DhooL.com Song Of The Day

Song of the Day # 369

From: bb (@ 12.234.176.52) on: Wed Jan 21 02:47:01 EST 2004

Song of the Day: mELam kotta nEram varum from Lakshmi.

http://www.tfmpage.com/cgi-bin/stream.pl?url=http://www.dhool.com/sotd/melam.rm

- Saravanan writes:

‘mELam kotta nEram varum’ from Lakshmi. Sung by B.S.Sasirekha. Music by Ilayaraja. Lyrics by Alangudi Somu.

* * * *

Nageswari Films’ Lakshmi -1979 starred Sridevi and Jaiganesh.

The other songs in the film were:

Thenna marathile thendraladikkudhu- IR & PS
Velaayi veeraayi vetkkam enna poovayi- SJ & chorus
Pandhayathile kalandhadikkira singara kuyile- VJ

In 1979 alone, 9 Tamil films had Sridevi playing the heroine. And though throughout her career in Tamil most of her films were with frontline actors, there were a few films in which the story revolved around her, with some nondescript actor playing second fiddle. Arumbugal-1979, Balanagamma -1981, Deviyin Thiruvilaiyaadal-1982 were instances in this genre. Lakshmi was also such a film, where Sridevi played the chief protagonist. In fact, the record cover shows Sridevi with a monkey perched snugly at her shoulder!

* * * *

Alangudi Somu’s inconspicuous entry into tfm was through the song ‘Aambalaikku pombalai avasiyam thaan’ (Yaanaipaagan- 1960). However he soon gained recognition when MGR took him under his fold. Out of the 9 songs of Kanchi Thalaivan- 1963, Somu penned 6 (‘Oru kodiyil iru malargal’, ‘Makkal oru thavaru seithaal’, ‘Uyirai tharugindren’, ‘Vaanathil varuvathu’, ‘Mayangaatha manam yaavum’, ‘Avani yellam pugazh manakkum’). MGR continued to patronize him, and Somu got to write memorable songs in films like Thozhilaali, Deivathaai- both 1964, Thaazhampoo, Enga Veettu Pillai- both 1965, Naan Aanaiyitaal-1966, Arasakkattali-1967, Kudiyirundha Kovil, Kannan En Kaadhalan- both 1968 and Adimaippenn-1969.

Meanwhile, Joseph Thaliyath Jr. of The Citadel Film Corporation gave Alangudi Somu some good opportunities in 1965. If Vilakketriyaval had 3 songs by Somu (‘Kaththiyai theettaadhe’, ‘Muthamma aasai muthama’,‘Thoondiyile maattikkitta’), Iravum Pagalum was a wholly Somu album, wherein his lyrics for songs like ‘Ullathin kadhavugal’, ‘Iravum varum’, ‘Irandhavana sumandhavanum’, ‘Kaalai neram oruthi vandhaal’ won acclaim. Other films in which Somu got to write in this period were Poompuhar- 1964 (‘Iraiva Iraiva’), Karthigai Deepam-1965 (‘Malai saaindhu ponaal’), Thenmazhai-1966 (‘Ennadi chellakkannu’), Sadhu Mirandaal- 1966 (‘Arulvaaye’, ‘vanakkam vanakkam’), Madras to Pondicherry-1966 (‘Enge payanam enge’), Rajaathi- 1967 (all songs), and Sorgam-1970 (‘Pon magal vandhaal’).

Somu was part of the first two KB- V. Kumar collaborations too. He wrote 2 songs each in Neerkkumizhi (‘Kanni nadhiyoram’ & ‘Neeril neendhidum’) and Naanal (‘Ennathaan paaduvadhu’ & ‘Kuyil koovi thuyilezhuppa’).Emboldened at KB’s high success rate in the late 60s, Somu ventured into producing a film in 1970, with KB at the helm, and V Kumar composing the tunes for Somu’s lyrics. But as luck would have it, Alangudi Movies’ Paththaam Pasali (Nagesh /Gemini Ganesh/ Rajasri) was a dismal failure, and Somu was left facing financial ruin.

V Kumar continued to give him opportunities (Ponn Vandu-1973, for instance), and from time to time, IR brought Somu back from oblivion in films like Lakshmi, Niyayam-1984 & Kettimelam-1985.

* * * *

Remember ‘ Unnai enni ennai marandhen’, the wondrous PS song from Ragasiya Police 115? It was this song that Bangalore Saravanamuthu Sasirekha sang when her uncle took her to meet MSV and the Mellisai Mannar asked her to sing (Hotel Woodlands, Bangalore / Circa 1972). Pleased with her voice, MSV asked her to come to Madras. And BSS came down to Madras to become a permanent fixture in MSV’s stage shows. She made her debut in tfm in 1973 singing two songs – ‘Thanjavooru seeemaiyile’ (Ponnukku thanga Manasu/ GKV) and ‘Aanjaneya Anumanthayya’ (Kasi Yaathirai/ S-G).

She made steady progress in the following years—‘Madhyana velayil mayakkam sugam’, ‘Pesaadha mozhiyondru undu’ (Pandhaattam –1974 /S-G), ‘Kelviyin nayagane’ (Apoorva Ragangal-1975/ MSV), ‘Malaichaaralil ilam poonkuyil’ (Oru Kudumbathin Kathai-1975/S-G), ‘Penngalukkendru’ (Thangathile Vairam-1975/ S-G), ‘Punnai maram onnnu’ (Muththana Muththallavo-1976/MSV). ‘Veenai pesum’ (Vaazhvu En Pakkam-1976/ MSV), ‘Welcome hero’ (Indru Pol Endrum Vaazhga- 1977/ MSV), ‘Veliye sonnaal vetkam’ (Enna Thavam seithen-1977/ MSV), ‘Azhagar malaiyil annangal irandu’ (Aaru Pushpangal-1977/ MSV), ‘Mangai endraal vaanam kooda’ (Iraivan Kodutha Varam-1978/ MSV), ‘Nadigai paarkum nadagam’(Oru Nadigai Nadagam Paarkiraal-1978/ MSV), ‘Rathi devi sannithiyil’ (Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam-1978/ MSV), ‘Adiyenai paaramma’ (Vanakkathukkuriya Kaathaliye’- 1978/ MSV).

However, it was Ilayaraja who ensured that BSS acquired a distinct identity of her own, when the haunting ‘Vaazhve Maayama’ (Gayatri-1977) earned its rightful place amongst the most popular songs of the decade. ‘Ammamma pasikkuthamma’ & ‘Unmaikke pirappeduthen’ (Thunai Iruppaal Meenakshi- 1977), ‘Idho idho en nenjile’ (Vattathukkul Sathuram-1978), ‘Aanpillai endraalum’ (6-rilirundhu 60 Varai-1979), ‘Kozhi potta kozhi’ (Sakkalathi- 1979), ‘Sevvaname ponmegame’ (Nallathoru Kudumbam-1979) were the other songs that BSS sang for IR in his early years. And in the future years some of IR’s unforgettable compositions found pulsating life in Sasirekha’s voice.

* * * *

‘Padichuttu veetla summa thaan irukken’- this was the standard reply that many female listeners used to give, when they were interviewed as part of the Indraiya Neyar programme (Radio Ceylon/ Late 70s), and invariably the first song that they picked as their choice was ‘Melam kotta neram varum’. Perhaps this simple enchanting song mirrored their feelings, longings and hopes. ‘Maalai ida poravanai kannil kalandhu, mangai manam alayudhadi mella parandhu!’ –the lines hide within them long nights heavy with suppressed yearnings. ‘Oorukkellam paaku vechu kaathiruppen, oorai ellam paarka vechu manam mudippen; koora sela sarasarakka anji nadappen, kondavanin gunam arinji konji sirippen’—the naïve pride here is so endearing. And how much aching wistfulness Sasirekha reflects as she avers ‘ammamma, chellamma, indha mayakkam enakkum porakkum, pudhu sugamirukkum!’

I have also appended the tiny pathos version---the same lines that were earlier filled with hope, now sound so forlorn, as her castle of hope comes crashing down.

Discussion Pages in TFMPage on this Song

http://tfmpage.com/forum/29394.20880.03.21.22.html

http://tfmpage.com/forum/7462.20880.03.21.22.html

http://tfmpage.com/forum/22291.20880.03.21.22.html