மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை # 32

Saravanan Natarajan

மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை # 32:

Song: Ninaivile manaivi endru
Movie: Sa ri ga ma pa.
Sung by SPB.
Lyrics by Udhayanan.
Music by Srikumar.

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Ragamalika International’s ‘சரிகமப’ (not to be confused with Parthiban’s 1994 film ‘சரிகமபதநி’) was another movie whose reels lie forgotten in the attic of some crestfallen producer’s house. The record sleeve has a picture of Roopa condescending to part with a reluctant smile. The other songs were ‘ஓடும் நதிகளில்’ by Jayachandran & PS (Kannadasan), ‘என்னம்மா நில்லம்மா’ by Malaysia Vasudevan (Thendral Thyagarajan) and ‘உலகத்தில் நான் வாழ்வது’ by S.Janaki (Kannadasan)

Putting up a brave face despite the ravages wrought by the ethnic conflict in the early 80s, Radio Ceylon endeared itself to its listeners by continuing to air their favourite programmes. And it was sometime in 1983 that I first happened to listen to this song one indolent forenoon. And soon enough, Sunday after Sunday, this song stayed put as the numero uno in the weekly countdown, warding off with nonchalant ease spirited challenges from the more hyped Goliaths.

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Many of us would remember the song ‘வாய்விட்டு சிரிச்சா நோய்வி்ட்டு போகும்’ from KB’s பொய்க்கால் குதிரை. The voice that accompanies Malaysia Vasudevan is that of Udhayanan, who had written the lyrics as well. Udhayanan was a lyricist who became MSV’s protégé in the early 80s, and he also lent his voice to some of his own lyrics. Though big-time success eluded him, Udhayanan proved his bona fides in the few songs that came his way. Besides ‘வாய்விட்டு சிரிச்சா நோய்விட்டு போகும்’, other songs written by Udhayanan that I recall are ‘அத்தியும் பூத்தது’ (மன்மத ரதங்கள்/P. Susheela/ KVM), ‘பச்சமொளகா’ (நன்றி மீண்டும் வருக/ Udhayanan & Kausalya/ Shyam), ‘நான்தான்டி’ (தேவி தரிசனம்/ P.Susheela & Renuka/ MSV), ‘மாம்பலத்து பூசாரி’ (ஆசைக்கு வயசில்லை/ Udhayanan & Manorama / MSV) and ‘ஓட்டப்பானையில நண்டவிட்டா’ (முன்னொரு காலத்தில்/ P.Susheela / MSV)

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‘Who is Silvia? What is she, that all our swains commend her?’ wrote William Shakespeare (Two Gentlemen of Verona). My thoughts often fly to these lines when I wonder who was this Srikumar, whose entry into and exit from Tamil Cinema went wholly unnoticed? Tamil film music often poses such questions whose answers we would probably never know. Yet in the one album that came his way, Srikumar has left behind some lingering memories. While the stylish JC-PS duet ‘ஓடும் நதிகளில் ஆடும் மலர்களில் உனது முகம்’ would strike a chord in many, the song that remains firmly entrenched in our memories is ‘நினைவிலே மனைவியென்று’.

Creating an appealing tune is perhaps the easier part of the assignment; arranging an unobtrusive, apposite orchestration as a charming trellis around the lyrics is a daunting challenge for a debutant. But Srikumar comes out in flying colours. And SPB, of course, has to go all out to unleash his magic and honour a humble composer. Right from the opening humming, he makes the song his, and fills it with his finesse. With an amused indulgence that is so becoming, SPB captures the romantic flights of fancy of a love-struck man, singing of his beloved in a tranquil moonlit night....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkC8WgEQnIk&feature=youtu.be

Discussion at:
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