S. Janaki sings for Shankar-Ganesh: Part 2

Saravanan Natarajan writes:

S. Janaki sings for Shankar-Ganesh: Part 2

உன்னே மறந்தேனடா....என் சண்டாளா...

The late 70s and the early 80s were the most prolific ones for Shankar- Ganesh. They had consolidated their position as the second line MDs, and were thus flooded with opportunities to compose for many quick ‘cash- and carry‘ ventures. Not surprisingly the fare that they churned out was, by and large, mediocre. Yet they did strike the right note at times, and such occasions are worth celebrating.

P. Susheela continued to have memorable outings with the duo during these years- Aatukkara Alamelu, Sorgam Naragam, Thaai Meedu Sathiyam....the songs were heard on radio all day long. Albums such as Palabhishegam, Rowdy Rakkamma and Uyarndhavargal went to Vani Jairam. Thus between themselves, these two singers pretty much cornered most of the albums composed by S-G during these years.

Ironically, though ignored by S-G, these were the very years in which the Janaki juggernaut that was set rolling by Ilaiyaraja sped on in regal majesty. Magnificent collaborations, each one of them, with Janaki lending the voice to Raja’s muse. Janaki won her first National Award in 1977 for her rendition of ‘Senthooraapoovey’. Myriad miracles such as ‘Matha un kovilil’, ‘Poovarasampoo poothachu’, ‘Kanden engum’, ‘Veenai meetum kaigale’, ‘Vasantha kaala kolangal’, ‘Adada maamarakkiliye’, ‘Vaazhkkai odam sella’ hogged the airwaves in 1978.

Despite these top-notch successes with Ilaiyaraja, and also with other composers, all that Janaki got to sing for SG in 1978 were 3 solos and 2 duets. We shall dwell on one of those 3 solos in this part.

* * * * *
For some years in the 80s, we were living in Tripoli, as my father was deputed to work for the Libyan Government-owned Petroleum Company. Far away from Chennai, and a far cry from the internet and Cable-TV age, I had to be content with the few audio cassettes that I could get recorded on our annual vacations in India. As for movies, oh, the excitement that filled the Tamil families whenever someone returned from India bringing video cassettes of the latest movies! Multiple copies were made and distributed widely.

I still remember the thrill when Appa came home with the cassette of Moondram Pirai. We sat to watch the movie that very evening. But as the story unfolded, even as everyone seemed riveted by the moving narrative, the beautiful frames and the brilliant performances, I was filled with an agonizing déjà vu – Haven’t I watched the same story before? I tried in vain to concentrate on the proceedings, for this nagging doubt kept pricking me…It came to me just when I was going to bed that night- Ullathil Kuzhandhaiyadi!

When we were in India, part of our holidays was always spent with my grandmother in Adayar, and Patti being an avid film-goer, we would look forward to multiple visits to Thyaragaraja & Jayanthi in Tiruvanmiyur and Eros in LB Road. One such movie that we watched with Patti at Eros was a B&W Jaishankar movie ‘Ullathil Kuzhandhaiyadi’. And now, few years later, in Tripoli, while I could not recall the movie scene by scene, I was almost certain that Moondram Pirai shared its basic premise with that of Ullathil Kuzhandhaiyadi- of the male lead rescuing the female who has lost her memory and behaves like a child (Sripriya, it was in UK) and the heartwarming relationship that develops between the two.

Ullathil Kuzhandhaiyadi (ACV Combines) was directed by veteran K.S Gopalakrishnan. Fresh from the success of his Palabhishegam the previous year, KSG must have launched this project with same lead pair. Besides Jai & Sripriya, I have vague memories of Thengai Srinivasan & Pramila as well in the movie. I cannot fathom why, but I always seem to recall Kalaignar Karunanidhi’s picture adorning the wall posters of the movie.

* * * * *
S-G were assigned the sound-track, and KSG invited his old friend, the revered veteran Maruthakasi to pen the lyrics. KSG was perhaps the only director to work with Maruthakasi all through the 70s, and the veteran lyricist wrote memorable songs for these ventures.

The song that was heard often during the time was ‘Kannukku neeyoru kannipponnu’ by Seergazhi Govindarajan & Vani Jairam. I remember watching the song in Oliyum Oliyum; Thengai Srinivasan & Pramila sing, cajoling a sulking Sripriya to come and eat. Vani Jairam had a jaunty solo as well ‘Kannalam kattama, kadhava thaappa podaama’.



The third song was, again a female solo, and could well gone to Vani. Inexplicably, S-G summoned Janaki to render this one, and the blessed chanteuse filled the lines with the dainty embellishments that only she can. Maruthakasi, known for his felicity with rural slangs and word-usage, scintillates in his flow. The song has a rustic lass singing to her man, the lines replete with naughty barbs and mischievous innuendos.

‘Playback singing is more than mere singing; it is playback acting, actually’ averred Janaki, once, famously, when pondering aloud over her craft. How true! Take this song as a case in point- the roguish spikes find their target unerringly, each one them. There is, of course, the taunt and the tease, the mock and the malice, yet how judiciously does the diva temper them with a whiff of wistful longing, a whimper of neglect…Added to that, it is always a matter of ceaseless wonder that hailing from a far-off Andhra village, the lady manages to get right every delicate nuance of a southern Tamil slang… Listen to her mouth that endearing ‘en chandaala’…. Goose-bumps!

I have in my collection 3 songs from Ullathil Kuzhandhaiyadi, songs that I had sent to me by a Srilankan friend after years of hunting for them in Tamil Nadu proved futile. I uploaded mp3 versions of 2 of them years back when tracing the Vani Jairam chronology. From there, the songs then found their way to various sites, and have been put even in YouTube. However Janaki's ‘Mambuttiya tholila vechu’ has remained with me all these years, and today we are putting it up for the first time here.

Song: Mambutiya tholila vechchu
Film: Ullathil Kuzhandhaiyadi (1978/ ACV Combines)
Vocals: S. Janaki
Lyrics: A. Maruthakasi
Music: Shankar-Ganesh

- To be continued...

Part 1 here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1731980233500362/


Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1737332536298465/