Saravanan Natarajan writes:
மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை # 25:ராகம் வந்ததது … பாடச்சொன்னது....
The journey with this மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை series has deeply enriching for me and I fondly hope, eventful for you all as well. I am filled with a sense of fulfillment, for even in the course of resurrecting to rightful glory songs from some unreleased movies, we have managed to nudge into limelight some forgotten or little-known artistes or brought back into focus some obscure songs by acclaimed masters. I accept that few of the songs might not themselves boast of any remarkable compositional or singing skills, yet the efforts and the stories that lay behind these songs and the associated memories warrant our acknowledgement… Many of these songs have been a delightful revelation, as I glean from many of your comments…. Thank you for all your encouragement; your comments are the elixir that enliven these posts…
When I think of such movies that never made it to the big screen, I think of the people who toiled to get them made- the producer who launched the venture with hopes of filling his coffers, the director who conceived the movie painstakingly frame by frame, the actors who performed with aspirations of recognition, the technicians who lent their expertise with enthusiasm…I sigh at the fond dreams they would have indulged in, and their despair as they saw their hopes of fame and fortune shatter when the endeavour was shelved midway, or even worse, was completed, but couldn’t get released…..
But then tinsel town has always reveled in being an enigma, where luck holds court with great aplomb…
Presenting in today’s edition of மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை, a little-known foray into cinema of a giant of classical music…
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So, what is new? Stalwarts from the classical arena have left their mark in Tamil Cinema right from the time it began to ‘talk’. Maharajapuram Viswanthan Iyer (நந்தனார்), Musiri Subramaniya Iyer (துக்காராம்), GNB (5 movies including the famous ‘சாவித்திரி’), T.N. Rajarathinam (காலமேகம்), K.V. Narayanaswamy (கண்ணப்ப நாயனார்), V.V. Sadagopan (4 movies, including the first Tamil movie to filmed overseas- நவயுவன்) were early instances in the 30s and 40s. The genius S. Balachandar had great love for cinema and was closely associated with it from a young age- as actor, singer, music composer, director and producer until he gave it up to concentrate on his career as a Vainika. His brother S. Rajam sang the lovely ‘ஓ மலைய மாருதமே’ in the bilingual மானவதி. Papanasam Sivan strode Tamil cinema of the 40s like a colossus.
M.S. Subbalakshmi and N.C. Vasanthakokilam became all the more popular due their tryst with Cinema. MLV was a front-ranking playback singer all through the 50s. D.K. Pattammal sang a few film songs as well. Even when film music became ‘lighter’ in the 60s, the talented Balamuralikrishna and (Radha) Jayalakshmi continued their dalliance with cinema with spectacular results. In the 70s, Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan composed music for some movies in quick succession, even winning the TN State Government Award for his work in ‘திருமலை தென்குமரி.’ Maharajapuram Santhanam sang a small Pasuram in ‘ரோஷக்காரி'. The Bombay sisters rendered ‘ஆடி ஆடி அசைந்தாள்’ in the obscure movie 'யார் ஜம்புலிங்கம்.’
Karukurichi Arunachalam, M.P.N. Sethuraman & Ponnusamy, Chittibabu, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, ‘Veenai’ Gayatri, T.V. Gopalakrishnan, Kadri Gopalnath have all greatly enriched Tamil film music. Lalgudi Jayaraman won the National Award for the best music direction for the film ஸ்ருங்காரம் in 2006.
Yesudas was able to straddle both worlds with equal ease. Keeping away from cinema for many years after the debacle of ‘தோடி ராகம்’ T.N. Seshagopalan resurfaced as a singer in ‘ஆத்மா’. K.B. Sundarambal, Seergazhi Govindarajan and Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi- great proponents of Tamil Isai and devotional songs, have left lasting imprints in cinema. In recent times Unnikrishnan, Nithyashree, Bombay Jayashree, Sudha Raghunathan and Ranjani-Gayatri have all staked their claim to film music.
So, it need not be of any surprise that someone from the classical arena stepped into cinema.
However, what is of surprise is this particular instance concerning this celebrated vocalist. While one of his forays into cinema is well known and indeed cherished, there is another instance of him rendering a song for a movie that few know about. When I was quite certain that these were the only two film connections of this vocalist came the knowledge that he had rendered some songs for an earlier film that were shelved and recorded anew by other singers.
And then it was in the attic of a recording center in Virudunagar that I stumbled upon a EP record that revealed how little I knew…. for this record was evidence of a fourth foray into cinema of the same vocalist, a foray that I do not find mentioned anywhere to this day…Don’t you think it is time for the wraps to be taken off?
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And the vocalist I am referring you here is none other than Madurai S. Somasundaram (1919-1989). One of my precious memories of childhood is attending a concert of Madurai Somu, perhaps in Narada Gana Sabha, and I can even now recall the sheer majesty of his performance, the deep and emotion-laced piety that seeped through his song, his sparkling sense of humour that had the audience come out of their trance and break into paroxysms of mirth…. I also remember sighting him late one evening in at a platform of the Egmore Railway Station where he acknowledged the salutations of my family, even bending down to my height with a beaming smile…
I once saw an interview of Somu wherein he recalled his childhood when he was more interested in wrestling and other sports, and the later years of rewarding tutelage under the revered Chithoor Subramaniaym Pillai. I have read accounts of his mastery, his full-throated performances, his pristine bhakthi that hovered over his singing like a luminous halo, his incredible concerts that lasted until the wee hours of the morning, his choice of seldom-heard Ragas, his own brilliant compositions, his uncanny ability to engage with the audience and keep them spellbound ….
Coming back to his tryst with Cinema, Somu’s first foray was far from happy. In an interview he recalled the bitter experience. At the suggestion of ‘Sivaji’ Ganesan who was his ardent fan, Somu was engaged in 1958 by the makers of சம்பூர்ண ராமாயணம் to render a few songs for the movie under the baton of K.V. Mahadevan. Somu rendered the songs for Bharathan to be essayed by Sivaji Ganesan and also for Ravanan to be played by T.K. Bhagavathi. The recording was completed to the satisfaction of all. However, later while the filming the Swara passages that adorned the ‘வீணை கொடியுடைய வேந்தனே’ song, it was perceived that T.K. Bhagavathi found it difficult to lip-sync the notes to Somu’s speed. Hence C.S. Jayaraman was roped in to render the same at a slightly lesser tempo. When Sivaji Ganesan informed Somu, with regret, of this development, Somu was outraged and insisted that all his songs be dropped from the movie.
He vowed to keep away from Cinema after this disappointing experience, and was steadfast in his refusal of the offers that came in his way in the following years. However, after more than 14 years, Somu sang again for a movie, and what a memorable outing it turned out to be!
It was the year 1972…Producer Chinnappa Thevar had embarked on an ambitious devotional movie 'தெய்வம்' on the exploits of Lord Murugan with a galaxy of actors and he appointed Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan as the music director. The movie narrated how Lord Murugan rushes to the succor of his ardent devotees facing hardships. The story was structured in such a way that the events take place in the ‘ஆறுபடை வீடு’- the six temple towns of the Lord. Thevar took the liberty of replacing Pazhamudircholai with his beloved Marudamalai.
KV set about excitedly working on the album. He was working with Kannadasan for the first time and the duo came up with an amazing set of 6 songs- each song a veritable treat- one for each of the 6 temples. And KV made history with his extraordinary choice of singers, some of whom had never sung a film song hitherto. Thevar, for his share, added to the history by making each of the singers appear on the screen for their respective song sequence. The singers were Bangalore Ramani Ammal (Tiruparankundram), Radha & Jayalakshmi (Tiruthani), Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi & M.R. Vijaya (Pazhani), Pithukkuli Murugadoss (Swamimalai) and TMS & Seergazhi Govindarajan (Thiruchendur).
For a sequence involving the Marudamalai temple, KV played notes based on Darbari Kanada and Kannadasan wrote ‘மருதமலை மாமணியே முருகையா’. Legend has it that Thevar was so moved by the lines that he gave the lyricist Rs. 1 lakh, which seemed a godsend to Kannadasan who was just then worried over lack of finances for his daughter’s wedding.
Both Thevar and KV wanted Madurai Somu to render this song. Thevar had been mesmerized by a concert of Somu that he happened to witness in Marudamalai and KV was also keen on making Somu render this song. Though he refused initially, Somu was tempted by the fact that it was a paean to his beloved Lord Murugan. KV managed eventually to cajole him into acquiescence. Even then Somu insisted on rehearsals for 7 days before the song was finally recorded. And what a song it has turned out to be! It is truly a moving experience…once heard, one would hanker for repeated listening and yet never tire of it. To this day, this song is an integral part of temple festivities in the southern districts. This is the song you would most probably hear when tea-shops down south commence their morning routine- I have woken up daily to ‘கோடி மலைகளிலே’ blaring all over the neighborhood when I had gone for an audit in Sivakasi even as late as the mid- 90s. The song remains a jewel in the crown of the great Madurai Somu, and glitters as one of the finest moments of Tamil Film Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7D7qcMX3x0
The eternal popularity of the song is evidenced by the fact that even a recent movie that was eminently forgettable otherwise featured this song in full playing in the background during a rescue operation!
Somu seems to have kept away from cinema even after this hugely successful foray. However, most accounts of his life and times forget to mention another song that Somu rendered for a movie. This was again for a devotional movie, produced again by ‘Thevar Films’. The legendary Chinnappa Thevar had passed on by then, merging into the realm of his beloved Marudamalai Murugan. The movie was ‘சஷ்டி விரதம்’ and the year was 1983. The composers were Shankar-Ganesh. The humble duo welcomed the famed vocalist with reverence and allowed him complete freedom in rendering the song in his own way. The stirring song ‘துணைவன், வழித்துணைவன்’ may not have fetched the popularity it deserved, nonetheless, it is another testimony to Somu’s virtuosity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV_-2HRYgKg&feature=youtu.be
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I was thus secure in my belief that these were the only instances of Somu’s involvement with Cinema. Imagine my amazement when I found an EMI record of an unknown movie which was striking evidence that sometime in between ‘தெய்வம்’ and ‘சஷ்டி விரதம்’, Somu had made another foray into film music! I was understandably excited, for I had never heard of this movie until then, nor read or heard anywhere of this adventure of Somu!! Was this then one of Tamil Film Music’s best kept secrets?
The movie was titled ‘அவளுக்காகவே நான்’. The jacket showed a ruminative Sivakumar and an obscure heroine. The movie had 3 songs, with lyrics by Kannadasan, one of them being sung by Somu.
But the greater surprise was that the music was also credited to Somu, jointly with Hareram! How did Somu come about to compose music for this movie? Who was this unknown (at least for me) Hareram? How did they work- did they compose music jointly for all the 3 songs? Or did Somu restrict his focus to only the one song that he sang, and Hareram worked independently on the other two songs? Why was the movie not released? Was it made at all? How was it that the record was dated 1980 when the songs, the style and the age of the singers' voices hint at the 70s?
Much as I have tried, I could not find any answers to this day. Perhaps this post today would help in unraveling these unknowns?
I got all the three songs recorded. The audio quality may not be very good…this is because the record itself had been damaged….We had to clean it of the cloak of dust and dirt, cure it of cuts and scratches, coax it into action after years of hibernation…
The first is SPB making merry with ‘எனக்கொரு எண்ணம்’, inspired from the popular ‘Old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gxg1slmkPM&feature=youtu.be
The second song ‘ராகம் வந்தது’ features the vocals of TMS, SPB and L.R. Easwari…. This seems to be a stage/dance song. The irrepressible L.R. Easwari is the mainstay of this feet-tapping number, lighting this ditty with sparks of sheer ebullience…a debonair TMS matches the enthusiastic SPB… I can see the three singers chaffing each other and enjoying themselves…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPBzNfhmduI&feature=youtu.be
Have saved the best for the last…. A grand concert by Madurai Somu…a regal ‘மாமவ மீனாக்ஷி’. No, not the famed Dikshitar composition in Varali with the same opening line. This is perhaps a Sahityam of Madurai Somu himself, and as he mentions himself in Kalyani- Experts can elucidate. Somu is at his evocative best here, weaving together an exquisite offering to the Goddess…. His dazzling delineation of the notes leaves the listener enthralled, elevating the composition to towering heights, placing it on an echelon much higher than film music….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_1A13AIjds&feature=youtu.be
Yes, the movie was never released. The songs were never destined to be heard. Let us pick them up with indulgence, smoothen their creases of reproach with solicitude, dress their bruises of neglect with the salve of attention…. Let them live and be heard, even if only for this one day, before they are consigned once again to the ignominy of oblivion….
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1914184531946597/
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