Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

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.

---

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 20:37:50 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz, Do you mean to say that in spite of the subversive, unconventional, against the grain posts in the Forum, a sense of humour is the saving grace. If it is so, I agree with you :-))
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 20:41:35 EDT 2002
  
  Yes, that is precisely why they seem subversive, unconventional, against the grain (making sense in a nutsell :-))) -
  Welocme - Your membership is ready RangA :-))
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 20:42:31 EDT 2002
  
  Andha "nalvaravai" konjam sodhappitaen, but it was from the heart! :-)
  
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 20:44:28 EDT 2002
  
  naaz, But why do you think absurd things should be barred from praise and more absurd ones more so? After all, isn't absurdity a relative thing. Tell me a thing that is not absurd and I shall show you how absurd it is!!(If you think this statement is absurd then that may give me a sense of your absurdity. Isn't it absurd?) (Happaa nallaa kozappiyaachu!!)
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 20:47:37 EDT 2002
  
  Yes, we're all in the paithiyakara aaspithiri - only some of us work for the FBI :-)
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 20:48:32 EDT 2002
  
  Undercover Paithiyangal (Where's SV Sekhar when you really need him??)
  
  
• From: RangA (@ 216.65.221.154) on: Wed Apr 10 20:55:07 EDT 2002
  
  The first two lines of this thread topic are
  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?
  
  I gave a subtle hint about manivannan, SPB, kamal and suhasini in a previous post.
  What could be the motivation? As if we do not know it. Money, maan! money and fame. What else?
  
  I was just pointing out the case of MBT where money and fame were not the main aim. That's why it was unconventional, offbeat. (happaa innum pOttu kozappiyaachu!!. people!! take it on from here!)
  
  
  
• From: Mudakkan (@ 64.105.35.164) on: Wed Apr 10 21:44:12 EDT 2002
  
  Why did CHO , a lawyer act in movies and dramas ? Money maan !!! money and fame.
  
  There is nothing unconventional about MBT, the idea was to be unconventional and therefore make money out of it.
  
  Here, I am not being cynical or whatever, just applying RangA's perceptions on people's choices universally , without bias.
  :)
  Getting serious, it would be unfair to CHO to state that money and fame were the only driving forces behind his choosing to enter films, just as much as it would be for others...SPB, Kamal and Suhasini (for trying out other areas in films).
  
  
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Apr 10 22:15:55 EDT 2002
  
  RangA - Hypothesis #4 (includes full retail taxes) :-)
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.66) on: Thu Apr 11 00:07:26 EDT 2002
  
  naaz,
  i was busy with other things for a couple of days so i missed out to answer to your post ing of 9th April. ( In the meantime this topic has meandered into discussing about Cho et al)
  i would tend to think that a different voice grabs your initial attention ( like Solam vidhakayile did) but within the first couple of songs you know whether the talent is there or not. If you are just a singer you get thrown out. But if you are a MD you continue to sing at others expense! Aama samy podara kuttam irukkum varai they will continue to sing. the hysteria continues till some child stands up & says Raja dresse podama vanthuthare ( remember the story! pun unintentional but may be apt!)
  MSV specialised only in Asariri numbers . so it was acceptable. His one romantic number in Neelave nee saatchi was just about okay ( nee irunthaal innerathile ethetho nadakkum..) thankfully he didn't sing many more.
  So the verdict is mass hysteria is the cause for all the trouble caused by the MDs using their vocal chords.
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Thu Apr 11 01:12:34 EDT 2002
  
  Vengayam - Thanks for bringing us all back on track! Is mass hysteria a product of (formal) muscial ignorance? Or is it the triumph of persona ( propped up your Aama samy kootam)over paadariyaen?
  
  
• From: sk (@ 137.132.3.6) on: Thu Apr 11 02:47:01 EDT 2002
  
  ###Digression###
  Ramki:
  Links for you:
  http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/ppp0/maankan.ram
  http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/ppp0/sjanaki.html
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.66) on: Thu Apr 11 02:53:39 EDT 2002
  
  naaz,
  good music should make you tap your feet, nod your head, shake your hip - enjoy as it were. This does not need formal music training. It is just like you can appreciate a sachin straight drive,saurav's cut or an azza's flick of the wrist ( match fixing or no fixing) without doing it yourself. you see & understand. here in music you hear & understand.
  so for your convenience ( the director,producer) lift the music director to such a level that he becomes a demi god. That god's all actions are then taken to be the benchmark. even the singing!
  Going of a tangent, you feel like cheering vikraman the only director who preaches what he says that the film stands on the screen play. the rest is incidental. imagine carrying SAR & suceeding. hats off.( i don't necessarily like all his films. but give him hs due!)
  In conclusion it is the triumph of the persona over music itself!
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Thu Apr 11 03:36:25 EDT 2002
  
  Talking of MDs singing it became contagious after IR/GA started singing LR&C. Bagayraj composing MUSICK for Idhu namma alu (a lousy venture) sang"Pacha malai sami vanthu".
  
  But the height of nuisance was his claims that he had composed the number in Raag Harikambodhi.
  
  I doubt whether PandyaRajan had a go at singing when he composed music for a movie..Someone help with the name..
  
  Why no one mentioned T Rajendar and his legendary Noise "Thatti paathen kottangachi..Thangachi.."
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.66) on: Thu Apr 11 03:52:50 EDT 2002
  
  Did he did he.. pandiya rajan compose music? news to me.
  Parthibhan should also then have a go.
  & sing
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ 161.150.2.250) on: Thu Apr 11 07:47:35 EDT 2002
  
  sk mikka nandri
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ 161.150.2.250) on: Thu Apr 11 07:49:43 EDT 2002
  
  sk
  
  maankanda link is not working..im getting this message.
  
  Angelfire does not allow direct linking
  from offsite, non-Angelfire pages,
  to files hosted on Angelfire.
  This practice of 'remote linking' reduces
  our ability to serve out the homepages
  of our members quickly and efficiently
  
  
  
• From: AVR (@ 143.127.3.10) on: Thu Apr 11 08:02:49 EDT 2002
  
  From: hari (@ 66.68.96.108) on: Sat Apr 6 18:41:24 EST 2002
  
  
  Naaz, I stand by my statament. Ive talked abt this earlier in this forum. Purpose of music is listening. When listening preference is subjective, that music itself is subjective. Just like IR once said, there is music even in the bark of a dog.... You cannot identify a single piece of music thats liked by everyone in this world, and you cannot find a single piece of music (well sound, if u may) thats not liked by everyone in this world.
  
  Celebrity "wise"-cracks like "there is music even in a dog's bark" are often to be taken with a pinch of salt. Though music listening is subjective, you cannot put the bark of a dog/grunt of a pig/bray of a donkey in the same league as the divine vocals of say, Vani Jairam(ooooooopsssss some people here feel her name ought not to be mentioned, coz she's being praised too much in this site off late ...okay okay lets take M. S. Subbalaxmi instead :-) ). And sure this part is not subjective. And if indeed IR feels that a dog's bark is so sweet, why didnt he employ dogs and donkeys and buffaloes in his studio as singers? Why did he employ singers like KJY,SPB,PS,SJ to sing his fantabulous compositions, so that those were given their due justice?
  
  Just because u say IR's voice or ARR's voice is not good doesnt make it a fact!
  
  Okay...shall we say that they are in the same league as SPB,KJY,PJC? (as singers)
  
  
  As someone said, how do u define a singer? IMO its a good question. You listen to music for a certain purpose. He listens to music for a purpose. Shrudhi-suththam, modulation, carnatic vidwat etc are all just technical terms... dont mean anything in the market. Market is subjective.
  
  Going by market-choice alone is not a good idea! A singer should atleast sing tunefully..a very basic expectation, right?. In some cases, like in case of SDB, songs were sung by the MD itself merely to give them a completely rustic touch - IF the situation demanded it. I am specifically referring to SDB's song in Sujata. (an old Hindi movie...Rafi, Kishore wouldnt have been able to bring about those slightly off-key vibrations the way SDB did. But that was a song MEANT FOR A BOATMAN, just the way an ACTUAL BOATMAN would sing it. Rafi's sophisticted and refined enunciations therefore would be out of place. And SDBs coarse, hoarse voice was IN place. And then this was an exceptional case, demanded by the situation.)
  ARRs song in Dil Se was nothing of this sort. And neither was "maa tujhhe salaam". Naaz is not referring to exceptional cases, but is talking in more general terms.
  
  
  No-one can be called a good/bad singer objectively, because good/bad music itself is subjective.
  
  Fine, how about MDs? If music is indeed so subjective, are IR fans willing to stop proclaiming him to be all that much "better" than all other MDs till date? (and that too repeatedly, time and again, in so many threads and websites?)
  After all music is subjective,is it not? :-)
  
  Moreover Naaz hasnt implied that all songs sung by MDs are necessarily badly done jobs. But if it exceeds a certain limit, it seems like the MD is spoiling his own composition. (OTOH - singers have done a much better job as MDs, than MDs as singers!) Imagine SDB doing all the songs in Guide! or ARR doing all songs in so many of his movies.........
  
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.6) on: Thu Apr 11 08:27:51 EDT 2002
  
  Ramki:
  Try:
  http://guppy.mpe.nus.edu.sg/~mpessk/assort/maankan.rm
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments