaiyanene un mele’. CSJ’s high pitched ‘ Inbam illadha illara vaazhvil’ raises sorrow to heartrending proportions.
P.Leela, A.P.Komala and T.V. Rathnam have a blast in ‘College padippukku goodbye; nam kaadhal vaazhvukkini welcome!!’ And even before any old-timer could quiver with indignation at the (then) presumably bold lyrics, Ku.Sa.Ki clarifies in the lines that follow: ‘ B.A. pareetchai mudinju pochchu, result first class-ilE pass seidhaachu!’ T. V.Rathinam had two other solos too: the breezy ‘Mayangaadhe.. mathi mayangaadhe..’ and the melancholic ‘Inbam neruma, en vaazhvil inbam neruma’
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‘Then why doesn’t the Govt. just print more money?’ was my naïve question when our Economics professor was striving hard to drill into us the complex concepts relating to inflation. And as the entire class laughed, that venerable man threw up his hands in frustration and despair. I am sure Ku.Sa. Ki never had to labor with never ending pages of Inflation (neither the Cost-Push nor the Demand-Pull kind!), Deflation, Stagflation, the Phillips Curve or the Keynesian Cross, yet what an astute and simple précis he presents of the entire gamut of those time-tested concepts- truly a dissertation that Keynes himself would have been proud to own up to!
And after shaking his head gloomily on this unhealthy trend, Ku.Sa.Ki goes on to lament the plight of the poor and condemn the vicious circle of inflation, hoarding, black- marketeering, adulteration, empty promises of politicians…
And remember, this was in 1952!!
Ku.Sa.Ki had worked in various ‘boys companies’ from an early age (This rich experience came handy when he wrote ‘Thamizh naadaga varalaaru’, a veritable treatise). He wrote a few film songs in the 50s. Popular among them are ‘Kutram purindhavan’ (Rathakkanneer- this song was originally written for Ku.Sa.Ki’s drama ‘En kaanikkai), ‘ennamellam inba kathai pesuthe’ (Chakravarthi thirumagaL), ‘pennin perumaiye perumai’ (Pathiye deivam), ‘Nilavodu vaanmugil’ (Rajarajan), ‘adhi madhura anuraga’ (Engal kudumbam perisu) and ‘Azhagaana chinnapponnu pogudhu’ (Thirudaadhe).
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When the great G.Ramanathan decided to bestow a rare honor upon the album of Ponmudi (1950/ Modern Theatres) by singing the songs himself, the female singer he chose to pair with was T.V. Rathinam; and the dazzling duets ‘neelavaanum nilavum pole’, ‘vaan mazhaiyindRi vaadidum payir pol’, aaruyire premai amudha vaariyil’, and ‘meikkadhal arumbu vaazhvinilE poothadhE indre’ continue to cast their spell on listeners to this day. TVR stands out in her solo as well ‘Inbathin ellai idhudhaana’. That then was the kind of regard that TVR commanded in her hey day.
Tenkasi Vallinayagam Rathinam learned music from the tender age of seven under a guru called Ramalinga Aachari , and gave her first full-fledged concert in Sri Lanka. She was barely 10 years old when she acted in Bhaktha Chetha (1940/ Madras United Artitstes). She then acted as the child Kannagi in Kannagi (1942/ Jupier Pics) and also sang her own song. In the meantime, she had continued her training under Ramnad Krishnan, and later trained under Chembai Vaidyanatha Bagavathar.
For a quick tour of TVR’s breathtaking capabilities, look up 3 of her songs in Miss Malini (1947/ Gemini). Listen to the scintillating ‘jagamE oru chithira saalai janani parasakthi thiruvaruL leelai’- while you’ll doubtless be spellbound with TVR’s arresting Devagandhari opening, you’ll sit up and applaud at her seamless and swift sojourn in Gowlai in between. From there, TVR’s alluring Aarabi essay ‘Sri Saraswathi namosthuthe’ would be a great next stop. And just when you decide that she is a just a great classical singer, switch on ‘Paadum radio button-ai thiruppi vittaa’, a hilarious village vs. city argument- listen to TVR sound so haughty in ‘kuzhaayai thiruppi vittaal kottuthu water, kudam thookkum thollai illai theerndhadhu matter’.., and reach a comical crescendo in ‘galagalavena kulukuluvena mazhai pozhiyum shower bath’- her consummate artistry would be an joyous revelation!
TVR blossomed into a much sought after singer in the late 40s and was an integral part of Tamil film music in the 50s. Most of her works became very popular. All the ruling MDs summoned her repeatedly and in that glorious period TVR rendered a staggering variety of challenging songs.
C.R. Subbaraman (‘Aada varuvaaya kanna’ /Velaikkaari, ‘Vaan nilave’/ Paarijaadham), T.G. Lingappa (‘Naagareegama idhu naagareegama’/ Kalyaanam panniyum brahmachari), S.M.Subbiah Naidu (‘Manathirkisaindha raja’/ Marmayogi), C.S. Jayaraman (‘AaLai aalai paarkiraar’/ Raththakkanneer), Ghantasala (‘kKchimalai kudagu malai’/ Vaazhkkai oppandham, ‘Govindan kuzhalosai keleer’/ Paropakaaram), S.V. Venkataraman (‘NilaavilE ullasamaaga paadalaam’ / Manohara, ‘Kalyaana velai vandhu kaathirukkuthu’/ Nannabikkai), S. Dakshinamoorthi (‘ketta penmani’ / Mangaiyar thilakam, ‘andha naalum vandhu serum’ / Yaar paiyyan), KVM (‘Sollavallayo kiliye’/ Koondukkili, ‘Maamiyaarukku oru sedhi’ /Panithirai), T.R. Papa (‘Aayarpaadi kanna nee’ / Rangon radha), ‘Oviyanin ullamthanai’ / Aasai) and V-R (‘Manamudayore manithargaLennum’/ Panam- TVR was part of their very first album, ‘Anbe nam deivam’ / Neethipathi) constitute merely a random selection of the various MDs who wrought wonders with TVR’s voice.
After being all but forgotten for many years, V. Kumar fetched TVR to render a few pasurams and also set the opening for L.R. Eswari’s unforgettable ‘Mappillai ragasiyam sollava’. ‘Anbe unyarndhadhu avaniyile’ the scintillating duet that she sang with Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi under the baton of S.V. Venkataraman for ‘Sri Krishna Leela’ (1977) was perhaps TVR’s last outing in Tamil Cinema.
Presenting a forgotten MSV gem for Vaikasi Visakam today:
Every morning while driving to work, at a particular interchange I observe a flock of white birds that come flying towards the North, but change their course abruptly and veer towards the East. And noticing this unfailing sight day after day, I often wonder what makes them do this at that particular point of their flight—are they obeying a summons that only they could perceive? And it is but inevitable that the poetic title of this Tamil movie comes to mind....
P.S.V. Pictures’ Thisai Maariya Paravaigal had Saratbabu and Sumalata (debut) essaying the lead roles. It was an engrossing tale that raised caste-related issues in a heartwarming narration. When Ganga (Sumalata) and Rangamani (Saratbabu) are about to get married, the truth comes out that Ganga is not the daughter of the Unchaviruthi Brahmin as supposed, but the child of a low-caste convict.
The subsequent pandemonium that erupts in the orthodox village, Ganga’s voluntary conversion to Christianity and becoming Sister Mary, and how she saves Rangamani’s life in the end while making the supreme sacrifice herself were all told in a befitting manner. The sensitive caste and religious issues needed tight rope walking, and director S. Jagadeesan pulled it off successfully.
Master M.S.Viswanathan’s score was an important ingredient in the film’s success recipe.
Kannadasan narrates the twists and turns in the story in a single song ‘Kizhakku paravai merkku parakkuthu’ and TMS is ideally placed in the role of the raconteur. The wonderful Jayachandran- Janaki (with some kids joining the fun) song ‘Raja vaada singakkutti’ (also by Kannadasan) was a Radio Ceylon favorite. Listening to Abhayambika’s short Sanskrit verse, followed by Balamuralikrishna’s soulful rendition of Vallalaar’s ‘Arutjothi deivam ennai aandukkonda deivam’ is a moving experience. Pulamaipithan’s ‘Adra melathai raja’ (Kovai Soundararajan/LRE) is a bold attempt to expose some of society’s hypocrisies.
The song I choose to present here is the soulful ‘Ullam urugaatha’. The situation of the song presents an arresting irony. The old grandmother of Rangamani, Kaasi Paati (superb cameo by veteran T.V.Kumudini), who had valiantly waged a doomed war for society’s acceptance of Ganga, is now on her deathbed. She expresses her dying wish to her grandson Rangamani – as in earlier, happier times, she wants to listen to Ganga play the Veena and sing a devotional song. Rangamani hesitates, for Ganga is not Ganga of yore, she is now Sister Mary. But when the old woman herself entreats Mary (‘Karthar melae paada vendiyavala, Kandan melae paada solrennu thappa ninaikkadhe’), Mary cannot refuse this request of the beloved Paati.
And so we get to see the remarkable sight of a sister of the seminary singing an emotional paean to Lord Muruga. The maadha koyil mezhuguvarthi goes back to glitter as an agrahaarathu agal vilakku, albeit for a few transitory minutes—and who else but Vani Jairam to enact this definitive moment, investing the lines penned by Kannadasan with the heart and soul that they demand…
The swift movements on the Veena merging so seamlessly into the somber church music bring forth the paradox...and this juxtaposition is interspersed throughout the song.
What a fervent appeal to the Lord—Vani scintillates in this stirring song surcharged with emotion. ‘Kanda…azhagu thirukkumara…Senthil…amudha vadivazhaga’ – what a moving rendition!
Exquisite!
The distant tolling of the Church bells is heard, even as Mary plays the Veena at the ailing matriarch’s bedside. And as she bends over the Veena, the shadow of the cross that hangs from her chain falls on the framed picture of Muruga. The old woman’s eyes brim with tears of serene bliss and as the song ends, her soul is freed from the shackles of human bondage and passes on…her last wish fulfilled. Mary prays for her soul to repose in peace and leaves the house. Love and affection know no restraints of religion or caste…
While many of Bharathidasan’s verses have become part of Tamil film music history, he also wrote lyrics specifically for a few films in the early years. His first film as a lyricist was Sri Ramanujar (1938/ Yessel Films), though Balamani (or Pakka Thirudan/ 1937/ Sri Shanmugananda Talkies), released a year earlier was the first to carry his lyrics. He wrote both the script and lyrics for Kaalamegam(1940/ Sri Dhandapani Films). He then joined the Modern Theatres and wrote for films like Subadra-1946, Sulochana-1947, Aayiram Thalai Vaangiya Aboorva Chinthamani-1947 and Ponmudi- 1950.
The last film for which Bharathidasan penned lyrics was Valaiyaapathi (1952/ Modern Theatres), for which he wrote the dialogues as well. And when his line ‘Kamizhnthidum poovillelaam’ was altered to ‘Kulungidum poovillellam’ without his consent, Bharathidasan is said to have stormed out in indignation from the Studios, never to return.
Meanwhile, the trend of using verses from Bharathidasan’s poetry collections for film songs had caught on. Or Iravu - 1951(‘Thunbam nergayil yaazheduthu nee’) set the trend. And R. Sudarsanam used Bharathidasan’s lines again in Parasakthi-1952 (‘Vaazhga vaazhga vaazhgave’). Over the years, both while Bharathidasan was alive and afterwards, many MDs have set his verses to tune: MSV-TKR did it in their very first film Panam-1952 (‘Pasiyendru vandhaal oru pidi soru’) and later in among their last films together- Panchavarnakkili –1965 (‘Thamizhukkum amuthendru peyar’); Govindarajulu Naidu (‘Andha vaazhvu thaan endha naal varum’/Andaman Kaidhi / 1952), S.Dakshinamoorthi -of course he was the composer for Valaiyaapathi as well- (‘Adho paaradi avare en kanavar’/ Kalyani/1952), G.Ramanathan (‘Pandian en sollai thaandipponaandi’/ Thirumbippaar/ 1953 & ‘’Neelavaan aadaikkul udal maraithu’ /Gomathiyin Kaadhalan/1955), Aadhi Narayana Rao & M.Ranga Rao (‘Thaayagame vaazhga thaayagame vaazhga’/ Poonkothai/ 1953), T.G.Lingappa (‘Vennilavum vaanum pole’ / Kalyanam Panniyum Bhramachari/ 1954), C.S.Jayaraman (‘Aalaiyin sange nee oodhaayo’ / Rathakkaneer/ 1954), T.R.Papa (‘Thalaivaari poochootti unnai’/ Rangon Radha/ 1956), T.R.Ramnath (‘Aadarkkalaikkazhagu thedappirandhaval’/ Naane Raja/1956), R.Sudarsanam again (Vetkkamillai vetkkamillai’ /Kuladeivam/1956 & ‘Valiyor silar eliyor thamai’ / Manimagudam/1966), S.Rajeswara Rao (‘Paadi paadi paadi vaadi’ & ‘’Orey oru paisa’/ Petra Manam/ 1960), Kunnakkudi Vaithyanathan (‘Engengu kaaninum sakthiyada’/ Namma Veettu Deivam/1970), Shankar-Ganesh (‘Chithira Cholaigale’/ Naan Yaen Pirandhen/1972), Ilayaraja (‘Kaalai ilam parithiyile’/Kannan Oru Kaikkuzhandhai/1978) and Vidyasagar (‘Thoongum puliyai’/ Puratchikkaran/2000). And at times the same song has found place in more than one film: ‘Sange muzhangu’ was heard first in En Magal (1954/ composed by C.N.Pandurangan) and later in Kalangarai Vilakkm (1965/ composed by MSV). ‘Pudhiyadhor ulagam seivom’ was heard first in Chandrodhayam (1966/ composed by MSV) and again in Pallandu Vaazhga (1975/ composed by KVM), though in the earlier song, the lines after the opening were from other works of Bharathidasan.
Tamil film music has thus been gloriously enriched time and again by the immortal verses of the great Paavendhar.
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Out of all the works of Bharathidasan that were used in Tamil film music, my particular favourite is a forgotten song from a forgotten movie-
Amma unthan kai valaiyaai from Nijangal.
Sung by Vani Jairam. Bharathidasan’s verses set to music by M.B. Srinivasan.
These verses form part of a longer poem by Bharathidasan that was published in a collection of his works called ‘Oru Thaaiyin Ullam Magizhgirathu’.
Nijangal (1982) was directed by K.S Sethumadhavan. I have not seen the film, but recollect reading somewhere that it was an off-beat venture, narrating the events subsequent to the breaking-down of a bus, and the varied experiences/ responses of the passengers therein, punctuated with riveting recapitulations of some of their stories.
I recall watching the song many years ago in OLiyum Oliyum: The sequence is that of Menaka taking care of her mentally deranged mother Anandi. As she lovingly nurses her mother, combs her tresses, feeds her a few morsels, and patiently does all that her mother would have done for her when Menaka was an infant at her bosom, this song is the wondrous backdrop that multiplies manifold the melancholy of this reversal of the mother-daughter roles.
MBS bases his composition largely on Behaag, rightly harnesses Vani’s voice to bring lilting lustre to Bharathidasan’s lines, and as is his wont, intelligently intersperses chorus voices to enhance the poignant emotions that the song evokes.
Vani’s eyes brimmed with cascading memories as I asked her about this song. ‘It was just then that I had lost my mother’ she said softly. ‘And it was a disquieting co-incidence that the first song that I was called to sing after her demise was this one. Though I finished the recording in a single take, I was moved by the lyrics, and had to control myself from breaking down…’
Sumati En Sundari (1971) was a Tamil movie directed by C.V. Rajendran and starred Sivaji Ganesan, & Jayalalitha. It was an adaptation of the 1967 Bengali movie Nayika Sangbad that was written by Prasanta Deb with Uttam Kumar & Anjana Bhowmik essaying the lead roles.
Interspersed with hilarious moments, the movie was a breezy narration of a film star called Sumati who is poised at the pinnacle of glory. Fame and fortune are hers, but so is an aching emptiness and loneliness. She longs to lead the simple life of a normal woman, but society does not permit her these simple pleasures. While traveling to an outdoor shoot, she gets down from the train in a small hillside station to get into another compartment, but the train speeds away before she could clamber in.
She seeks refuge in the house of a surly young estate manager who is a misogynist to boot. Thankfully, he has never watched her movies, has never traveled far from his beloved tea gardens, and is unaware of the celebrity status of his sudden guest. Sumati introduces herself as Sundari, and persuades him to put her up for the night. How she gradually enters his heart and keeps evading the reach of the film crew form rest of the reels. Sivaji as the ill-tempered estate overseer undergoing a change of heart and Jayalalitha as Sumati pretending to be Sundari played their roles with characteristic panache. The movie had a successful run of over 100 days in most centers.
One of the chief reasons for the movie’s success was M.S.Viswanathan’s wonderful album, a veritable treasure. Kannadasan penned the lyrics for all the songs, save ‘Oru tharam ore tharam’, which was written by Vaali. ‘Pottu vaitha mugamo’ was the first song that SPB sang for Sivaji Ganesan, and the song was a runaway hit. The gently tantalizing ‘Oru tharam ore tharam’, recorded but not used in an earlier movie, was included in this album. ‘Or aalayamaagum mangai manadhu’ is a rhapsody of marital rapture.
Presenting here the song that reflects Sumati’s unbounded joy….she has, at last, found the shelter that she was longing for…..Carefree as a bird, she explores the sylvan tea gardens. The grouchiness of her unwilling escort does little to dampen her enthusiasm as she gambols amidst the tea bushes….the azure sky, the balmy breeze, the silvery cascades, the verdant greenery that covers the slopes, the industrious women cheerfully plucking tea leaves…… all beckon to her, and she responds with joyful abandon… she had donned several roles earlier, but this tea garden is miles away from that tinsel town,….. This is life… and she intends to live it to the fullest, as she fears that it is not bound to last long…
How much elation is encapsulated in MSV’s tune, and how does the singer Susheela manage to coat each word with such buoyant happiness! The sheer joy of living tumbles down the lines. Listen to that breathtaking humming before each ‘Oraayiram’…. Isn’t it akin to an unfettered bird spreading its wings and soaring gracefully in the sky?
🎼‘Ah, happy, happy boughs, that cannot shed your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
Forever piping songs forever new’ 🎼
May 14th will always be a happy, happy day for us music lovers…for it was on this day 40 years ago that a Tamil movie was released without much fanfare, whose titles simply stated “Music : Ilaiyaraja (Debut)”. With the dawn of the day also dawned a new epoch making era in music… A thousand albums and four decades later the Maestro continues to wave his enchanted baton, and generations of listeners continue to remain spellbound….
And let us rejoice and celebrate today with a priceless little jewel that lies hidden in the Master’s casket.
Nenjilaadum Poo Ondru is one of those ventures that sleeps undisturbed in the cans, never destined to reach the silver screen. The film’s album, thankfully, was released- the sleeve of the LP record proclaims the year of its manufacture as 1979. And displays Vijayakumar in an intimate embrace with Radha Saluja.
‘Thankfully’ I said, because the elusive album cunningly secrets within its seldom explored confines, some bewitching compositions of Ilaiyaraja- compositions that surely warranted a happier destiny, grander commercial and critical acclaim.
‘Kodi inbam meniyengum’ is a magnificent masterpiece in Malayamarutham. Janaki’s cuddlesome humming that establishes the enchanted mood for a joyous revelry of romance, the fantasy-laden pallavi that opens up such spectacular vistas of an unabashed celebration of love, S.P.Balasubramaniam’s unheralded welcome entry as the delirious man’s voice to engulf his beloved Preeti with his amorous edicts, the violin that showers bushels of fragrant flowers upon the lovers, the lilting charanams that are interwoven seamlessly into the magic--surely dreams are made of such precious stuff--Million pleasures indeed!
‘Marudha manjakkizhange’ offers an equally tempting, but a contrasting folksy fare--Vani’s seductive invitation is irresistible, and a mesmerizing flute escorts us right into the midst of a torpid evening in a rustic milieu, where the slanting rays of the setting sun fall upon a pair of lovers rapturously capering across the carpet of greenery. The bashfully uttered lines of the pallavi, SPB’s honeyed humming that follows, the interludes that blend in so masterfully with the rural ambience, the meandering charanams that flow so alluringly into the pallavi—all come together to ensure sheer bliss!
‘Vaanam enge megam enge, oru medai kondu vaa’ is the third duet from the film, and an unforgettable song it is by Jayachandran & Janaki...Janaki soaring over the chorus voices in the prelude, and Jayachandran commencing the high-pitched charanam are glorious moments in this sadly forgotten guitar driven miracle.
Among my early memories of childhood are of my father taking us to the Marina, and when we drove down the beach road, he used to point out each of the statutes that lined the promenade and question us on them… I remember that the statute that filled me with curiosity was the one of what appeared to be a group of men trying to lift something heavy….. Father informed us that it represented ‘Triumph of Labor”, and I always wondered what these unknown men were doing amidst the row of famed personages…
Years later when I became addicted to Tamil Film Music there was this song that was Vividh Bharathi’s anthem every May 1st , and though they were other regulars such as ‘Uzhaikkum Kaigale’, ‘Aandavan ulagathin mudhalaali’, etc , it was when listening to ‘vaazhga vaazhga paattaaliye', that the image of the statue on the Marina appeared unvaryingly in my mind..
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Vintage Tamil film music was blessed with an amazing variety of composers, lyricists and singers who vied with each other with their immense contributions. In addition to our local composers coming up with one immortal album after other, we have also had landmark Hindi films being dubbed to Tamil and the Bollywood composers adding vivid, exotic hues to the vibrant canvas. Songs from movies such as ‘Vaanaratham’, ‘Avan’ and ‘Aan’ that were dubbed from Hindi to Tamil were hugely popular in their time. Though Lata and Shamshad did untold damage to the language, and despite the inanity (for the most part) of the Tamil lines coaxed to fit into the tunes, I have listened to wizened old timers recall with relish how popular these songs were in those innocent years, and how much excitement they evoked when they were aired. Of course, after getting the Tamil songs of ‘Aan’ sung by Shamshad Begum and Lata, Naushad recorded the songs again with Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi and M.S. Rajeswari. And as for ‘Avan’, Shankar- Jaikishen had A.M.Raja and Jikki fly to Bombay to sing the songs that Mukesh and Lata had sung in Hindi. Lyricist Kambadasan seems to have been the one permanent fixture in these ventures.
Then it was the turn of Omkar Prasad Nayyar to try his hand in dubbing his songs in Tamil. The songs were from Baldev Raj Chopra’s 1957 classic ‘Nayaa Daur’, which was dubbed in Tamil and released in 1958 as ‘Paattaaliyin Sabatham’.
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Interestingly, B.R. Chopra was not the first producer to whom writer Akhtar Mirza narrated the story of ‘nayaa daur’. It was only after several filmmakers including Mehboob Khan and Raj Kapoor dismissed Mirza’s take on ‘man versus machine’ as an unimpressive documentary, that Mirza knocked the door of B.R. Films. B.R. Chopra fell in love with this story with strong socialist signals, and set about making the movie on a magnificent scale.
The story goes like this. Shankar is an honest, brave taangewaalah (horse-cart driver) who makes a living by driving the villagers to and from the nearby town. Kundan, the son of a businessman who owns the timber mill in the village puts the livelihood of hundreds of labourers in jeopardy when he brings in mechanized saws. Unmindful of the violent protests, he introduces a bus service at subsidized rates with the sole aim of rendering the taangewaalaahs redundant. And when Shankar goes to Kundan to voice his outrage, Kundan jeers at him and offers tauntingly to withdraw the bus service if Shankar in the horse-cart could overtake the bus in a race. After initial misgivings, the entire village rallies to assist Shankar in building a new road leading to a quicker route, and braving several hurdles in a thrilling Ben Hur-like sequence, Shankar wins all… the race, the challenge, and the livelihood of his clan…
Into this story of what on a cursory glance seems to be an unabashed drama of Luddism dogma, Mirza wove in a passionate trellis of friendship, love and above all, the triumph of human spirit. And even while letting loose his arsenal against the avarice of capitalists, Mirza emphasizes that he is not against modernization and mechanization as such. His only concern is that technological advances should take place after taking adequate care of people who would be displaced by the deluge of development. Thus at the time when Nehru’s Second 5-year plan driven by P.C. Mahalanobis focused on rapid industrialization, Akhtar Mirza had championed the cause of ‘inclusive progress’ through his ‘Naya Daur’, though he did not come out with a perfect solution. The reel characters of ‘Naya Daur’ have their real counterparts everywhere – the farmers of Nandigram threatened by the Special Economic Zone, our riendly neighbourhood grocer who had to shut his decades-old shop when Reliance opened its ‘Reliance Fresh’ Outlet right alongside… the relentless march of Progress…
The intense and brooding performance of Dilip Kumar as the chief protagonist Shankar fetched him the Filmfare Award. Beautiful Vyjayantimala as Rajni, the girl whom Shankar loves and who enlists the support of the entire village to help Shankar win the challenge, Ajit as Krishna, Shankar’s friend who turns his foe, Chand Usmani as Shankar’s sister Manju, Jeevan as the scheming and suave Kundan, Johny Walker as the journalist Anjaana who brings the media glare on Shankar and his cause, and little Daisy Irani as the impish Chikha were all well cast in their respective roles. O.P. Nayyar’s music, Kamil Rashid’s dialogues and Malhotra’s cinematography added tremendous value to the movie. Made on a budget of Rs. 17 Lakhs, a considerable amount that time and released on 15 August 1957, ‘Naya Daur’ was a runaway hit, recovering more than 70% of its production costs in the very first week of its release!
Interestingly, the movie that raised pertinent questions on technology 50 years ago came under the spell of technological advances… coinciding with the golden jubilee of its first release the black & white classic ‘Naya Daur’ was re-released all over the country in August 2007…in Colour and with Dolby digital surround sound!
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1957 would remain an unforgettable year for O.P. Nayyar fans, for it was in that year that two of OPN’s best ever albums were released- one was ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’ and the other was ‘Naya Daur’. For ‘Naya Daur’, OPN crafted an album that glitters with gems of diverse allure- from Punjabi bhangra to Rock ‘n’ Roll to OPN’s famed horse-hoof beat, the album had them all, and OPN rightfully won the Filmfare Award for his work in ‘Nayaa Daur’.
Written by Sahir Ludhianvi, the songs were:
yE dEsh hain veer jawaanOn ka- Mohammed Rafi, Balbir & Chorus
rEshmi salwaar kurta jalidaar - Shamshad Begum & Asha Bhonsle
maang kE saath tumhara - Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhonsle
udEn jab jab zulfEn tEri - Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhosle
main bambai ka baabu - Mohammed Rafi
aana hai to aa raah mEin- Mohammed Rafi
saathi haath badhana - Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle & Chorus
It is well known that OPN never worked with Lata. In his earlier movies, Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum were OPN’s favored female singers. Though Asha had been in the field for a decade, it was when OPN gave her all the songs of the female lead in ‘Naya Daur’ that Asha metamorphosed from a crooner in B-grade movies to a unique singer in a league of her own. Thus ‘Naya Daur’ was a decisive milestone, the first major success that consolidated Asha’s fledgling career, a fact that the chanteuse readily admits. “My sister Lata Mangeshkar was shining. I was a new girl. It was my first big break. People recognized me after this film…” she recalled while releasing the digitally remastered album of ‘Naya Daur’ in 2007.
OPN parted ways with Mohammed Rafi and Asha in later years. But the history of Hindi film music will always have a place of pride reserved for OPN, and his glorious collaborations with Rafi and Asha…
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Swayed by the stupendous success of ‘nayaa daur’, B.R. Chopra got the movie dubbed in Tamil and released it in 1958 as ‘paataaLiyin sabatham’ (B.R. Films). Kambadasan wrote the lyrics for OPN’s tunes. The songs were:
thaainaadu idhE veeram migundhOrkkE - TMS & Seergazhi Govindarajan
angiyOdu nijaar aNindhu vadhaayE - T.V. Rathinam & P. Suseela
vaazhvil un kOrikkai pOlE - TMS & P. Suseela
undhan mugil suruL en munkoondhal - TMS & P. Suseela
naan bambaaiyin baabu - TMS
vaaraai neeyE, vaa pOtRi vaa - Seergazhi Govindarajan
vaazhga vaazhga paattaaLiyE - TMS & P. Suseela
Let us listen to two of the songs here.
‘vaazhvil un korikkai pole’ is the Tamil version of ‘maangke saath tumhara’. Shankar and Rajni enjoy an intimate ride on the horse cart, and sing these romantic lines. OPN had carved out an amazing number of songs based on this horse-hoof rhythm, and ‘maangke saath tumhara’ is perhaps the best of them…
‘Vaazhga vaazhga paataaliye’ is the dubbed version of ‘Saathi haath badaana’ . The song is a clarion call to the villagers to help Shankar build the road that will enable him to win the race.
Having the unenviable task of penning lyrics that need to fit into the pre-set meter and matter, Kambadasan seems to have come out bruised and battered. The lines sound disjoint; the syntax seems bizarre in places. Yet, the songs are beautiful souvenirs of a distant past, for OPN’s tunes are mesmerizing, and the young TMS & Suseela bring a refreshing native flourish to the lines.
It is no wonder that these songs of ‘Paattaliyin Sabatham’ found immense popularity with the Tamil populace all over… I remember listening to them often in Vividh Bharathi even in the early 80s and they found frequent airtime in Ilangai Vanoli as well. I recall the famed Malaysian writer and Film critic Mu. Anbuselvan reminiscing fondly on the repeated requests for these songs in Malaysia Radio’s Penang station.
As Rabindranath Tagore once said, “Whatever we understand and enjoy in human products instantly becomes ours, wherever they might have their origin... Let me feel with unalloyed gladness that all the great glories of man are mine."
