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Vani Jayaram's songs

Topic started by avvaiyar (@ 203.116.61.132) on Wed Jan 27 02:29:28 EST 1999.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I'm a new visitor to this website. I couldn't see anyone discussing about Vani Jayaram's songs.
Let me start this one.(It had been there previously pls. forgive me!)

"Ezhu swarangalukkul ethanai paadal..
Ithaya surangathul ethanai kelvi...
Vaazhum manitharukkul ethanai salanam.."

Wow! Beautiful voice!

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Neel's VJ Songs

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.166) on: Thu Aug 1 03:44:16 EDT 2002
  
  ‘Lights on’ 1975 again—
  
  We commenced our sojourn in 1975 with MSV (Malligai Mullai) and we’ll end it also with MSV’s songs with VJ. In between we dealt with her songs with other MDs during this year. It should be re-emphasised that a strong point in VJ’s favour was that MSV took an immediate, though thorughly justified, liking to her.
  
  VB, all said and done, was but a visitor in tfm, though he left some lovely lingering memories of his brief visit lasting 5-6 years. He could never scale great heights or bag big banners, in spite of his undisputed talent. Perhaps his low profile and unassuming nature was the reason. So much so, that till today, many remember his songs, but think that they were by MSV! Perhaps he could have still been a viable alternative to MSV had not Illayaraja arrived in 1976. VB returned to concentrate solely on his flourishing career in Kannada films in 1980. Hence being VB’s favourite singer, ipso facto could not have been of any significant use to VJ’s career in tfm.
  
  Please bear with me for meandering a little in this context. All this is, of course, my own conclusions.
  From the late 50s, it was MSV who was setting the trend for tfm and PS was, for all practical purposes, the only female singer in the tfm in the sixties. LRE could get some songs, mostly for the vamp, or for the second heroine if there was a female duet. MSV ensured the undisputed reign of PS throughout these years. And KVM, who had given lovely songs to a variety of singers till 1959, opted for the safe path and latched on to PS too. Overnight, a host of talented voices became still. P Leela, Jikki, Jamuna Rani, TS Baghavathi, (Radha)Jayalakshmi, MS Rajeswari, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, Ravvu Balasaraswathi, AP Komala – who were all highly accomplished and enthralled listeners in the 50s, and whose voices were still sweet, suddenly found themselves unemployed. Some of them would get a few songs – but these were few and far between.
  
  We should, however, reserve a great portion of our sympathy for SJ. Though she made a mark with her initial songs in the late 50s, she shot to stardom with her ‘Sinagaravelaney deva’- Konjum salangai in 1962. Veteran MDs like G Ramanathan, SMS and R Sudarsanam recognised her tremendous potential, and gave her some memorable songs. Sadly, these MDs themselves were wiped out by the Mellisai Mannargal wave. So it was vital that SJ should find favour with MSV-TKR, if she was to survive. However, MSV-TKR had decided that PS alone would be their mascot. Hence SJ was ignored. And she was ignored in spite of the fact that in all the rare occasions when she sang for MSV-TKR, the songs turned out to be super hits. Only powerful directors who could have a say, like Sridhar, made sure that SJ sang for at least some of their films. Policekaaran Magal and Sumaithaangi had SJ at her best and the songs are immensely appealing to this day. However MSV and consequently tfm, firmly shut out SJ and she found solace in Malayalam and Kannada fm, which welcomed her with open arms.
  
  However, towards the end of the 60s, when a younger set of actors was coming up, a certain freshness was becoming increasing necessary in the music as well. MSV realised that if he had to remain where he was, he could no longer afford to continue giving all songs in a film to PS. Demand for variety was becoming stronger day by day. So, though he wouldn’t give up PS entirely, she no longer got all the songs in a film. SJ gained by this and reminded people of her infinite talent by singing some great songs under MSV in the early 70s.
  
  However the entry of VJ marked a complete change in MSV. He found in VJ all that he hoped for and more. He became sufficiently emboldened to completely exclude PS from even some of his biggest movies. He gained immediate confidence in her skills and gave her some challenging songs right from the beginning. Till the end of MSV’s career, VJ would be a principal part of his entourage. So MSV’s acceptance of VJ was the final seal of approval and tfm embraced her lovingly.
  
  Let us now continue with the VJ songs of 1975:
  
  33. Mazhaikkalam Varugindrathu- Pattum Bharathamum- MSV
  
  Perhaps the last film of the Sivaji-JJ pair. Directed by P Madhavan. Sivaji in a dual role as father and son. Also stg. Sripriya, Vijayakumar, and Sukumari among others. The film flopped, the lovely songs notwithstanding.
  Both Sivaji and JJ come as classical dancers and the younger Sivaji comes as a ‘pop’ singer called Arun. ( The only, perhaps, where you got to see a bespectacled JJ as she ages!)Other songs include the classical ‘Sivakami aada vandhaal’-TMS-PS, ‘Maanthorana veedhiyil’-TMS-PS, the soulful ‘Deivathin thereduthu’-TMS and SPB’s ‘My song is for you’. The last mentioned being for the younger Sivaji, where SPB breaks into ‘Ennadi Rakkamma’ towards the end!
  
  The songs (solos page 4) starts off with MSV’s chant:
  
  Thirisoolam sathiyam
  Pulitholil thaththuvam,
  Nagamani mandhiram,
  Naan maraigal sundaram—
  
  VJ enters with
  
  Mazhaikkaalam varugindrathu
  then malar thottam therikindrathu
  Pon mani osai ketkindrathu
  ennai valai veesi azhaikkindrathu—
  
  Lovely lines, emphasising the mood—listen to the expression of tremulous melancholy in the repetition of the line ‘Alankaram kalaiyaamal dhinam vaadugindren’. Again, watch how hope reverberates as she sings the lines
  ‘Avan koyil karpooram enakkaga eriyum, avan megham dhinandhorum ennakkaga pozhiyum’.
  
  How happy would have MSV been to get a singer like VJ!
  
  
  34. Kollai ittavan nee thaan- Ninaithathai Mudippavan- PS- MSV
  
  We were discussing PS-VJ duets in the PS thread when this song came up. I don’t remember anything about this song, except that it was a dance by Manjula and Latha. Other songs in this MGR starrer were more popular Oruvar meedhu oruvar saaindhu-TMS-PS, Poo mazhai thoovi and Kannai nambathey-both TMS.
  
  35. Neerada neram nalla neram- Vaira Nenjam- MSV.
  
  A catastrophe for both Sivaji and Sridhar. There was a lot of hype about this film and it was some years in the making. Initially, it was supposed to be released earlier and was even titled optimistically as ‘Hero 74’ or something like that. It was in this film that Sridhar introduced Padmapriya, who had her brief tenure of glory in tf. She would also feature in some of VJ’s best songs in this period. An enchanting duet by TMS-PS ‘Senthamizh paadum sandhana kaatru’ is also from this film.
  
  This film featured Sivaji in a James Bond type of a role, with Muthuraman playing a supporting role.
  
  This song became a raging hit even before the film was released and with the pictures of pretty Padmapriya being published in all magazines, everyone was imagining Padmapriya dancing to this song. So imagine the horror, when it was C I D Shakunthala in all her glory, whom Sridhar unleashed on an unsuspecting public! That the song remains popular, in spite of CID, is a telling indication of how VJ could carry off a song on her own.
  
  I am not ashamed to say that this song remains among my favourite VJ songs!
  
  Neerada neram nalla neram
  Poraada poovai nalla poovai
  Meni oru paalaadai
  Minnuvathu noolaadai—
  
  VJ stamps her class on this cabaret number. Watch how she brings in unexpected beauty by prolonging the last syllable in the line ‘Kamalam malara kandaayo’ and again in the line ‘Vairam undu vizhigalile’. Hear her slur over the word ‘bodhai’ when she sings ‘Bodhayudan oodaada‘. Listen to her versatile variations in her repetitions of the lines ‘Pothum ithu naam kooda’ and ‘Arugil vandhu nil nil nil’ – and you’ll understand MSV’s foresight in giving this to VJ, and not to LRE who would have made it yet another cabaret song, so typical of the 70s.
  
  1975 to be conclued in the next post--
  
  
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.219) on: Thu Aug 1 03:58:31 EDT 2002
  
  Saravanan,
  
  Dharmam enge? or Chitra Pournami or Paattum Bharathamum could have been the last Sivaji-JJ starrer. One doesn't really know!
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.167) on: Thu Aug 1 04:52:30 EDT 2002
  
  C V, Dharmam engey it definitely isn't, for it came way back in 1972. Chitra pournami, yes, perhaps is possible as it was released in 1976.
  
  
• From: Ragapravaham Sundar (@ 61.11.78.133) on: Thu Aug 1 05:05:58 EDT 2002
  
  Saravanan,
  Hats off to you for the wonderful analysis of the VJ scene of entry. VJ is undoubtedly a redoubtable singer. A singer par excellence. Just about this song ..Isaithuraiyil enakku kadhal..of MSV. I have heard this song, believe me, only once. Such a captivating melody. I heard this only during the film's advt. prog.Vilambaratharar nigazhchi. Can you get me the song? Shankar Ganesh have also to be congratulated for having used VJ to the maximum extent possible. TAke this Yaaradhu..sollamal nenjalli povathu..from Nenjemellam neeye...S-G, one of the most prolific music composers of our period..dear Saravanan, is it because of Shankar having born younger to C.R.Subbaraman? The traits are there...the subtle melodic phrases had been inherited...oh! what a wonderful melody of their earlier Poovinum melliye poongodi...digressing? No.
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.243) on: Thu Aug 1 05:21:59 EDT 2002
  
  R Sundar, thanks a lot for your compliments.
  I too love the song- Isaiththurayil enakku kaadhal vegham, rasigargaley umakku edhiley moham-another gem by VJ. I do have this song in my VJ collection- all tapes. Where are you ? I will try to reach it to you somehow.
  I will dwell more on this song when we come to 1976.
  
  Yes, I suppose music was in Shankar's blood- together with Ganesh, he gave VJ some of her best songs.
  
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.67) on: Thu Aug 1 06:06:39 EDT 2002
  
  some interesting titbits as it were about Vaira nenjam. Rumour has it thast the movie got delayed due to sivaji's call sheet problems. Sridhar complained as much & half jokingly told Sivaji that makkal thilagathai vechu kooda sikkiram seyalaam polirukke enru. Sivaji either got peeved or downright angry ... rresult was Sridhar started Urimai kural with MGR relerased it , started another movie --is it meena va nanban before returning to complete hero 72 ( or may be 74)now known as Vaira Nenjam. padmapriya had an uncanny resemble to Hema malini ( whom Sridhar passed over for Jayalalitha in vennira aadai) However Sridhar did make the Hindi version & released it much earlier than the Tamil Version. It starred Jeetendra, Amitabh & surprise surprise Hema malini. Jeetendra played Sivaji's role & amitabh the second fiddle Muthuraman's role so the movie should be pre 74 when Deewar was released.
  One thing is unanimous though the Hindi movie did not have such a lovely number as Neerada neram.
  Naaz, this is a fabulous number sung exceptionally well by VJ in fine ( not middling!!!! form).
  Ps: name of the Hindi Movie Gheri Chaal.
  Sorry for the digression
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.67) on: Thu Aug 1 06:21:14 EDT 2002
  
  Saravanan,
  Your remarks reg PS & Visu-Ramu . It bothers me a bit.like you said PS was their favourite. but the point is why not. She was at her creative best then wasn't she. It was not a question of playing safe. her voice was etheral. so they tended to use her don't you feel. I don't think others were dumped but PS was the master(mistress!) of all she surveyed.
  
  

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