Saravanan Natarajan writes:
As an upcoming actor, he was acting in a movie that was being made by a famed director. When he went to the dressing room to wear the shirt and trousers that were given to him for a song sequence, he found them painfully tight and not very clean. When he brought this to the notice of the costumer, he was told that they were worn by the hero of the previous movie of the production company and that he had no option but to wear them as the company could not afford to get new costumes stitched for him. He donned them without another word, and danced for the demanding song sequence despite the ill-fitting high-heeled shoes causing him no small measure of discomfort.
He was acting in a movie produced by Chinnappa Thevar when arrangements for his marriage were being made. Thinking that he may not have adequate funds, he approached Thevar requesting him to give him a sum of Rs. 15,000 as a loan. The good-hearted Thevar gave him the amount at once, telling him he need not return the amount. After the simple wedding was held, he found that there was no need for the amount. Returning to Chennai, he returned the entire amount to an astounded Thevar, explaining that the amount had not been used!
He was now a top-ranking actor nearing his 100th movie. For the climax shot of a movie, he was required to fall unconscious after being hit by the branches of a tree in a storm, and roll down a hill and lie still. The filming went on all night long, he was wholly drenched in the water sprayed from the giant hoses and when he finally lay still, he realized that the soil he was lying on was actually an open defecation area for some poor families that lived in temporary shelters nearby. He was reeling from nausea at the stench of the soil mixed with faeces. When he brought this to the notice of the crew, he was requested to ‘adjust’ for ‘just one more hour’, as the production company could not afford any delay. And ‘adjust’ he did, until the shot was finally canned early in the morning. He had time to just rush to his house, take a shower and board the train to Mysore for another schedule in the evening.
The reel actor whose real life is filled with such moving vignettes is none other the Sivakumar, who turns 75 today. A sincere and committed artiste and thorough professional, he stands tall among the film fraternity as a rare epitome of ideals and morals.
* * * * *
For me in particular, Sivakumar was the actor I could identify first. Movie outings were rare, and the first ever movie that I saw as a child was ஆட்டுக்கார அலமேலு. The eagerly awaited Friday ஒளியும் ஒலியும் always featured his songs, and it was joyous discovery for me that most of the songs that I loved listening to on the radio were filmed on him.
My favorite period of Tamil film music, the glorious 70s are filled with enchanting songs filmed on the young, handsome actor. Sivakumar was the blessed actor to feature in of the enchanting compositions of MSV, V. Kumar, Vijayabhaskar and Shankar-Ganesh throughout the 70s. Sivakumar was the hero of அன்னக்கிளி, Ilaiyaraja’s first album, and this lucky association continued, resulting in many immortal songs.
SPB’s first Tamil song to be released, மல்லிகைப்பூ வாங்கி வந்தேன் (பால்குடம்) was filmed on Sivakumar. In the same year, SPB sang again for Sivakumar the lovely பவுர்ணமி நிலவில் பனி விழும் இரவில் (கன்னிப்பெண்). And not being considered as a suitable voice for MGR or Sivaji Ganesan, many of SPB’s most popular numbers throughout the decade continued to be for the lucky Sivakumar. Besides SPB, Yesudas and later Jayachandran rendered some fantastic songs for Sivakumar.
So many immortal numbers come to mind when one thinks of Sivakumar. Presenting here an Ilaiyaraja compostion…
பூந்தென்றலே from புவனா ஒரு கேள்விக்குறி
Sung by Jayachandran & Vani Jairam
Lyrics by Panju Arunachalam
Music by Ilaiyaraja
* * * *
புவனா ஒரு கேள்விக்குறி (1977/ M.A.M. Films) was directed by SP. Muthuraman and produced by N.S. Mani. It starred Sivakumar, Rajnikant, Sumitra, Jaya, Meera and others.Nagaraj and Sampat are friends, both working as petty salesmen. Friends they sure are, yet their characters are a study in contrast. Sampat is deeply in love and is shattered when the girl he loves comes to a gruesome end. This tragedy drives him to drink and a life of wretched, aimless existence. Nagaraj is an unscrupulous philanderer who boasts unrepentantly of his growing list of victims.
Bhuvana is one such girl who is lured by Nagaraj's charm, and is in deep trouble by the time she realizes his true colours. She becomes an object of scorn when her impending motherhood becomes known. Sampat offers her refuge in his house, though by this time he has become a wastrel and an alcoholic. An inexplicably beautiful relationship blossoms between the uncouth ruffian and the unwed mother, a relationship that hovers so tantalizingly over a platonic plateau. Nagaraj, meanwhile, gets married to a rich heiress and here finally is retribution- the couple remain childless. He tries unsuccessfully to persuade Bhuvana to give him their child. Years of intemperate indulgence finally take their toll- Sampat breathes his last, and Bhuvana is left all alone. What does the future hold in store for her?
This, then, is the story that Panju Arunachalam and SPM chose for celluloid adaptation. And as they did earlier in வட்டதுக்குள் சதுரம், Panju Arunachalam and SP.Muthuraman worked on Maharishi's story, this time with spectacular results. The story itself was riveting, with heartwarming twists. SPM and Panju pulled off a casting coup by casting Sivakumar as Nagaraj, the pasu thol porthiya puli and Rajinikant as Sampat, the puli thol porthiya pasu. It was indeed a daring risk, as Sivakumar, with his charming looks, had never been cast in a negative role until then. And as for the upcoming Rajinikant, he had mainly made a mark in negative roles until then. S.P. Muthuraman, in his memoirs, recalled how Sivakumar was taken aback when told of the role he was to play. However, Sivakumar soon perceived the novelty of the casting, and though well aware that the sympathies of the audience would be entirely with the Rajinikant’s role, came on board with sportive alacrity.
And in his 10th film, Rajini was a brilliant revelation; he showed that he was not merely style, but an actor of substance as well. Nevertheless, Sivakumar held his own as the glib talking womanizer, revealing his versatility with aplomb.
Sivakumar writes in his memoirs- 'சார்! அநியாயமா ரஜினிக்கு அந்த வேஷத்தை விட்டுக்கொடுத்து அவரைத் தூக்கி விட்டுட்டீங்களே!' என்று சில சினிமா உலக நண்பர்களும் ரசிகர்களும் அங்கலாய்த்தனர். அவர்களின் அறியாமையை நினைத்து மனத்துக்குள் சிரித்துக்கொண்டேன். 'ஒரு மனிதன் எவ்வளவு உயர வேண்டும், எப்படியெல்லாம் அல்லல்பட வேண்டும் என்பது இறைவனால் ஏற்கனவே தீர்மானிக்கப்பட்டவை. என்னதான் கடுமையாக உழைத்தாலும், நமக்கு என்ன விதிக்கப்பட்டதோ அதுதான் நடக்கும். ரஜினிக்கு புகழ் கூடியே ஆக வேண்டும் என்று எழுதப்பட்டிருக்கும்போது யார் தடுத்தாலும், எவர் பொறாமைப்பட்டாலும் அவர் உயர்வைத் தடுக்க முடியாது.' என்றேன்.
Sivakumar further narrates that few months before the release of Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri, both he and Rajinikant were invited to an event to honour Kannadasan in Bangalore, and the crowds, for the most part, ignored Rajinikant and greeted his own speech with resounding applause. The tables were turned after the release of Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri... at a function in Chenglepet to celebrate the success of the film, Sivakumar perceived the mood of the crowd...he noticed the roar of joy when Rajinikant entered the grounds. When he was called to speak on the dais, Sivakumar came to the mike and announced that he would speak after Rajinikant spoke. He knew only too well who was the hero of the hour!
Besides winning critical accolades, the film was a commercial success as well, running for more than 125 days. In Madras, the film ran to packed houses in Roxy, Paragon, Rajakumari and Pandian.
* * * *
This was the year after Ilaiyaraja's advent. And while in 1976 he had 4 films, in 1977 the tally was 12. The year was special, for Ilaiayaraja won his first award - the TN Govt.'s Best Music Director Award for his work in 16 வயதினிலே.
புவனா ஒரு கேள்விக்குறி had only 3 songs; and Ilaiyaraja bestowed upon each of the 3 the boon of enduring enchantment. While விழியிலே மலர்ந்தது is pristine vintage Ilaiyaraja fare with SPB adding to the glitter in no small measure, the poignant ராஜா என்பார் மந்திரி என்பார் (SPB/S. Janaki) is the soul of the story, the music mirror that reflects the inner turmoil of Sampat and Bhuvana.
பூந்தென்றலே is a song that showcases Ilaiyaraja's ingenuity even in his early days. The long drawn பூந்தென்றலே that the song commences with, as an irresistible summons to the fragrant zephyr, is such a bewitching opening. The innovative structure of the Charanam is an unceasing delight- the overlapping voices, with the singers taking their turn with nonchalant adroitness must have been something very innovative in that time. The interludes sound so fresh and attractive to this day.
என்னென்ன புதுமைகள்! என்னென்ன இனிமைகள்!
I've begun to be convinced that this was the first song for both Jayachandran and Vani under Ilaiyaraja's baton. They had not been part of IR's 1976 albums. The other Ilaiyaraja albums that Vani sang in 1977 were துர்காதேவி and ஆளுக்கொரு ஆசை. As for Jayachandran, he too had sung in துர்காதேவி. And while புவனா ஒரு கேள்விக்குறி was released on 2nd September, both ஆளுக்கொரு ஆசை and துர்காதேவி were released on 9th December. (Of course the release date is not any indication of the date of the song recording!)
"Somehow, I didn't get to sing too many songs for Raja, yet most of my songs in his music, both in Tamil and Telugu, did become very popular" Vani mused aloud when I met her for a leisurely conversation.
We spoke about her lovely duets with Jayachandran, and I asked her with a teasing smile if she remembered the two magnificent Jayachandran- Vani duets composed by Ilaiyaraja. 'இன்றைக்கு ஏன் இந்த ஆனந்தமே ' she answered at once, but tried hard to recall the other. When I prompted her with the catchy closing humming ‘lalala lala’ of this song, she identified it immediately and sang the entire song, starting with the opening humming…Oh, the magic…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnhqE4gKVmg
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1367652359933153/
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