மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை # 20

Saravanan Natarajan writes:

மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை # 20:

நீயா……இல்லை நானா......

I have a sudden hankering to watch Murasu TV at times, much to the despair of my wife and son. :) One a recent weekend evening, for instance, there was a hostile silence at home when I sat engrossed watching the 1948 movie ‘அபிமன்யு’, with plans made earlier for an outing given an unceremonious burial. I did make up later in the evening, though.

I am, however, glad that I did watch the movie, for even as the song 'புது வசந்தமாமே வாழ்விலே' appeared right after the credits, I recalled the famous anecdote concerning the composition of the song. My thoughts then continued tangentially to an obscure album that was composed years later which I realized was a worthy candidate for the current ‘மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை’ series.

A little-known yet priceless keepsake of an enduring and endearing relationship between two great artistes of Tamil Film Music.

* * * * * *

Incident # 1: 1948. A balmy night at Central Studios, Coimbatore. 3 youngsters who were engaged as office attendants and assistants to composer S.M. Subbiah Naidu were making merry in the composing room as no one was around. The room doubled up as their accommodation for the night. One of them, a talented teenager was trying out on the Harmonium a tune that had struck him for a song ‘புது வசந்தமாமே வாழ்விலே’ that had been written for the movie ‘அபிமன்யு’ being made by Jupiter Pictures, the lessees of the Central Studious. The song, a duet to be filmed on Abimanyu and Vatsala, had had SMS stumped for a few days, as he could not come out with a tune to fit the lines.

As the teenager played his tune and sang the lines, his friends clapped with approbation. Unknown to them, there was another person who was watching the proceedings with incredulous joy; he was none other than SMS himself who had returned to pick up something he had forgotten. Seeing the 15-year old boy nonchalantly setting a tune into which the recalcitrant lines perched so snugly, the master was truly amazed. He stepped into the room and called out the boy’s name. And brushing aside the sheepish boy’s stammered apologies, he drew him into his arms and hugged him with affection. The boy happily played the tune again at his master’s bidding. SMS told the boy that he would play the same tune to the ‘Jupiter’ Somu and A. Kasilingam the next morning. However, he cautioned them not reveal to anyone that it was the boy who had composed the tune as the fastidious Somu would never accept a tune composed by a mere assistant. The next morning, when SMS played the tune, it was approved at once. And it was the boy who taught the tune to the singers Trichy Loganathan and U.R. Jeevarathinam. The song became immensely popular in its time, with the credit going to SMS.

You would all doubtless be aware that the genius teenager was none other than M.S.Viswanathan, while his friends were G.K. Venkatesh and Gopalakrishnan.

Soon thereafter, Jupiter’s lease of the Central studious came to an end and Jupiter Somu and his partner S.K. Mohideen decided to move to Madras. Many of the staff, including MSV, were made redundant. However, SMS rushed to the rescue of his protégé. He requested Somu to retain MSV and take him to Madras, and revealed then that it was MSV who had actually composed the tune for ‘புது வசந்தமாமே வாழ்விலே’. The song had become a great favourite of Somu; MSV was taken back on the rolls and traveled to Madras. Here, he was put under the tutelage of C.R. Subburaman who was composing for a few projects of Jupiter Pictures. The rest, is a history that is only too well known. And MSV would forever remain grateful to SMS.

Let us return to SMS. Tamil Cinema remains indebted to SMS for many reasons. Besides setting MSV on a firm track thus paving his way for further opportunities, SMS was the composer who first set to music Kannadasan’s lyrics- ‘கலங்காதிரு மனமே’ (கன்னியின் காதலி/ 1949). He gave a young TMS his first singing opportunity - ‘ராதே நீ என்னை விட்டு போகாதேடி’ (கிருஷ்ண விஜயம்/ 1950). He was the composer who first made TMS sing for MGR ‘எத்தனை காலம் தான் ஏமாற்றுவார்’ (மலைக்கள்ளன்/ 1954).

Born in 1914 in Kadaiyanallur, Subburayalu Munusami Subbiah Naidu had an unhappy childhood. He ran away from home with dreams of finding his fortune in Singapore, but ended up working in drama troupes such as those of Jagannatha Aiyer and Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai. Finding himself drawn more to music than acting, SMS learned music from masters such as Rajagopala Iyengar and Subramaniya Bagavathar. When the company’s play ‘பக்த ராம்தாஸ்’ was made into a movie, SMS worked on the music for the movie as well.

SMS worked jointly with other composers on a few movies in the early 40s. He then composed music for the first movie in which MGR played the hero- ராஜகுமாரி (1947). All through the 50s, SMS continued to compose memorable songs in the movies that came his way. Albums such as ‘ஏழை படும் பாடு’ (1950), ‘காஞ்சனா’ (1952) and ‘மலைக்கள்ளன்’ (1954) helped him to consolidate his place among the front-ranking composers of the decade. My favorite SMS albums are ‘திருமணம்’, ‘மரகதம்’, ‘நாடோடி மன்னன்’ and the magnificent classic ‘கொஞ்சும் சலங்கை’.

Incident # 2: At the dawn of the 60s, SMS had been engaged to compose music for MGR’s ‘திருடாதே’. He had composed a few songs and was working on setting the tune for a duet when producer AL. Srinivasan made him listen to a song ‘என்னருகே நீயிருந்தால்’ sung by P.B. Srinivas & P. Susheela. The song had been composed by MSV-TKR for an earlier project and had remained unused. ALS suggested that the song be included in the ‘திருடாதே’ album. Seeing that it was by his protégé MSV, SMS readily agreed, and thus the song featured in ‘திருடாதே’ with the credit once again going to SMS.

As the 60s progressed, SMS, like other veterans G. Ramanathan, S.V. Venkataraman and R. Sudarsanam, found himself sidelined by the new wave of light music serenaded by the all-pervading magic of MSV-TKR. K.V. Mahadevan was the only other composer who managed to remain in the center stage. SMS did get a few projects in the late 60s - நாம் மூவர், ராஜா வீட்டு பிள்ளை, உயிர் மேல் ஆசை, சபாஷ் தம்பியாக, பணக்கார பிள்ளை, நாலும் தெரிந்தவன், சக்கரம். Though some of the songs did manage to find some airtime, they were nowhere close to the popularity enjoyed by the works of MSV. My favourite album of SMS from that period is ‘மன்னிப்பு’- 'நீயெங்கே.... என் நினைவுகள் அங்கே’ and ‘வெண்ணிலா வானில் வரும் வேளையில்’ …. enticing tunes that bespeak the genius of SMS to this day.

While he was composing music for ‘ராஜகுமாரி’ at Central Studious, SMS made the acquaintance of the hero MGR. This laid the basis for a lifelong friendship between the two, which was further strengthened during the making of ' மர்மயோகி’ and ‘மலைக்கள்ளன்’. When MGR turned producer/ director with ‘நாடோடி மன்னன்’, he invited SMS to compose the songs, along with N.S. Balakrishnan who had composed 2 songs. Later, when the fortunes of SMS were on the decline in the 60s, MGR secured for his friend a few opportunities such as ‘தாயின் மடியில்’, ‘ஆசை முகம்’ and even ‘தலைவன்’ (1970). In the 70s, opportunities were few and far between - சினேகிதி, வைராக்கியம், தேரோட்டம், தங்ககோபுரம்......SMS used to pass the time of the day in MGR’s house along with other members of MGR’s inner circle such as Ravindar.

MSV and Kannadasan, who have acknowledged many a time the crucial role played by SMS in shaping their career, organized a grand function to celebrate the 60th birthday of the master composer. In the function graced by MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, a cash award was presented to SMS as a token of his contribution to Tamil cinema.

In the late 70s, the health of SMS suffered a setback. The superbly crafted songs of ‘கவிராஜ காலமேகம்’ (1978) which SMS had painstakingly worked on went unnoticed as the movie was a commercial catastrophe. This disappointment, compounded by the ignominy of being forgotten by an uncaring film fraternity and financial woes hastened depression and multiple physical ailments. Seeing the plight of his Master, the noble MSV brought the childless SMS and his wife to his house and attended to their every need with solicitude. And it was then that occurred …

Incident # 3: A producer called upon SMS and wanted him to compose music for his upcoming project ‘அத்தி பூத்தது’. Though physically frail, SMS was overjoyed at this opportunity. 2 songs were composed by SMS and recorded. 2 more songs were needed to be composed when SMS fell seriously ill. MSV perceived that SMS would not be able to work on the remaining songs, and came forward to compose them himself- His only condition was that even the songs that he would be composing should come under the name of SMS. The producer accepted happily.

However, SMS, who was listening to this conversation, beckoned to MSV. The words that he whispered feebly had the Mallisai Mannar in tears- ‘Do not make me indebted for the third time, Visu! Please permit the songs that you are going to compose to be credited to you!’ SMS would not let go of MSV’s hand until he had secured his assurance on this.

SMS passed away a few days after this, in May 1979. Stepping into the role of his next of kin, the grief-stricken MSV performed the last rites.

MSV composed 2 more songs for ‘அத்தி பூத்தது’ when he was approached some time later. He did not accept any payment for his work. However, the producer was besieged by financial constraints and ‘அத்தி பூத்தது’ (Gnanam Movies) was shelved midway. The EP record containing the songs was released in 1981, with one of the songs composed by MSV finding fleeting airtime in Radio Ceylon.

The songs in the ‘அத்தி பூத்தது’ album were:

1.கன்னிப்பெண்ணே உன்னுடலில்- SPB. Lyrics by Ramraj. Music by S.M. Subbiah Naidu

2.அடி மல்லிகைச்சரமே - Malaysia Vasudevan & T.K. Kala. Lyrics by Paridasan. Music by S.M. Subbiah Naidu

3.மூவகைப்பாலில் - SPB & Vani Jairam. Lyrics by Vaali. Music by M.S. Viswanathan.

4. முக்கோன சக்கரத்தில் உட்காரும் தேவி- T.K. Kala, B.S. Sasirekha & Chorus. Lyrics by Vaali. Music by M.S. Viswanathan.

Here is the quaint ‘கன்னிப்பெண்ணே’ by SPB. SMS sets the lines to a lilting tune and sends for SPB to render it. Yes, the orchestration does sound a trifle dated for the late 70s- but that does not take away the inexplicable charm that the composition has. I have always wondered if Maragathamani had this song in mind when he composed 'Tu mile dil khile'.

Forgive the not-so perfect recording- I found the ravaged record under a heap of others in a center in Virudunagar. Wiped it off layers of dust myself before handing it over to the attendant for getting it recorded.

The song holds a special place in my heart for it was one of the last two numbers composed by a towering pioneer of Tamil film music. How much fulfilment it must have given the ailing SMS to wield the baton and relive, just once more, the vibrancy of a glorious past!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPbPFDkM0rc&feature=youtu.be

And here is ‘மூவகைப்பாலில்’ by SPB & Vani. MSV collaborates with Vaali and comes out with a composition of languorous enthrallment. The magnificent prelude is such a scintillating MSV signature! The seasoned singers usher in a mood of a dreamy, sensuous rendezvous. This song too holds a special place in my heart, for more than its compositional merits, it is a loving talisman of a fierce, loyal affection that is seldom witnessed in this callous, forgetful world. A gorgeous gesture of gratitude. A promise honored.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJqk81biQt4&feature=youtu.be

Two men. Two melodies. And a saga of a heartwarming surety, and a bond strengthened by the silken strands of music….

Discussion at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1874215445943506/