Two wondrous wedges from a vibrant rainbow, a magnificent rainbow that made a fleeting appearance before being hidden forever behind the swirling clouds of time……I was among the blessed to have savoured the delectable wedges…. These are two songs from ‘உயிரே உனக்காக’. Sung by SPB and S.Janaki. Lyrics by Vairamuthu. Music by Ilaiyaraja.
And before anyone starts wondering if Raja composed two songs in an album that had music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, let me hasten to clarify that this film is not the Mohan-Nadiya starrer உயிரே உனக்காக (1986/ Motherland Pictures).
This was an earlier venture commenced with the same name. Sri Manickam Films’ உயிரே உனக்காக is destined to lie hidden in the cans forever. It had Prabhu and Sulakshana playing the lead roles. It was produced by Kallakkudi Manickam and directed by S. Kumar.
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I go back again to the summer of 1983 when all schools were shut down for an extended period to express solidarity with the Srilankan Tamils. Having nothing else to do apart from reading the books borrowed from Easwari Lending Library in the afternoons and playing with friends out in the street for a while in the evening, I fell back upon my old ally- Radio Ceylon. My day started with பொங்கும் பூம்புனல் and ended with இரவின் மடியில்.
I can never forget the songs that were aired regularly during that unexpected vacation, and along with songs like ‘தென்னங்கீற்றும் தென்றல் காற்றும்', ‘நினைவிலே மனைவி என்று’, ‘யாரது சொல்லாமல்’, ‘சிரிச்சா கொல்லிமலைக் குயிலு’, ‘ஓ வெண்ணிலாவே வா ஓடி வா’, ‘தென்றல் என்னை முத்தமிட்டது’; there were these two songs that would found place unfailingly in பொங்கும் பூம்புனல்.
The songs were never aired after that summer, as album after album of Raja filled with new delights kept coming up week after week. I could not let go of them however, and clutched on to them in a precious nook of memory. Many years later, these two songs from உயிரே உனக்காக were on my wish-list each time I discovered a new recording center. But when after days of delicious anticipation, I brought back the cassette home, I would be dismayed to find 'I want to be a rich man' or 'கவிதைகள் விரியும் விழியிலே' from LP’s உயிரே உனக்காக recorded in the place of my requests! All my protests elicited was a flat denial of the existence of another movie by the same name for which Ilaiyaraja had composed the songs ….
After many years, I found a Srilankan friend who had the record with him ( Yes, with Prabhu in a white uniform on the record jacket), and got the precious songs from him.
The dream ensemble of Ilaiyaraja, Vairamuthu, SPB & Janaki collaborate here to put together an exquisite duet. Janaki’s enticing humming is invitation enough, and SPB’s pallavi hints at lusty longings hiding behind the air of laid-back romance. ‘மார்கழி பார்வை'…. What a mataphor… a glance that sends delicious shivers down the spine, a look that brings a refreshing zephyr to a heart parched for love? Janaki makes a sly entry into the charanam - hark at her irresistible exclamation of pleasure at his ‘உள்ளங்கையில் தேனிருக்க’ --And just when you expect SPB to bring back the pallavi after Janaki’s surging end to the charanam, like an unexpected cascade of summer showers, Raja takes you on a mesmerizing musical odyssey….
The other enchanting duet from this film, ‘பூ என்பதா பொன் என்பதா’ (lyrics again by Vairamuthu) was another favourite among Radio Ceylon listeners. Serenaded by female chorus voices, a bashful Janaki lifts the curtains to a ballad of an unhurried courtship, a romance whose languorous lilt is festooned by SPB’s impassioned wooing. Gorgeous arrangements by the Maestro…listen to how he commissions his lead singers to commence the second interlude…. Rapture!
A Tamil youth comes to Kerala in search of employment. There he finds livelihood, and then finds love in the form of a lively local lass. Communication between them is limited to looks, smiles and gestures, until she learns Tamil. (A forerunner to Cheran's Autograph?) In his 'என் ஜன்னலின் வழியே' Vairamuthu reveals this much of the story of பஞ்சமி. In a chapter titled 'உறங்கி கிடக்கும் மொட்டுக்கள்', Vairamuthu lists down few songs that he wrote for movies that were never released. And it is in this context that he mentions the movie பஞ்சமி and the song உதய காலமே which the girl sings soon after mastering the language of her lover, exulting in the lines 'மொழியின் கதவு திறந்தது...' Laments Vairamuthu, 'பஞ்சமி படத்திலும் கூட நான் சேமித்து வைத்த கற்பனை செலவழிக்கபடாமலே இருக்கிறது'.
If Vairamuthu can be filled with regret that a single song written by him was frittered away for this பஞ்சமி that was never released, then one can imagine the dismay of Ilaiyaraja, for he had lovingly crafted 4 exquisite songs for பஞ்சமி only to see them squandered, his painstaking work falling prey to the financial tangles of a wretched producer who could not find funds to complete what he had commenced.
Wait, Ilaiyaraja's labour was not wholly lost... for fortunately for us, we had with us in those times 'தமிழ் சேவை இரண்டு', and by fetching for the songs of பஞ்சமி repeated airtime, the good old radio station was the soothing salve to Ilaiyaraja's disenchantment. And from the tea gardens of Nuwaraeliya to the concrete mazes of Madras, the songs were requested for and listened to with great pleasure, till time took them away in its merciless stride.
Incidentally, way back in 1976, there came a Malayalam movie titled 'Panchami' starring Prem Nazeer & Jayabharathi, and it had some wonderful songs composed by our Mellisai Mannar MSV.
From the EP record of the Tamil பஞ்சமி (Omega Movies), we come to know that that the songs were recorded in 1981. The songs were:
1. உதய காலமே written by Vairamuthu and sung by P. Susheela
2. மாலை வெய்யில் written by M.G. Vallaban and sung by Malaysia Vasudevan
3. பனிக்காற்றின் குளுமை written by Gangaiamaran and sung by S. Janaki
4. மார்கழி மாதம் written by Gangaiamaran and sung by S. Janaki & T.V. Gopalakrishnan
'உதய காலமே' is a song with a delightful prelude and heavenly interludes sculpted around the ever dulcet tones of the one and only Susheela. The Kerala girl has learned Tamil and sings in the exultation of having discovered another language; It is a joyous dawn for her, the dawn of communication with her lover…she gambols along the picturesque pastures, and exclaims in sheer happiness. Susheela caresses each syllable with the love it deserves, polishes each nuance to perfection….
'பனிக்காற்றின் குளுமை' has Janaki weaving a wondrous warp on Ilaiyaraja's psychedelic tapestry.
Malaysia Vasudevan brings to life in his idiosyncratic levity the lines of M.G. Vallaban in that jaunty 'மாலை வெய்யில் பாடும் சிந்து சிந்து'.
That leaves us with this sumptuous spread in Kamas 'மார்கழி மாதம் முன் பனி வேளையிலே'. Kamas, they say, is the raga that is best suited to portray Sringaara Rasa, the aesthetic emotion that conveys love tinged with sensual longings, the enthralling amalgam of the ecstasy and agony. Is it then any surprise that Raja laid Kamas as the silken carpet to tread this sensuous journey on? The song appears to be a composition for a dance recital, with Sringara Rasa as the motif of the piece. The danseuse recalls with a wistful pang a winter tryst with her lover, and sighs over the current spasm of separation even as she yearns for those joyous intimate moments to cross her threshold once again..
The sprightly anklets, the Mridangam, Veenai, Violin, Flute. Ilaiyaraja ushers in the ethos and ambience of a dance stage. Surprises never cease when Sishtla Janaki is around. For a singer with negligible training in classical music, she serenades the intricate nuances of Kamas here like a seasoned stalwart. And understanding the mood of the composition, she cajoles into her rendition the entire realm of Sringara- wicked coquetry, secretive exchanges, sighs of delirious joy, whimpers of pangs of separation- they all find surreptitious space in her song. Ilaiyaraja invites his Guru to sing along with his prima donna, and the revered Tirupunithura Viswanatha Gopalakrishnan fits in with finesse, his trained tones resonating with casual confidence.
The sensual thus soars to become the sublime in the chambers of the Maestro.
'மாதங்களில் நான் மார்கழி' Lord Krishna is said to have declared. It may well suit our Singaara Chennai, for the staid city rouses itself to pulsating life this month. I have many lovely memories of Chennai in this time of the year…..A pleasant, almost cold climate fills the denizens with joy. One gets up to 'புல்லாங்குழல் கொடுத்த மூங்கில்களே' and 'கீதை சொன்ன கண்ணன்' drifting from some neighbourhood temple, and comes out to see attractive Kolams bedecking the gateways of most houses, even apartments. The appetizing whiff of delicious Pongal wafts from the kitchen. The pages of the December 1st edition of 'The Hindu' are filled with the mind-boggling itineraries of the myriad Sabhas. The city is treated to a month long sumptuous feast of music and dance. Magazines vie with each other in reviewing the concerts, the crowd, and more importantly, the fare offered in the canteens….Shankara Hall and Chettiar Hall across the road used to put up their famed annual sale of CDs. Christmas, New Year….The associated holidays and revelries, followed soon by Pongal. Movie releases of our favourite stars, family get-togethers, the test matches at Chepauk, the All India Tourist Trade Fair in the Island Grounds.
"Oh, to be in England now that April's there!' exclaimed a wistful Robert Browning in his 'Home Thoughts from Abroad'. Chennai and Margazhi would hold just as good…….
I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have.
- Abraham Lincoln
I do not understand the lyrics wholly, yet each time I listen to the tender strains of ‘Aayiram kannumaai kaathirunnu ninne njaan’, I am overcome at the fragility and fleeting ethereality of human relationships that the song manages so effortlessly to convey across barriers of language. Is it the studied leisurely gait of the song, or the melancholic magic of Yesudas, or the dreamy interludes, or the insistent choral refrain ‘painkili malar thenkili’, or the invigorating effect of the combined concoction- I cannot fathom. Yet the song leaves me shaken at every listen, and I offer a mental salute to the composer who crafted such a jewel.
And even within my limited knowledge of Malayalam film songs, many of this composer’s creations rank high in my list of favorites- the caressing gentleness of ‘Kannodu kannoram ni kani malaralle’ and ‘Aalorungi arangorungi aayiram therorungi’ (Ente Maamatti Kuttiyammaku), the fun and frolic that reverberates throughout ‘Minnum minna minni’ and the hushed angst in ‘Thilangum thingale’ (No.1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North), the stylish prelude with which ‘Neerkili neendhivaa’ (Punnaram Cholli Cholli) opens, the silky warp and waft of ‘Dhevadhumdhubhi saandralayam’ (Ennennum Kannettante), the euphoric empathy that ‘Vanambaadi edho theerangal thedunna vanambaadi’ (Deshadanakili Karayarilla ) evidences…. Scintillating signatures of an unsung genius.
Luck has always played a capricious game of hide and seek with Jerry Amaldev (born Jerome Thomas Veelaparambil). The man studied for years in a seminary with the intention of becoming a priest, but realizing his true calling, gave up his religious aspirations without much regret. His inherent gift for music, and years of learning Hindustani classical, tabla and the piano made him approach the legendary Naushad. Deeply impressed at the young lad’s enthusiasm, Naushad took him on as his assistant. After 5 years with Naushad, Jerry went to US and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Music in New Orleans, followed by a Masters in Composition at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He even taught in Queen’s College in New York, before returning to India to try his hand at film music.
He could not have wished for a better opening. Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980/ Navodaya) by Faazil, starring Shankar, Mohanlal and Poornima Jairam was a thumping success, aided strongly by Jerry’s brilliant score. The awesome interludes in Janaki’s ‘Mizhiyoram’ were of a kind never heard before. The State Award was his, and he looked all set to be the composer of the decade in Malayalam Film Music. But things did not turn out quite that way, and despite coming out with stunners in the ensuing years, Jerry Amaldev found himself slowly, but surely sidelined.
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1986. Jerry Amaldev was approached to compose music for a Tamil film, and he set about the task, excited at the prospects that this album could summon up. Ninaivo Oru Paravai (Scorpio Creations) was produced by K. Ajit and directed by ‘Uchchakattam’ fame N.S. Rajbharath. Rahman was the hero. Vairamuthu wrote the lyrics for the songs.
And what wonderful songs they were! ‘Then kudiththa thendral’ (SPB/Chitra) must be the among the softest romantic duets ever. ‘Endhan kanne’ (Yesudas /B.S. Sashirekha) is made for the mellifluosness of Yesudas. ‘Muththam enge’ tantalizes despite the innate limitations of S.P. Shailaja. 'Kaathalikka katrukkol’ might have made Raj Seetharaman really famous, if only the song had ever been aired.
And as for the SPB solo, do I really need to dwell upon it? Vairamuthu writes with his pen darting as cupid’s arrow, Jerry Amaldev conceives a tune that casts a beguiling spell, and our SPB takes charge nonchalantly to make Amaldev’s Tamil debut unforgettable.
I imagine Rahman singing in a cloudy night, perhaps under the window of his beloved (a la Gemini in ‘Kaadhal nilavE kanmani Radha’) trying to get her to sleep. (Or is he singing to her on the phone?) The overcast sky opens up, and the sudden showers, instead of cooling his ardor, end up kindling the flame of passion! And then would you suppose sleep would ever beckon the eyelids of one whose heart bursts with longings wrought by love, and whose ears thrill to the passionate wooing of her suitor? Yet he sings his lullaby, and when she does sleep exhaustedly in the end, her eyelids would surely be heavily laden with delicious dreams.
Jerry Amaldev’s famed orchestral brilliance is evident in the flowing interludes- they urge the listener to try flapping imaginary wings and soar exultantly high in the air. I have seldom listened to operatic passages of this class in film music! SPB must have sensed the extraordinary beauty of the composition, for he unleashes his magic in all its potent strength, and gleefully cloaks each line with his endearing nuances.
Listen to this delight here:
Song: En Kanmani
Film: Ninaivo Oru Paravai (Scorpio Creations/ Unreleased)
Vocals: S.P. Balasubramaniam
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
Music: Jerry Amaldev
How much Jerry Amaldev must have looked forward to this album!
Unfortunately for him, Ninavo Oru Paravai was never released. But Radio Ceylon did air the songs, at least for a brief while in 1986-87. And then the songs disappeared forever. Much later, (yes, in Virudunagar!) I chanced upon a record of the film (with Rahman on a bike featured on its sleeve), and got those cherished songs recorded.
I presented this song first way back in 2004 as Song of the Day to ecstatic responses. Like me, they were many who had fallen in love with the song when it was aired by Radio Ceylon in the 80s and were excited to listen to it again after many years. From dhool, this song was then widely downloaded and has now found its way to YouTube as well- Listen to the link- the record at the audio center in Virudunagar from I got the song had a deep scratch in a particular place, and hence the ‘etta’ in the line ‘un pattu meni ettavillai’ was cut- Not surprisingly, most versions you now find of this song in the net suffer from the same blemish!
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Poove Ilam Poove (1987/ Vijayakala Pictures) did manage a release, but was a prompt failure, notwithstanding the then successful pairing of Suresh and Nadia. Despite this, Jerry Amaldev’s songs therein like ‘Paattu paada vandhen’ (Vani Jairam), ‘Gangai nadhi’ (Janaki) and ‘Puththam pudhidhu’ (SPB/Chitra) did get a deservedly generous airtime.
I don’t know if Jerry Amaldev scored for a Tamil film ever again. (A project titled Vandhadhu Vasantham shared the stillborn fate of Ninaivo Oru Paravai.)
Offers and Awards did come sporadically. He was awarded the Amritavarshini Puraskaram for music in the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Awards 2001. In the year in which Ilaiyaraja won the Kerala State Govt’s Award for the Best Music Director (song) for Kaalapani, Jerry Amaldev bagged the Award for the Best Music Director (Background music) for his work in Kazhakam.
At that time I chanced upon an interview with Jerry Amaldev at a barber’s shop in Sharjah- I requested attendant to read it out as it was in Malayalam- Jerry had said that he was leading a quiet, contended life in Selaiyur, a Chennai suburb. He was engaged in composing music for Christian devotional songs and teaching music in a school. He averred that he harbored no bitterness at being forgotten, and accepts his fate with a philosophical shrug.
Jerry formed a choral group ‘Sing India, with Jerry Amaldev’ in 2010 and performed all over the country. Last year, Jerry was back in the news when he composed music for the Malayalam movie ‘Action Hero Biju’. The director Abrid Shine said he went to Jerry as he was tired of ‘computerized’ music and wanted someone who would bring back the magic of orchestration into the songs. More than a year later, The song ‘Pookkal panineer pookkal’ which Jerry got veterans Yesudas & Vani Jairam to render remains a chartbuster.
Jerry Amaldev is currently working as a Professor in the History of Music at the Asian Christian College of Music at Kottayam.
When asked about Amaldev (Sangeetha Sagaram/Asianet), Vani Jairam spoke glowingly about his “beautiful orchestrations”. She ended her panegyric saying ‘Oh, he’s a very nice man”. And that perhaps is an ultimate tribute to this neglected composer!
Sung by Deepan Chakravarthi & S.Janaki. Lyrics by Vairamuthu. Music by Shyam.
Ponmalar International’s Vaa Indha Pakkam- 1981 starred Pratap Pothen, Uma, Anumanthu, Rajamani & others. It was produced by Jayadevi and directed by Mouli. It was a simple, interesting story (reminiscent, albeit in parts, of Piya Ka Ghar) of the initial, shy days immediately after marriage, the expectations and the disillusionments, the frustrating lack of privacy in the close confines of a typical middle class urban dwelling of an extended family, and the adjustments that go to make marital life all the more pleasurable.
Among the other songs, ‘Ival devathai idhazh maadhulai’ (also Vairamuthu) comes a close second, wherein SPB, escorted by chorus voices, starts sedately enough with the pallavi, but breaking all conventions, VJ converts it into a delightful joy ride with her ‘puli vaalu meesa vecha aalu’, and the song allures in alternating adroitly between the two styles. Three solos by SJ complete the album- the rollicking ‘Swing-swing-swing with me’, the swift classical ‘Naane-- vaa, idhu enna kovam’ (both written by a lyricist called Bedi!) and the short, but superbly etched ‘Meri aawaaz sun-- isme hai bade gun’ (Hindi lines, written by a lyricist, incongruously enough called Pulavar Maari!)
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When, Mouli, known for his hilarious stage dramas, took to film making, he startled everyone with a refreshing, sensitive interpretation of the various complex issues surrounding bigamy (Maangaadu Amman Creations’ Ivargal Vidhyasamaanavargal- 1980), marked by convincing performances by Srividya and Fadafat Jayalakshmi. He followed it up with some interesting films with crisp narratives. After a long sojourn in Telugu Cinema, Mouli is back making Tamil films like Pammal K. Sambandam and Nala Damayanti. Mouli speaks about his film career here :
Actress Jayadevi, who produced some of Mouli’s movies, and also independently directed some films, talks at length here: (she is wrongly credited with directing Vaa Indha Pakkam, btw)
Uma (incidentally the wife of Maruda Bharani, and daughter-in-law of lyricist Marudakasi) who made her debut in Vaa Indha Pakkam, shares her memories here:
Shyam’s fascinating creations like ‘Nenjathil poraadum ennangal’, ‘Vaanam paneerai thoovum’ and ‘Mazhai tharumo en megam’ have earlier found place as SOTD. And though he composed music for only around 25 Tamil films, he will continue to be saluted for his wonderful works therein like ‘ Ponne bhoomiyadi’(Manitharil Ithanai Nirangala), ‘Bhoomadevi pole vaazhum’ (Panchakalyani), ‘Galeer galeer endre’ (Devathai), ‘Unnai padaithathum brahman’ (Nee Sirithaal Naan Sirippen), ‘Pura rendu vaanil sendru’ (Kuppathu Ponnu), ‘Idhayam idhayam’ (Idhayam Pesugirathu), ‘Mazhaikkaala Megangal’ (Kal vadiyum Pookal), ‘Thulli chellum kuyile’ (Kuyile Kuyile), ‘Selvame deiveega malare (Kuzhandhai Yesu), and ‘Muthu muthu punnagaiyo’ (Sandhosha Kanavugal). Even in his last Tamil film- Vilangu- 1987, he showed his class in ‘Sollathaan ninaithen’ (SPB), and when the same tune was intelligently turned to a poignant version (‘Unaithaan azhaithen’- KJY), Shyam makes you sit up and applaud admiringly at his brilliant variations in the orchestration.
Writes Vairamuthu in his ‘en jannalin vazhiyE’: ‘madhinutppamum, nagaichuvai uNarvum pazhaiyadhai thagarkka vENdum ennum vediguNdu vEtkaiyum udaiyavar naNbar Mouli enbathu avar nirubiththa nijam’. In those early years, Vairamuthu wrote some memorable songs for Mouli like ‘Endhan poovanthil indru vasantham’ (Oru Vaarisu Uruvaagirathu), ‘Kaadhal kanavugale neeradum en ninaivugale’ (Nandri Meendum Varuga) and ‘Paanjaali ivala andha paanjaalan magala’ (Oru Pullankuzhal Aduppodhugirathu).
The lyrics of this song glisten with all the charactersitics (and the mandatory vErvai!) of vintage Vairamuthu. And Shyam, fortified by such lyrical largesse, goes on to compose a song that engrosses, enthralls and ensures encores. The arresting prelude escorts in the scorching awakening of the sultry night, and Deepan and SJ bring to throbbing life the delicious agony of arousal that cannot find release. Deepan’s despair in ‘saayumO’ to her cautioning ‘mooththavar thalaigaL saayattum’, the worried concern in ‘yenamma?’ to her ‘kanniyin mEni vErkkuthE’ declaration, the humorous incredulity in his ‘ada rama!’ at her ‘jannalin kambi paarkuthE’ claim; SJ’s felicitous flexibility in expression in the mischief-filled ‘thooNdaathE’, followed by the imploring ‘thaaNdaathE’, rounding off with the admonishing ‘theeNdaathE’, the infinitesimal silence between ‘kaNNgaL mooduthE’ and ‘aNaikkaiyil kavikkuyil oomai aanathE’—some glorious moments in a song sculpted to absolute perfection!
