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Paadava EN Paadalai? Why do film MDs sing?

Topic started by Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on Sat Apr 6 09:58:32 EST 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Film Directors don't Act. Film Singers rarely Compose. Film Actors seldom sing (in every film.)

Yet, Film MDs sing. What could be the motivation behind this phenomenon?

Setting our preferences aside, could we share our thoughts on this blurring of professional identities?

Admittedly, there are a few songs that turn out to be appropriate (random example: Chandrabose's "Yendi Muththamma," MSV's "Sambo Siva Sambo" SDB's "Wahan Kaun Hai Tera" RDB's "Mehbooba" IRs "Aathadi Paavadai Kaathada" ) - but are these passable tunes enough to qualify MDs as Singers? Or should we just consider them to be fleeting (and interesting) abberations?

Here are few hypotheticals:
1. It's their tune, so why shouldn't they?
2. They know their compositions like nobody else.
3. There is a famine of good, trained singers.
4. It is cost-effective.
5. They can get away with it, thanks to their status as "genius" MDs.
6. Their fan-following pressures them to do so.
7. They know Music, so they should know how to Sing.
8. All successful MDs are failed singers, and this is their way to exact revenge for all the rejection.

Let's be critical (without being crass) in this investigation. If you have specific examples of Singer MDs hits and misses - and have any "formal" insights into their (non)singing - it would be a great help if you can share it with us all.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Tue Apr 9 21:36:13 EDT 2002
  
  Sorry about the double posting, RangA. I don't know why the computer does that at times.
  But while I am at it, let me take this opportunity to say that what was relevant, pertinent, and essential in Cho's usage of MSV as a singer in his film - given the nature of the film itself - was rendered meaningless by the follow-ons. Was the audience to blame? Or the MDs? Or was it a case of other MDs - wanting to be first among equals?
  
  (In the "Hindi" scenario, I can think of SDB and RDB as taking on a few tunes - usually sad/rock n' roll numbers respectively - that too few and far between. Why was it that this departure caught-on as a "trend" in tamizh cinema, more than it did elsewhere? Any clues?)
  
  
• From: ARRFAN (@ 202.156.2.131) on: Tue Apr 9 23:38:36 EDT 2002
  
  well in one interview ARR mentioned that he usually sings the kind of song where it's too much work to teach a singer to do it.
  
  
• From: x (@ 12.75.103.200) on: Wed Apr 10 00:35:46 EDT 2002
  
  good joke :-)))
  
  
• From: x (@ 12.75.103.200) on: Wed Apr 10 01:00:55 EDT 2002
  
  mAlai soodum mananAL -- humming by PBS I guess. Vantha nAl muthal -- humming by GKV. Also he sang some portion of that song(a bit as back ground). I remember on GR song: "ejamAn petha selvamE en chinna ejamAnE" but I havent heard any KVM's
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Wed Apr 10 01:17:08 EDT 2002
  
  MSV first sang the title song of "Pasa Malar".He has given hummings in
  
  1. Pal irukkum .. (Pava Mannippu)
  2. Nan nandri solven (Kuzhanthayum Deivamum)
  
  These movies were in 1960s where as MBT came in 1970.
  
  As Sriram pointed out MSV always chose only "Thathuva or Asareeri padalgal".Prob the 2 songs he missed out where
  
  1.Aboorva Ragangal - Kai kotti -Nagapattinam ...?
  2.Paramasivan- Surya Kanthi
  
  Vantha Naal mudal has a GKV version too apart from TMS s.
  
  I wonder why GR chose to sing for a HORSE than a man.. "Yejaman petha" was picturised on a HORSE .
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 01:45:35 EDT 2002
  
  OISG - Did GR have a ho(a)rse voice? :-)
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Wed Apr 10 03:15:46 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz you have a "Uderzo & Goscinny" influence.That was a good one.GR indeed had a hoarse voice!
  
  
• From: Vitalstatistix (@ 64.105.35.164) on: Wed Apr 10 03:39:40 EDT 2002
  
  OISG, 'paramasivan ...' was sung by TMS and picturised on Kannadasan.
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Wed Apr 10 03:45:27 EDT 2002
  
  By Belisama!Sky has fallen on your head!
  
  Read my post .. I said (Thathuva -Asarreri padalgal) MSV missed out were..
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.6) on: Wed Apr 10 10:05:35 EDT 2002
  
  Sriram:
  
  Here is one piece of info I can share. In his
  early years as MD, KVM was composing for a movie
  named 'madhana mOhini'. When the prescribed male
  singer did not turn up for the recording session,
  KVM himself went on to sing 4 songs for that
  movie. kaNNOdu kaNNAi ragasiyam pEsi is a
  duet with P Leela. vAzhia senthamizh vAziyavE
  is a male solo sung by KVM in that movie. I don't
  think KVM sang any song in movies after that.
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.6) on: Wed Apr 10 10:06:34 EDT 2002
  
  closing italics.
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.6) on: Wed Apr 10 10:08:21 EDT 2002
  
  again italics?
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Wed Apr 10 11:25:51 EDT 2002
  
  On the lighter vein - During a Video coach travel from Chennai to Trichy i saw a movie where Sirpi appears on screen and sings "Kadahlare Bhumi .."
  
  This happened near Tambaram.. i woke up at Tiruvanaikoil ..What an effect!
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 12:09:36 EDT 2002
  
  That's what you call a real Calmposition, OISG :-)
  
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 12:52:46 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz, :-)
  Naaz, I have no objection in you calling any MD as subverted or superverted (?). My objection was only in inferring that from my posting as if I implied them. If Director Manivannan can act, Playback singer SPB can act, actor kamalahassan can sing, camerawoman turned actress suhasini can direct, saadhaa woman turned actress revathi can direct I do not see why some MDs should not sing!
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.69.255.205) on: Wed Apr 10 13:15:39 EDT 2002
  
  RangA - :-)
  Sure anybody can act, sing, direct, compose...
  But can they be defined as Singers Actors Directors Composers...just because they CAN?
  Isn't it about evaluation?
  
  (I was merely providing an additional context to the Cho/MSV collaboration, from the reputation of the former and his employement of the latter in MBT. U did use the word "unconventional" in three different ways in your post :-))
  
  
• From: x (@ 12.75.179.252) on: Wed Apr 10 13:43:09 EDT 2002
  
  --- digression ---
  
  It's good to see you back again sk. Do you have any plans to update those songs in your site, i would love to hear. Was also searching for "azagAna iLa mangai"(vj) and "nee sirithAl in nErathilE EthEetho nadakkum"(sung by MSV- real good one) in swara.com Do you have those as well? Thx -- Jay Narayanasamy
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 13:47:25 EDT 2002
  
  X - I enjoyed your cryptic ARR aside! :-)
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 207.43.195.202) on: Wed Apr 10 14:48:19 EDT 2002
  
  Algebra 101
  
  Let x be a poster
  .................
  .................
  
  So, x = Jay Narayanasamy.
  
  Q.E.D. :-)
  
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.6) on: Wed Apr 10 18:19:11 EDT 2002
  
  Jay:
  
  After transfering most songs in my collection to
  swara.com more than a year+ ago, I have not been
  maintaining my site. I think now I should make an
  effort to put many more songs to swara.com (-->dhooL).
  
  I have put nee ninaiththaal and a few
  other msv songs here:
  http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/ppp/msv.ram
  
  Cho made MSV sing allAh allAh (MBT) then
  harE rAmA harE krishnA (Mr. Sampath) and
  then murugA (uNmaiyE un vilai enna).
  
  I do not know the VJ song you mentioned. Which
  movie is it in?
  
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 19:10:23 EDT 2002
  
  sk, I remember having a juicy discussion with you on 'saalnaa'. Was that Cho's idea to make that Madras bashai song 'vaa vaa vaathyaarE' in bommalaattam and to make manorama sing it. I know the script was by him and would not be surprised if it was the case. Do you know?
  
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 19:11:52 EDT 2002
  
  I think Jay means the song 'azagaana iLa mangai kattil koduththaaL adhaRkkaaga maharaasan thottil koduththaan' (Wow!)
  
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 19:15:45 EDT 2002
  
  sk, angelfire link odhaikkudhE!! eppdi kaalai kattaRadhu?
  
  
• From: x enkiRa Jay Narayanasamy (@ 164.119.216.3) on: Wed Apr 10 19:16:16 EDT 2002
  
  sk: Thanks for the link,will check it later. The song which I mentioned was from 'thapu thalangaL' It would be great if we have one more collection - something like: '70 + '80 kaLil peNkuraL (others: I mean that year not age!:-)) The one more song what I'm searching is 'udiripookaL' title song by IR!
  
  rajaG : 'thirupathiyil entha mottai intha mottai?' kathai thAn. So again mathematics fails! :-)) eppozuthaavathu mukkadu pottukondu vanthu povathaL pala vishayangaL purivathillai. What does that qed mean? Thx
  
  Naaz: cool! newtfmpage'l ellorum payanthu payanthu thAn sirikirarkaLam , kelvipattEn :-)
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ 67.211.35.205) on: Wed Apr 10 19:19:23 EDT 2002
  
  sk some of the songs you had in angelfire(eg SJanaki old rare songs, maan kaNda sorgangaL) are missing in swara.
  
  Is it possible to upload them when you have time?
  
  Thnks
  
  
• From: x (@ 164.119.216.3) on: Wed Apr 10 19:20:12 EDT 2002
  
  rangA:-) I enjoyed the way you replied(VoW!)
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.6) on: Wed Apr 10 19:40:20 EDT 2002
  
  rangA:
  
  It is very possible that vA vAdhyArE oottANdE
  was Cho's idea. The movie is a hilarious one
  with Cho playing a great comedy role.
  
  I don't why the angelfire link is 'kicking'!
  Try these direct .rm files:
  http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/~mpessk/msv/neeninaiththaal.rm
  http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/~mpessk/msv/allaah.rm
  http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/~mpessk/msv/orekelviu.rm
  http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/~mpessk/msv/iththanaim.rm
  http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/~mpessk/msv/paarmagale.rm
  
  Jay:
  
  I recall that thappu thALangaL song. Let me search
  my collection. I don't have the udhirippookkaL song. I have several VJ songs like
  oru puRam vEdan,
  muththamizhil pAda vandhEn,
  maNamagaLE un maNavaRaik kOlam
  inikkum iLamai
  sabalam saraNam
  mEgamE mEgamE
  moongil ilaik kAdugaLE
  
  etc.
  
  Ramki:
  
  Let me upload those songs for you soon.
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 20:34:35 EDT 2002
  
  Jay-x - Sometimes - with all the unbelievable things that are said, and the even more absurd things that are praised in these forums - laughter is the only way to maintain your sanity and perspective.
  I have been saved by it many times!! :-)
  
  

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