http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/743.html
- Saravanan writes:
* Getting down tiredly from the train from Madras, she found an unoccupied seat on the swarming platform in Trichy Junction. Placing her bags on it, she sat in an unobtrusive corner, waiting for the train that would take her to Kodumudi. She woke with a start from an unintended doze, as she noticed a crowd gathered around her, and no less a person than M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, then at the pinnacle of his glory, standing respectfully beside the bench. MKT enquired solicitously about her well-being and expressed his reproach at her not informing him of her transit in Trichy, for he would have gladly taken her to his house and dropped her back in the station in time for the Kodumudi train. So much was his reverence for her that he continued standing until she compelled him to sit beside her. And there they sat on a crowded platform, the peerless singing star and the woman who he was so much in awe of, chatting happily till the train arrived.
* The venue this time was the drought-stricken Rishivandhiyam, where she was called to sing invoking the Rain God. “I will sing till the rains descend!” she declared, and sing she did for a full four and half hours, till the skies opened up and poured in copious benevolence. The singer, now wholly drenched, continued to sing to her favourite Lord Murugan, and the ecstatic crowd threw up their hands in heartfelt gratitude...
* A furious S.S.Vasan had ordered the termination of services of Program Officer Varadachari and ‘Mess’ Goplalakrishnan, both trusted employees of Gemini Studious, when it became known that due to an inadvertent communication error, she had been refused food after office hours. Hearing this as she was getting ready for her shot, she hastened to Vasan’s room even in her half made-up state, and demanded that the termination order be revoked forthwith. And Vasan had no option but to comply!
* ‘I will not leave Madras without meeting her!’ declared Lata Mangeshkar who had come to Gemini studios for a recording. And Vasan had her brought down from Kodumudi. They met at Vasan’s residence. Lata prostrated at her feet and sought her blessings and wanted a picture to be taken of them. And the photo clicked by Vaithi of Carnatic Studio remains to this day among Lata’s prized possessions..
* “How can you fall at a woman’s feet?’’ queried scandalized friends to the great Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, when they heard that he was asked to do so in the course of the shooting of a movie in which he acting, even if the scene warranted such an action. “She stands in front of me as a divine incarnate!” was the blissful, unrepentant reply from the celebrated vocalist.
* Veteran sound engineer, ‘olippathivu mEdhai’ Rangasami had this to confess, “When madam soars in mind-blowing high scales, we don’t have equipment sophisticated enough to do adequate justice. We can only do whatever is possible for us!”
You would have doubtless realized by now that the star of today’s SOTD is none other than K.B.Sundramabal, whose life was filled with heart-warming vignettes like these, all highlighting the admiration and respect she commanded from front-ranking artistes, even while revealing her humility, simplicity and humane qualities.
Kodumudi Balambal Sundramabal was born in 1907 in Paandi Kodumudi, a hamlet near Karur. Her mother Balambal struggled to make both ends meet. Even as a child, KBS was immensely talented, and though not formally trained, could render even intricate classical compositions, traversing the higher octaves with nonchalant ease.
I have read two different versions of her entry on the stage. One report has it that the child KBS was singing and begging for alms in a running train, when her pristine performance caught the attention of F.G.Natesa Iyer, an Railway Official and an amateur stage actor (he later acted as the aged husband of M.S.Subbalakshmi in sEvasadhanam). Highly impressed with the prodigious talent of the child, Natesa Iyer is said to have enrolled KBS in a drama troupe.
Another account of KBS’ early years relates that Balambal, along with her daughter moved to nearby Karur in search of livelihood. There the Deputy Superintendent of Police, R.S.Krishnaswami Iyer, a great patron of arts, was drawn by the child’s singing. He realized that the child would go places if properly trained, and took her to P.S.Velu Nair, who was a renowned dramatist. Velu Nair took KBS under his fold and it was in his 'Shanmughananda Naadaga Sabha' that KBS made her stage debut appearing as the 7th child in nallathangaaL.
Thus KBS grew up learning acting and singing. And her god-given gifts were honed to perfection under formal training and rigorous practice. As she grew up, she became a much sought-after stage artiste, and people thronged to watch her performing rajapart and sthreepart with equal felicity in famed plays like ‘sri vaLLi’, ‘harichandra’, ‘pavalakkodi’… It was while she was performing in Sri Lanka in 1926 that she was introduced to S.G.Kittappa, and her life took a different turn from the momentous moment.
Shencottah Gangadhara Kittappa (1906-1933) was the uncrowned king of the Tamil stage. He came under the tutelage of the revered dramatist Shakaradas Swamigal, and even as a 5-year-old lad displayed astonishing artistry. As a young man, his startling good looks and wondrous voice made him the darling of the adoring masses. To hear him render ‘kaayatha kaanagathE’ and ‘kOdaiyilE iLaipaaRikkoLLUm’ was a sublime experience, it was said. And to watch him don several roles with alacrity in dasavatharam, including that of Vishnu in the garb of Mohini singing ‘dEvaasura kulathOrE’ was mystical, magical…
Thus they met in distant Ceylon, the two treasures of Tamil theater, and it was love at first sight. SGK was already married- his marriage to Kittammal in 1924 had been attended by the cream of the Chennai society. This fact could not alter much in the altar of love; SGK and KBS became man and wife in Ceylon. They began performing together, and thus began a glorious, though short-live era of Tamil theater. They toured Malaysia, Singapore, Burma where rapturous crowds showered gold and silver on the cult icons.
They returned to India to a tumultuous welcome. And in the months that followed they performed to packed houses all over Tamilnadu. Their masterpiece was, of course, ‘sri vaLLi’, where SGK and KBS often interchanged the roles of Murugan and Valli with fantastic ease, and their intimate on-stage chemistry, delightful repartees and wonderful songs made the play an audio-visual extravaganza that one would remember for a lifetime. Both were also deeply patriotic and did much for the nationalist cause. Both took to wearing Khadi and inserted inspiring patriotic songs into their performances. They donated much of their earnings to deserving charitable and religious causes.
However, their happiness did not last long. They were forced to live away from each other for a while. I chanced to read some letters that KBS wrote to SGK, from July to November 1928. The letters are filled with expressions of unbounded love and anguish, and a heart-rending plethora of emotions. She bemoans her destiny in one epistle, she thanks God for giving her SGK in another; she is resigned to their separation in one, she questions the necessity for the same in another; she pleads with him to reply at once in one; she tells him to reply if he felt like it, or ignore her letter in another. And of course, she admonishes him for neglecting his health, urges him to get adequate sleep, demands that he take his food in time and warns that she would take Kittammal to task if she found him having lost weight! In one of her letters to him, written at Karur in November 1928, she signs off plaintively as ‘thangaL anbaiyE aabaraNamaaga koNda adiyaaL…Sundaram’.
Things seem to improve in due course, but fate then dealt KBS a cruel, cruel blow… while performing in a Kumbakonam, SGK, then only 27, collapsed on stage, and died soon after in December 1933. KBS was benumbed with grief, and at the age of 26, took to wearing spotless white, and lived an austere life of a hermit. Decades later, the wound remained unhealed….to an interviewer’s query (bommai/1970) she replied in a voice quivering with emotion “avarudan vaazhndha kaalam konjam. aanalum enakku mahabaagiyam thaan. aaNgaLE paarthu mOgikkum sundara purushar; gandharavagaanam; pachchaikkuzhandhai manasu! dhinamum avar padathin munnaal naan kaNNeer vittukkoNdE irukkiREn…”
She vowed never again to act opposite any male actor. She took recourse to the stage once again, but this time, not to act, but to sing devotional and patriotic songs. Congress leaders were among her ardent admirers and she readily complied with requests to sing for the party gatherings. Many of her songs were released as gramophone records.
It was then that producer Asandas and director Manik Lal Tandon hit upon the idea of casting KBS in the title role in the celluloid adaptation of Gopalakrishna Bharathiar’s ‘nandhanar saritham’ that were planning to shoot. KBS was offered a staggering Rs. 1 Lakh to play the role. How this came about remains a matter of conjecture. One version says that KBS was determined to refuse, and hence demanded this fantastic sum with the hope that Asandas would stop pestering her then. And she had no option but to agree when Asandas readily agreed to pay the amount! But in an interview (same bommai/1970), KBS related that when Asandas, along with Congress leader Satyamoorthi, had come to make his offer, she was not at home. And when her uncle had asked in jest if Asandas would pay KBS Rs. 1 Lakh, Asandas agreed and promptly handed over a cheque for an advance of Rs. 25,000. And with Satyamoorthi too cajoling her to accept the offer, KBS was forced to play along. Whatever may have been the forces at play, KBS made history as the first ever artiste of Tamil cinema to be paid such an astronomical sum, and the first woman to play a male role on the Tamil screen. Besides KBS, nandanar (1935/ Asandas Classical Talkies) had Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer in his only celluloid outing. KBS sang immortal classics like ‘piththam theLiya marundhondRikkirathu’ and ‘vazhi maRaithirukkudhE’ in the movie.
The next movie to come with KBS in its cast was maNimEkalai (1940/T.K. Productions). Produced by T.Kishenchand and directed by the famed Bomman Irani, the film had KBS in the title role, supported by Kothamangalam Seenu, NSK, T.A.Mathuram and others. The brothers Papanasam Sivan and Rajagopla Iyer were in charge of the songs. ‘maasindRi kulamaadhar’, ‘siRaichaalai enna seiyum’ and ‘paavi yEn piRandhEn’ were among the songs that KBS sang in the movie.
After a full 13 years came the classic avvaiyaar (1953/Gemini), offering KBS the role of a lifetime. And she lived the role of the saint on screen. Directed by Kothamangalam Subbu, the film was some years in the making. Baby Sachu appeared as the child Avvai, Kusalakumari played the young Avvai and KBS played the aged Avvai. M.K. Radha, Gemini Ganesh, T.V.Kumudini, Balaji and Sundaribai were part of the huge cast. The grandeur of the rich visuals and the meticulous screenplay, topped by the sagacious presence of KBS made the movie a great success. Besides the traditional songs by Avvaiyar, the film had songs written by Papanasam Sivan and Kothamangalam Subbu. Music was by Mayavaram Venu, M.D.Parthasarathi and Anantharaman. KBS lives on in songs like ‘katRathu kaimaN aLavu’, ‘muthmizh deivamE vaa’, ‘ayyanE anbarkku meiyyanE’, ‘ulaginilE thamizhnaadu uyarga’, ‘kooriya vaaLaR’, ‘poRumai enum nagai aNindhu’, ‘aRam seiyya virumbu’, ‘vElanE senthamizh viththaaga- mayilERum vadivElanE’, ‘koodi nadandhukoLLa vENdum’, ‘kanni thamizh naattinilE veNNilaavE’, ‘ganNanaathanE varuga’, ‘aalai palaavaakkalaamO’, ‘periyathu kEtkin’, ‘nellukku iraitha neer’, ‘munnai naaL paarikku’…
After a long absence, KBS made a comeback to the silver screen in 1964 with poompuhar(1964/ Mekala Pictures)
She played avvaiyaar again in APN’s thiruviLiayyadal (1965/ Sri Vijayalakshmi Pictures), singing in KVM’s music evergreen hits like ‘gnanapazhathai pizhindhu’, ‘pazhaneeyappa’, ‘vaasi vaasi endRu’ and ‘ondRaanavan’. She sang again for KVM in her next screen appearance the following year- mahakavi kaLidas (1966/ Kalpana Kalamandir) had KBS singing popular numbers like ‘sendRu vaa maganE’, and ‘kaalathaal azhiyaatha kaaviyam’.
KBS created a record of sorts by playing avvaiyaar for the third time, now in APN’s kandan karuNai (1967/ ALS Productions), this time singing, again in KVM’s music, ‘ariyathu kEtkinndRa’, and ‘muruga muruga’. In the same year came the only social theme starring KBS to be released- uyir mEl aasai (1967/Ayyappan Productions) had the rarely heard KBS solo ‘kELu papa, kELu papa, kELvigaL aayiram kELu papa’. (Music- SMS)
Devar’s thuNaivan (Dandayudhapani Films) followed in 1969 in KVM’s music. Besides KBS gems like ‘gnanamum kalviyum’ and ‘koNdaadum thiruchendur’, it had the memorable ‘pazhanimalai meedhilE kuzhandai vadivaagavE (jayamuNdu bayamillai)’ which fetched KBS the Tamilnadu Government’s State Award for the Best Female Playback Singer of 1969. The National Award for the best female singer followed, for the same song. T.R.Ramanna’s sakthi leelai (1972/ Raman Pictures) had KBS singing in T.K.Ramamoorthi’s music, ‘amma…sakthiyenum deivam koNda padai veedu’.
KBS played the title role in karaikal ammaiyaar (1973/ Eveeyaar Films). Kunnakkudi Vaithynathan composed songs such as ‘Odungaal Odi uLLam urugi- (thagathagavena aada vaa)’ and ‘iRaivaa un pugazh paaduvEn’ which KBS sang with characteristic fervour. And KBS sang again in Kunnakkudi Vaithyanathan’s music the same year for thirumalai deivam (1973/ Shanthi Combines). The song written by Ulundurpettai Shanmugam, ‘yEzhumalai irukka namakkenna manakkavalai’ is a stirring KBS solo. ‘naallelaam undhan thirunaaLaam’ is another KBS song from the movie.
An intriguing movie – gnayiRum thingaLum, with an ensemble cast of KBS, Sivaji Ganesan, Muthuraman, Devika and K.R. Vijaya sadly remains unreleased. It is the only album by MSV in which KBS has sung. Luckily, the record was released and we are thus fortunate to listen to the scintillating KBS/MSV collaborations like ‘seeru thamizh paaluNdu vetRikku vEl koNdu’, ‘vaguthaal vagutha pagai allaar’ and ‘kEtta varam kodukkum keerthi uLLa vEl muruga’.
Thus ended tfm’s tryst with KBS. She is of course, more popularly known for her devotional and patriotic non-film songs. Moving songs like ‘nambikkai koNdellOrum kai raattai sutRuvOm’, ‘gandhiyOr parama yEzhai’ and ‘uthamaaram gandhi’ reveal her ardent patriotic zeal. Several awards and honours, including the ‘isai pEraRingnar’ conferred by the Tamil Isai Sangam and the ‘padmashri’ conferred by the Government of India have come her way. I seem to remember reading that she was a member of the Madras Legislative Council for a term.
Sundarambal fell prey to cancer in September 1980. After long years of separation, she must have reunited with her lover in the heavenly realm; the two of them must surely be enthralling the Gods with their celestial music…
* * * *
Director Krishnan (of the Krishnan-Panju duo) went calling on Karunanidhi who was incarcerated for his role in the Kallakkudi protest. ‘How are you passing your time?’ Krishnan asked. Karunanidhi replied that he was studying the silappadikaaram. Returning home, Krishnan met Panju, and told him that since it has been a great many years since the P.U.Chinappa starrer Kannagi was released, the time was ripe for another adaptation of the famed epic, and could there be a better person than Karunanidhi to draft the script?
When they carried their idea to A.V.Meyappan, AVM asked them if Karunandhi would find time to write the script amidst his political schedule. K-P assured him that they would get it done by Karunanidhi. And indeed Mu.Ka. was delighted at K-P’s proposal. ‘ezhuthi tharugiREn, idhO padathin thalaippu- poompuhar!’, he is supposed to have promised. But by the time he got around to writing it, thanga padhumai was released. AVM felt the storyline was similar to that of silappadhigaram, and so gave up the idea.
Karunanidhi, however wouldn’t let go so easily. He was determined to make a movie of silappadhigaram, and in 1964, succeeded in making his dream come true. His was the fourth celluloid adaptation of the epic. kOvalan (1933/Imperial Film Company) had Narasimha Rao and Leela in the roles of Kovalan and Kannagi; kOvalan(1934/ Royal Talkies) had V.A.Chellappa and T.P.Rajalakshmi as Kovalan and Kannagi. The most enduring adapation, however was kaNNagi (1942/Jupiter Pictures). P.U.Chinnappa and Kannamba essayed the leading roles. Ilangovan’s dialogues and S.V.Venkataraman’s music helped the film become a massive success.
Karunanidhi wrote:
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SSR, Vijayakumari and Rajasri played Kovalan, Kannagi and Madhavi. D.V.Narayansami, OAK Devar, Nagesh, Manorama, G.Sakuntala, T.V.Kumudini and others were in the cast. Cinematography was by Amirtham. poompuhar was produced by Murasoli Maran and directed by P.Neelakantan. Vijayakumari is said to have gone to Kannamba and sought her blessings before enacting the role that had been immortalized on screen by the latter.
Karunandhi took the liberty of making slight modifications to the original epic. He made some deft changes so that the derogatory allusions to the goldsmith community were avoided. Also, Kannagi is said to have plucked out her left breast and set Madurai on fire. Being a rationalist, Karunanidhi made Vijayakumari go around doing the deed with a lighted torch.
Karunanidhi called veteran R.Sudarsanam to compose the music, and Sudarsanam Master (assisted by ARR’s father R.K.Sekar), came up with a wonderful album befitting the magnificent epic. Besides the SOTDs, the album had some timeless classics like ‘ponnaaL idhu pOlE’ (Udumalai Narayana Kavi/ TMS & SJ), ‘thamizh engaL uyiraanathu’ (Mayavanathan/PS), ‘iRaivaa iRaivaa’ (Alangudi Somu/PS), ‘ennai mudhal mudhalaaga paarthapOdhu’ (Radha Manikkam/ TMS & SJ), ‘pottirundhum poovirundhum’ (Alangudi Somu/PS), and ‘kaaviripeNNE vaazhga’ (Mayavanathan/ TMS & PS)
* * * *
Having decided on rest of the cast, Karunanidhi and SSR wondered who could play the role of kavunthi adigaL. The 1942 version had U.R.Jeevarathinam playing the role, and her songs like ‘maanila meedhil jeevargaL vaazhum vaazhvidhu’ and ‘poothalam pugazhum jOthi’ were very popular in the 40s. After much deliberation, they felt KBS was the most suited person to play the role.
They sent word to KBS that they would be coming to Kodumudi to meet her. KBS is said to have declared joyfully that her sons were coming to meet her and had a sumptuous meal ready when the two arrived. ‘engaLukku aLitha varavERpu, vazhangiya ubasaaram, ‘maganE’ endRu azhaithathu…maRakka mudiyaatha thaayaga aagi vittargaL! ’ reminisces Karunanidhi.
When they told her of their movie and placed before her their request that she play the role of kavunthi adigaL, KBS replied that she had not acted in any movie after avvaiyaar, and was content to sing in concerts. Moreover, she was a staunch supporter of Congress, and a deeply religious person. So how could she act for atheists and rationalists, she asked. ‘naangaL eduppathu kadavuL padamO, katchi padamO alla. kaRpukkarasi kaNNagi patRiya padam. neengaL nadippadhu samaNaththuRavi vEdam’ explained Karunanidhi. SSR too expressed his ardent desire to act with KBS. After much persuasion, KBS replied that she would go to Pazhani and seek the guidance of the Lord before coming to a decision. Karunanidhi is said to have replied playfully that Murugan would not refuse if she told Him that it was Karunanidhi who had requested her to act! With that SSR and Mu.Ka. left Kodumudi, not wanting to pressurize KBS further.
After a few days, KBS sent word that Lord Murugan had given her the go-ahead. And so KBS came to play the role of kavunthi adigaL, and also sang some brilliant songs for the movie. Then there was another hitch- KBS refused to appear with her forehead bereft of sacred ash, and Karunanidhi was unhappy at this as kavunthi adigaL was a samaNathuRavi. KBS was firm’ ‘thiruneeRu illamal veRum netRiyudan iruppathillai!’ she declared. At length, they reached a compromise that she could draw a fine line of vibhoothi like a namam on her forehead; and it was thus that KBS played kavunthi adigaL.
* * * *
Kovalan returns to Kannagi after losing all his wealth. Kannagi consoles him and together they decide to go to Madurai to earn a living. On the way, they meet kavunthi adigaL and she travels with them. And as they as cross the Vaigai on a boat, kavunthi adigaL sings a song, philosophizing on life and the lessons it teaches. For this situation, Karunanidhi wrote a song while traveling in his car from his house to the studio. ‘vaazhkkaiyenum Odam vazhangugindRa paadam’ in sindhu bhairavi ragam is among the best ever film songs of KBS.
Another situation. Kovalan is wrongly accused of stealing the queen’s anklets and is executed. kavunthi adigaL condemns this gruesome travesty of justice. Mayavanathan came up with the lines ‘andRu kollum arasin aaNai vendRu vittadhu..nindRu kollum deivam engE sendRu vittadhu?’ KBS refused pointblank to sing the lines and Mayavanathan not being in town, Karunanidhi changed the line to ‘nindRu kollum deivam ingE vandhu vittadhu!’
The other songs that KBS sang in the movie are ‘thappiththu vandhanamma’ (Mayavanathan), ‘thunbamellaam nam manathai suththam seiyathaan’ (Mayavanathan) and the couplet ‘thottavudan malarondRu malarndhuvittadhangE’ (Mayavanathan)
Listen to the songs here:
#1: thottavudan
#2: thunbamellaam
#3: thappithu
#4: vaazhkkaiyenum Odam
#5: andRu kollum