Saravanan Natarajan writes:
Having enjoyed a vintage marvel from the 50s sung by KVM himself, let us now look at a less-chronicled part of KVM’s career- his works in the 80s….
After a glorious innings in Tamil cinema throughout the 50s and 60s, KVM found himself gradually sidelined in the 70s. The advent of talented newcomers and exciting changes in the trends had cast him aside with scant ceremony. And by the 80s, KVM was almost forgotten…
Almost, I said. But not quite. For there every now and then movies came out that had songs composed by KVM and found fleeting popularity. I am certain there would be some among us who would still give a pleased sigh of recognition at the mention of numbers lost in the swirling mists of time such as ‘Vaanavillenum varnajaalangal’ (Naan Naanethaan/1980), ‘Nadhikkaraiyorathu Naanalgale’ (Kadhal Kiligal/1980), ‘Ponni nadhi orathile’ (Kuruvikkoodu/1980), ‘Manmadha rathangal’ (Manmadha Rathangal/1980), ‘Nalla naalum pozhudhumaa’ (Malargindra Paruvathile/1980), ‘Engengum aval mugam’ (Neruppile Pootha Malar/1981), ‘ Azhaithaal varuvaal’ (Mouna Yudham/1981), ‘Thirumaale’ (Deiva Thirumanangal/1981), ‘Ethipaarthen ilankiliya kaanaliye’ (Andha Rathirikku Satchi Illai/1982), ‘Endha iravu mudhal iravu’ (Chinnanchirusugal/1982), ‘Pudavai kattikondu’ (Simma Soppanam/1983), ‘Maari thirisooli’ (Mel Maruvathur Aadhiparasakthi/1985), ‘Ranganathan thangachi’ (Samayapurathaale Saatchi/1985), ‘Maaligaiyaanaalum malarvanamaanaalum’ (Asha/1985), ‘Magarandham Kaadhodhum’ (Mahasakthi Mariyamma/1986), ‘Eerathamaraipoove’ (Paaimarakkappal/1988)….
To resurrect to memory KVM’s works in the 80s, here is a forgotten little classic...
* * * * *
He is an aspiring musician in a small town. She is a neighbourhood girl who has unstinting faith in his capabilities. They are in love with each other, but how long can she wait for him to find his moorings?
As a last resort, he goes to Madras, to try his luck in the film studios there.
After months of struggle, his efforts bear fruit and he gets a good opening. With resplendent dreams of their joyous future together, he boards a train to surprise her with an unannounced arrival, delight her with the wonderful tidings, and take her back with him to Madras.
Meanwhile all is not well with her- acrimonious exchanges with her parents and unwanted attentions of another suitor make life unbearable. Unknown to him, the very night he is traveling back to his hometown, she boards a train to Madras.
He falls in with a group of musicians in his train compartment. One thing leads to another -and they urge him to sing.
Alas, for her, in her hurried escape from home, she enters a deserted compartment, wherein there are only two men in an inebriated state. They look at her with sudden lust, and emboldened by their isolation, accost her. She cries out her lover’s name in fright…
…and in that very instant their trains cross each other, as he, in his train, commences his song "Nee azhaithathuppol oru gnaabagam"
Thus the song unfolds, with the shots alternating between the interiors of the compartments of the two trains speeding in opposite directions, the aalaapanai in one, the assault in the other…
How much longing he pours into his song….his hopes of a bright morrow for both of them glisten in his lines…little does he realize that as the trains are racing into the night, their very future is being derailed!
* * * * *
It was in 1980 that K.V. Mahadevan (and his loyal assistant T.K. Pugazhendi) discovered for us that S.P. Balasubramaniam, though bereft of formal training, could be coached to deliver winning notes in classical shades, and Shankarabharanam was a stunner in every sense. They have extended that enriching experience here in this song. SPB delivers the goods, and how! The hero's aspirations and longings find evocative expression in SPB's song. And the swift and spellbinding swara passages that punctuate the song, especially in the cascading climax are something to cherish.
Conveniently for KVM, the hero befriends a troupe of traveling musicians with all their accompaniments, and the song thus attains a realistic hue. No doubt the interludes do sound a trifle passé (even for 1983), but this 'dated' sound has a quaint charm. The violin bits bring out so heartrendingly the wretched irony of the situation - moving frames of the girl beseeching the scoundrels to spare her, of frantically attempting to evade their advances, of trying vainly to reach for the emergency chain… Hark at the chugging of the train that is heard throughout the song as the rhythmic backdrop.
This was perhaps his last worthy attempt in mainstream Tamil Film Music. And like the last leap of a tongue of flame before the embers die, like the sudden small shower of rainwater from leaves swaying in a gust of wind long after the rain, this song kindles memories of a bygone era of film music. Krishnankovil Venkatachalam Mahadevan has given us much to be grateful for. This song is among his smaller bequests.
Song: Nee azhaithathupol
Film: Thoongatha Kannendru Ondru (Tamil/1983)
Vocals: S.P. Balasubramaniam
Lyrics: Pulamaipithan
Music: K.V. Mahadevan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1FnFFh7hg0
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1635872493111137/
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