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Song of the Day # 967

From: bb on: Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:34 am  

Song of the Day: A Tribute to Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan- Part III

http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/967.html

- Saravanan writes:

isaiyaai thamizhaai iruppavanE

A Tribute to Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan- Part III




In this chapter of the KV story, let us look at the songs that KV composed for movies released in 1973 and 1974.

The first album that we are taking up this time is ‘raja raja chOzhan’ (Anand Movies). It was when declaring open a small preview theater built by APN that his old friend and owner of Anand Theater, Mr. G. Umapathi expressed his wish to produce a movie on the story of the great King Rajaraja Chozhan and asked APN if he would be willing to direct this ambitious project. Ever since he had read Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan, Umapathi had been deeply impressed with the characterization of Rajaraja Chozhan, who reigned between 985 AD and 1014 AD. APN and Umapathi had watched the TKS Brothers’ stage adaptation of the great ruler’s story. The play was written by Aru. Ramanathan. Umapathi bought the rights to the script, based on which APN drafted the screenplay and directed the movie.

With Umapathi at the helm, the movie was planned as a major venture. Sivaji Ganesan was to play the title role, for who else but the thespian could bring to pulsating life the majestic persona of the legendary king. The glittering star cast included Muthuraman, Sivakumar, T.R. Mahalingam, Seergazhi Govindarajan, S.V. Sahasranamam, K.D. Santhanam, Nambiar, Manohar, Surulirajan, S. Varalakshmi, Vijayakumari, Lakshmi, Kumari Padmini, Pushpalatha, Manorama, CID Shakuntala and many others.



Umapathi decided to make the movie in cinemascope- thus ‘raja raja chOzhan’ became the first Tamil movie to be made in cinemascope. Veteran W.R. Subbarao handled the camera that was fitted with special lenses. The sets were designed and erected with painstaking attention to detail. The Big Temple set erected at Vasu Studio by Art Director Ganga was the talk of the town at the time. Cinemascope lenses were packed along with every print of the movie and thereafter consigned to theaters all over the state.

It was a great honour for KV to be assigned to compose the music for an epoch making venture such as this, for hitherto he had been associated mostly with small-budget movies without many front-ranking starts or technicians. Added to that, he was composing music for a movie starring the great Sivaji Ganesan for the first time. Remarkable singers such as T.R. Mahalingam, S.Varalakshmi and Seergazhi Govindarajan were part of the cast, and would of course expect challenging compositions to sing. Hence KV set about creating songs that would befit such an extraordinary project.

The first is the unforgettable ‘thendRalOdu udan piRandhaal senthamizh peNNaaL’. This immortal ode to Thamizh penned by Ulundurpettai Shanmugam has T.R. Mahalingam accompanied by the majestic roar of a lion- yes none other than our beloved Nadigar Thilakam.

thendRalOdu udan piRandhaal senthamizh peNNaaL
avaL then madurai kOyililE sangam vaLarththaaL
thanjaiyilE kudi pugundhu mangalam thandhaaL
tharaNiyellaam pugazhparappum thaayena vandhaaL…

The soiree commences with an enchanting humming by TRM. Sivaji draws a regal sheen over the proceeding by reciting the lines and TRM sets the lines to tune and sings them, bestowing upon them his inimitable fluorishes. Ulundurpettai Shanmugam sings a glowing paean to Mother Thamizh- he declares that the famed epics such as Tholkaappiyam, Silappadhigaram and Thirukural are but ornaments that adorn the golden body of Mother Thamizh, and offers his humble salutations to her priceless smile. If Sivaji’s recitation is akin to the rumbling of thunder, TRM’s brighas dazzle like fleeting flashes of lightning in this bountiful downpour of Thamizh.


Listen to thendRalOdu udan piRandhaal

The next is the song that celebrates one of the greatest architectural marvels ever- the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur and bespeaks the greatness of the mighty king who caused the mighty edifice to be erected. ‘thanjai periya kOvil pallaaNdu vaazhgavE’. Seergazhi Govindarajan begins with ‘nanjaikazhanigaLin naayganE nee vaazhga’, T.R. Mahalingam follows with ‘nadanamidum kaavErikkaavalanE nee vaazhga’ and S. Varalakshmi is not far behind with her ‘thanjamena varuvOrkku thanjam vazhangugindRa thanjai peruvudaiya thalaivanE nee vaazhga’ followed by a glorious moment where the 3 golden tenors chant in unison…. ‘venjamaril vetRikaNdu anjalikkum makkaLukkOr viNNuyar periya kOyil thandha veera raja raja chOzhanE nee vaazhga’… KV often spoke fondly about this song and how he had to make subtle adjustments to allow for the different strutis of the 3 great singers.

At the urging of a fervent Saivaite Thirunaaraiyur Nambiaandar Nambi, Rajaraja Chozhan employed an intelligent argument and retrieved the works of Gnanasambandhar, Naavukkarasar and Sundarar from a locked room within the precincts of the Chidambaram temple. The King then commissioned Nambiaandar Nambi to study the hymns and compile them. Thereafter, the King appointed more than 3000 singers known as Odhuvaars to sing the stirring Thirumurai hymns in temples all over the kingdom. ‘yEdu thandhaanadi thillaiyilE’ is the song that commemorates this event.



Years ago, along with ‘thiruppanrankundRathil nee sirithaal’, Poovai Senguttuvan wrote another song, ‘aadugindRaanadi thillaiyile’ which was also tuned by KV. The song was sung by Soolamangalam Sisters and found instant appeal. KV now desired to adapt the same tune and got Poovai Senguttuvan to write ‘yEdu thandhaanadi thillaiyilE’. The song was song by S. Varalakshmi who played Rajaraja Chozhan’s sister Kundavaiyaar and she is joined towards the end by Seergazhi Govindarajan who was well cast as Nambiaandar Nambi.


Listen to ‘yEdu thandhaanadi thillaiyilE’

‘un kaiyil en piLLai unakkE adaikalam endRu’ is a short song that reflects the mind frame of Rajaraja Chozhan when he gets his daughter married. King he may, yet he is a father too, and as he entrust his beloved Kundavai to the care of her husband, his heart seems to have run away with her… Seergazhi Govindarajan renders this bittersweet soliloquy.

‘kaththu thiraikadal’ has Muthuraman, who played Vimaladiththan, reciting poetic lines in glory of the king. Punctuated with Radha’s jathis, ‘naathanai kaNdEnadi thOzhi’ is a delectable dance number sung by P. Suseela. ‘mayakkum mannan neeyandRo’ (L.R. Eswari & chorus) and ‘maadhenai padaithaan unakkaaga, maadhangaL padaithaan namakkaaga’ (TMS, SPB, L.R. Eswari, M.R. Vijaya) with an interesting wordplay on the Tamil months are the other songs in the album, besides few Thevaram verses sung by Seergazhi Govindarajan.

The movie, however, did not do as well as expected. True, it did manage to scrape past the 100-day mark in few centers, but could not break-even, considering the costs incurred. A dismayed Umapathi dropped his grand plans of affixing English sub-titles for an international distribution. The reasons for the movie not doing too well were not far to seek. As Sivaji put it succinctly in his autobiography, despite all the money expended on it, the movie wore a jaded look of a family stage drama filled with lengthy dialogues, bereft of the rich visuals that a historic epic demanded. Moreover, the proceedings were mainly restricted to the wily machinations of Baladevar (Nambiar), and the brave Vimaladityan (Muthuraman), instead of dwelling at length on the glorious achievements of Rajaraja Chozhan, be it in empire-building or in development of religion, culture and literature. Unable to match the expectations stirred by the pre-release hype, the movie turned out to be a major disappointment to both the makers and the viewers.

* * * *

The next movie that KV composed music for in 1973 was ‘kaaraikkaal ammaiyaar’ (Eveyaar Films).

Considered one among the one of the 63 Nayanmaars, Karaikkal Ammaiyar lived in 6th century. She was born as Punithavathi to a rich trader Dhaanadathan and his wife Dhanalakshmi. Even as a child she was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. When she grew up, she was wedded to Paramadathan and the couple led a happy married life, even as Punithavathi continued her steadfast devotion to the Lord and service to His devotees. Paramadathan perceived Punithavathi’s divine powers when she got a mango materialized from air one day. He was unable to look upon her as his wife since then and deserted her. Punithavathi then prayed to God to transform her physical appearance from a beautiful young woman to an emaciated hag which the Lord granted. Karaikkal Ammaiyar composed ‘Adbhuta Thiru Andhaaadhi’ and ‘Thiru Rettai Mani Malai’ in praise of the Lord, which are considered the forerunners to later works like Thevaaram. Legend has it that she made the last part of her journey to Kailash on her head, feeling it sacrilegious to tread the sacred abode on her feet. Lord Shiva granted her the boons she prayed of him- the boon of no further rebirths and the desire to watch His divine dance which He fulfilled at Thiruvalangadu.

K.B. Sundaramabal played the role of Karaikkal Ammaiyar, while Lakshmi played the role of Punithavathi before the transformation. Muthuraman played her husband Paramadathan. Sivakumar and Srividya appeared as Shiva and Parvathi. S. Varalakshmi appeared in a cameo as a woman savant. Era. Pazhanisami drafted the screenplay, and APN directed the movie.

KV composed some memorable songs for the movie. The first song is ‘paaduvOmE anbE sivamendRu paaduvOmE’ by S. Varalakshmi. The song that begins in Sivaranjini steers gradually to Punnagavarali. Varalakshmi scintillates when she sings ‘vEdha naayagaa, sangeetha naayagaa’ in the same strain of ‘aadu paambE’.

The next is ‘ulagamengum neeyiruppaai sivapermaanE’ by P. Suseela. Punithavathi goes to the temple with her friends, and sings of the glory of the Lord.

Watch ulagamengum neeyiruppaai here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n4V_DwTD-E&feature=related

‘naayagan vadavai naan paarthEn, nalla naadagam aadidum vizhi paarthEn’, a song that abounds with the joy of the marital bliss is a mesmerizing semi-classical delight from P. Suseela.

When she finds her husband falling at her feet seeking her blessings, Punithavathi prays to the Lord, beseeching deliverance from her youthful beauty. The Lord grants Punithavathi’s prayer… Words of heartfelt gratitude pour from her lips. For this sequence, KBS sang the emotional ‘vEdhanE vimalanE’ that flows to ‘iRaivaa un pugazh paaduvEn’. KV was thrilled to be working with the venerable veteran, and KBS worked her magic into the song. Besides this one, KV tuned other worthy songs for KBS such as ‘paadugindREn unnai paadugindREn’ and ‘piRavaatha varam vENdum’ in the movie.

The climax song ‘thagathagathagavena aadaa vaa’ also by KBS is the highpoint of the album. Karaikkal Ammaiyaar watches the bewitching dance of the divine couple at Thiruvalangadu and sings in an awestruck trance. The heavenly voice of KBS that traverses unimaginable octaves exudes the bhava and rasa of the song and KV’s interludes whip up the frenzy of the divine dance…



Sivakumar recalled this song in an interview. He said seeing him, KBS expressed her apprehensions to APN if this ‘pudhuppaiyan’ could do justice to the intricate number composed by KV. APN gave Sivakumar one week to learn his steps. Sivakumar’s fears were doubled as his co-dancer was to be Srividya who was a famed classical dancer. Training under choreographer P.S. Gopalakrishnan and his assistant Vimala for more than 12 hours a day, Sivakumar managed to acquit himself creditably when the song was filmed. Even so, the song was shot over 7 days.


Listen to ‘thagathagathagavena aadaa vaa’

* * * *

The other movie that KV composed music for in 1973 was again a devotional, this one that dwelt at length on the miracles wrought by the Lord of the Seven Hills. ‘thirumalai deivam’ (Shanthi Combines) had a huge star cast that included K.B. Sundarambal, T.R. Mahalingam, S. Varalakshmi, AVM. Rajan, Sivakumar, Srividya, Sukumari, Surulirajan, Manorama and S.V. Ramdas.




KV created some wonderful songs for the movie. I can recollect 6 songs from the movie- perhaps there are some more. T.R. Mahalingam’s ‘thiruvaruL tharum deivam thirumalai deivam’ shows off the inimitable songster in his enthralling elements. S. Varalakshmi begins her delectable feast by serving the soulful virutham ‘kaNNaa kamalakaNNaa, gangaikarai mannaa…’ The main course is of course the resonant ‘neela niRa mEgamelaam neeyE kaNNaa’. TMS renders the stirring ‘aananda nilayamondRu amaithu vaiththEn’. P. Suseela fills ‘maalE maNivaNNa maayavanE, indha mangai thirumagaLin naayaganE’ with the dulcet ardour that only she is capable of.

KBS played Narayanamma who lives in a beautiful cottage on the hills leading to the temple of the Lord. KV composed for her 2 unforgettable songs. One is the famous ‘yEzhu malaiyirukka namakkenna manakkavalai’ that narrates the beatitude of the Lord’s grace.

My favourite is the other KBS number ‘naaLellaam undhan thirunaaLE’. In many of her songs KBS whips up a fierce storm of religious fervour, soaring with the highest octaves in breakneck speed as one possessed. But as a refreshing change, in this song, she is the gentle, salubrious zephyr that cools and calms a troubled mind with its solicitous serenity.


Listen to ‘naaLellaam undhan thirunaaLE’.

‘kaaraikkaal ammaiyaar’ and ‘thirumalai deivam’ were the last film projects of K.B. Sundarambal and KV ensured that she made a fetching mark in both of them.

* * * *

1974 brought with it another APN project for KV, and this was ‘gumaasthaavin magaL’ (C.N.V. Movies)

A small flashback. Decades ago, a story by Bengali novelist Nirupama Devi titled ‘Annapoornika Mandir’ had become so popular that it was translated into English, Hindi and Malayalam. T.K. Shanmugam and his troupe read the Malayalam version. They were so impressed with the story that adapted it for stage, and their play ‘gumaasthaavin peN’ was a huge success in the 30s. T.K. Shanmugam played the male lead Ramu, while A.P. Nagarajan played the female protagonist Seetha. Annadurai wrote a glowing review of the play in Kudiyarasu. Buoyed by the staggering success of the play, TKS made a movie version of the same and ‘gumaasthaavin peN’ (1941/ TKS Bros. & Murti Films) had T.K. Shanmugam repeating the role he played in the stage play while M.V. Rajamma essayed the female lead. The cast included T.K. Bagavathi, K.R. Ramasami, M.S. Droupadi and T.S. Rajalakshmi. APN donned a supporting female part- that of a friend of M.V. Rajamma.

The story of ‘gumaasthavin peN’ goes like this. The righteous Ramaswami has 2 daughters Seetha and Sarasa. The girls are beautiful and accomplished. However, Ramaswami is unable to get them married as he ekes out a humble livelihood as a clerk in the employ of the rich philanderer Mani. Ramu, another rich man in the village, is an idealist with reformist ideas. He is averse to marital life as he feels it would interfere with his zeal for social causes. Ramu’s mother desires to get her son married to the virtuous Seetha. However Ramu refuses, explaining that he considers Seetha as his sister. Eventually, the beleaguered Ramaswami gets the Seetha married to an old man. Seetha’s troubles are far from over- her husband dies and she dons the garb of a widow. Mani tries to molest her one day as she is fetching water from the pond, but Ramu rescues her. Unable to continue this life of agony, Seetha commits suicide. Ramu feels he is responsible for this tragic end, and comes forward to arrange Sarasa’s marriage. When the bridegroom and his family walk out over some argument, Ramu comes forward to marry Sarasa.

The movie was a mammoth success, and led to youngsters creating a furore wherever girls were being married to old men as second or third wives. Annadurai even wrote a story titled ‘seetha vidhavaiyaanappin’, changing the plot such that Seetha does not end her life, but fights against the social ills.

Now, returning to 1974, APN decided to retell the same story on screen. He changed the title to ‘gumaasathavin magaL’. Sivakumar played the role of Ramu, while Kamalhasan acted as the scoundrel Mani. APN got the Kannada actress Arthi to play Seetha. V.S. Raghavan, Pandaribai, Baby Shakila, Nagesh and Ramarao were also in the cast.

The album had 4 songs. Again, KV could have thought beyond Seergazhi Govindarajan for rendering the jaunty ‘ennai paarthu sirikiRaaLE kanni muththamma’ for Sivakumar.

But KV had a sure winner in ‘ezhuthi ezhuthi pazhagi vandhEn’ written by Poovai Senguttuvan. Ramu’s mother invites Seetha and Sarasa for a Pooja in her house and requests the girls to sing. Seetha and Sarasa sing this pleasing song. KV got the Soolamangalam Sisters to render it. The song was immensely popular in its time.


Listen to ezhuthi ezhuthi pazhagi vandhEn’

Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi sang the desolate ‘thErOdum veedhiyilE dharisikka kaathirundhEn’. The lines are filled with the anguished resignation to a life completely bereft of any hope, and the singer brings to the fore this acceptance in her remarkable rendition.

The last song is the philosophical ‘kaalam seyyum viLaiyaattu, ithu kaNNamoochi viLaiyaattu’. KV got the upcoming Mayasia Vasudevan to render this song, with a lone guitar and tape as the only accompaniments.

* * * *

KV’s other movie in 1974 was ‘sisupalan’ (Sri Vijaya Cine Arts). The movie was based on a stage play by Manohar. This is an interesting chapter from the Mahabharatha. Sisupalan is cursed that he will be killed by Lord Krishna. Krishna assures Sisupalan’s mother that He would not kill her son until Sisupalan commits a hundred sins. How this comes about forms rest of the tale.

Manohar’s stage adaptation was a grand success. K.K. Sampathkumar, who had worked as associate director in many of APN’s movies, decided to make a movie based on Manohar’s stage adaptation and got Era. Pazhanisami to draft the screenplay and dialogues. Manohar played the title role in the movie as well. Srividya and Sasikumar were the other known faces in the cast. However, the movie was a commercial disaster, and with it, KV’s songs like ‘kaNNa maNivaNNa’ and ‘iRaivanukkE’ sank without a trace.


~To be continued ~


- Part 1: http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7679
Part 2: http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7696

Discussion Page in DhooL on this Song

http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7711