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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!

---

Neel's VJ Songs

---

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.211) on: Thu Dec 12 04:07:13 EST 2002
  
  Saravanan,
  
  Good writeup! Unfortunately, I can't recall any tidbit related to these films / songs!!!
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Thu Dec 12 06:36:06 EST 2002
  
  Hi all
  
  I love VJ voice as well as PS, but I feel VJ sings in false voice, ie, not her real voice, does any one agree with me ?
  
  thanks
  
  
• From: Sreedhar (@ 24.30.132.23) on: Sat Dec 14 18:01:46 EST 2002
  
  Saravanan, Cinema Virumbi, others:
  
  Regarding Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri [77]- I remember my mother reading out Maharishi’s novel to me. In the original, the character played by Rajni has no lover, leave alone being gored by a bull!! I think the film succumbed to some imagined fear that it won't appeal to the masses if Rajni has no jodi.
  
  also, is there a lot of emphasis on Rajni being a drunkard? I forget...
  
  Sreedhar
  
  
• From: Sreedhar (@ 24.30.132.23) on: Sat Dec 14 18:06:51 EST 2002
  
  Saravanan, Cinema Virumbi, others:
  
  maybe I am confused. My mother also read me Sujatha's novel - Priya - around the same time. There, the detective character played by Rajni has no jodi either. Can someone clarify if it is true about Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri?
  
  
• From: Siva (@ 194.180.160.10) on: Mon Dec 16 09:35:30 EST 2002
  
  some of VJ songs in 1977.
  
  Annan oru koyil-nalupakkam vedarundu.....
  Avan oru sarithiram-ammana azhagumigum...
  " -malaiyittan oru manna.....
  Aadu puli aattam-pungkuyil kuvuthu.....
  " -maname solaiyam....
  Endru poll yendrum vazhga-enyoga jadhagam....
  Uyarnthavargal- iraivan irandu bommaigal.....
  Olimayamaana ethirgaalam-mamadurai nattinil.....
  Thaaliya salangaiyaa-mangala kannagi....
  Paalaabishegam-Aalamarathukili....
  Punitta anthoniyaar-manulagil indru devan....
  Perumaikkuriyaval-Gangaikarai kanan...
  
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.173) on: Tue Dec 17 06:14:06 EST 2002
  
  Siva- thank you for that list of VJ's songs in 1977. However, all these songs have already been discussed. Please go through the earlier responses and tell us if there is any VJ song from 1977 which has been left out.
  
  Sreedhar, I am sorry I have not read the novels- so I don't know whether the the stories were changed for the films.
  
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.211) on: Tue Dec 17 07:42:48 EST 2002
  
  Sreedhar,
  
  I have not read Maharishi's novel 'Bhuvana oru kELvikkuRi'. As far as Sujatha's novels go, the duo Ganesh and Vasanth never have any 'jOdi'. Ganesh is a mature lawyer who doesn't have the time for all this! Vasanth is portrayed as an eternal flirt, though there has not been a single girl who stole her way to his heart till date!
  
  In the film 'Priyaa', Rajini is supposed to play Ganesh. But he is seen singing a song with Sridevi 'yE paadal onRu, raagam onRu...'!!!
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.235) on: Tue Dec 17 08:04:32 EST 2002
  
  C V- In the film Priya,'Hey paadal ondru' is a song shot for the film in which Priya (Sridevi) is acting and the hero fails to turn up. She is not Rajini's pair-her pair is Ambarish. However, Rajini does have a pair-the malaysian girl, with whom he sings 'En uyir nee thaane'
  
  Btw, I am disppointed that you have no tidbits about these three films :((
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Tue Dec 17 23:58:21 EST 2002
  
  Saravanan
  
  If you want bits about Priya it could be only Sujatha s heart.It was a chinese torture by Panju and SP Muthuraman on his racy story.The duo killed Gayathri,Anitha Ilam Manaivi(Ethu eppadi irukku?) and some more.
  
  Ganesh is a character with extraordinary intelligence...but Rajini played it.Vasant, a youthful person with outstanding common sense was played by an actor resembling Papanasam Sivan when he was 70.NOM to Sivan.
  
  Attempts at Maharishi stories were better if you compare them with Maharishi s stories which were certainly not of Sujatha s class.Bhuvana oru Kelvi kuri,Sainthadamma Sainthadu and Vanakathukk kuriya kathaliye were his stories.(There are some more adapted for screen which i shall recall later)
  
  SPM can handle at best Lakshmi,Anuradha Ramanan,Anuthama,Ramani Chandran type stories.The saving grace for all these movies were the songs.(except for Vanakathukuriya kathaliye by MSV rest were IR)
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.233) on: Wed Dec 18 00:11:53 EST 2002
  
  OISG - :-))
  
  But I was asking CV for his usual 'trivia' on the 3 films which I had listed in last week's VJ's chronolgy-the concluding part of 1977- Bhuvana oru kelvikkuri, Durgadevi and Aalukkoru aasai.
  Can you shed some more light- at least on Bhuvana?
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.170) on: Wed Dec 18 00:14:00 EST 2002
  
  But do you seriously think SPM could have handled Anuthama? Imagine him filming 'Naindha Ullam'!
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.67) on: Wed Dec 18 01:43:26 EST 2002
  
  OISG, Vannakkathukuriya Kathaliye is not Maharishi's story. I hope neenga "Gne"nu muzhikkareenga! Got it. Another of his story to be filmed was " kannamoochi" probably you meant " Vattathukkul Sathuram"
  OISg you seem to have apoor opinion of maharishi. In Pre Malaimathi days he was a good, serious novelist.
  Saravanan,
  In case nobody has mentioned it, Sivakumar's modus operandi in seducing Sumithra was to leave a nandu into her blouse. This was quitea talk at that time.Rajni did a fair enough job but Sivakumar was Ok in the negative role.(Siva who had(s) such a detergent white image on & off screen it was quite an achievement!)
  
  
• From: vengayam (@ 203.200.84.67) on: Wed Dec 18 01:44:35 EST 2002
  
  In earlier post read as"Another one of his stories"
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Wed Dec 18 04:25:53 EST 2002
  
  Thanks Vengayam.It was an error.VK was by Rajendra Kumar.Sorry!
  
  Malaimathi ...True that introduced Maharishi to me!
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.232) on: Wed Dec 18 23:32:58 EST 2002
  
  1978- A Curtain-Raiser:
  
  
  This week, we shall commence our journey through the year 1978. However, before we actually begin with a retrospective of the wonderful songs that Vani Jairam sang this year, let me, in this part, ruminate in leisure, (I am in the ‘Random thoughts’ mood!) over the tfm scene in 1978, especially concentrating on the Music Directors who made a mark, and the female singers who got to sing some good songs this year.
  
  We have to surely begin with Ilayaraja, for he had already become the industry’s blue-eyed boy. Every film that carried his name as MD had songs which became assured hits as a matter of course. IR was bestowing refreshingly different and enchanting scores on film after film. The sheer numbers of his films speak volumes of his increasing popularity- 4 in 1976, 12 in 1977 and 21 in 1978. In the coming years, these numbers would only increase more and more.
  
  We have already seen that in his very second year, he bagged the prestigious TN State Government Award for his awesome score in 16 Vayathiniley. It was again in 1977, that producer K Balaji had turned to IR for his lighting his Deepam. While Panju Arunachalam, Devaraj-Mohan and SP Muthuraman were already IR regulars, when Bharathiraja, an old friend of IR, got an opportunity to direct, IR was his musical backbone. In 1978, this partnership created magic in 2 completely diverse themes- Kizhakke Pogum Rayil and Sigappu Rojakkal.
  
  Again it was in 1978 that not being content with merely making music, IR brought about a revolution in tamizh film music by introducing streophonic sound in ‘Priya’. Of course, this became possible only with the help of KJY who had bought the equipment, and willingly allowed IR to experiment and record the songs in 8-track stereo. Tfm would never be the same again!
  
  This was a period when Tamizh cinema was itself passing through an invigorating phase of renaissance. Melodramatic themes with ageing actors in studio settings were slowly but surely being shown the door. While Bharathiraja was among the pioneers of this movement, two others who set new standards in filmmaking this year were Rudraiyya (Aval Appadithaan) and Mahendran (Mullum Malarum). And of course, it was IR who added spellbinding sheen to their path-breaking ventures.
  
  It was not the new wave directors alone who were seeking IR’s musical support- veteran Sridhar, who was an ardent admirer of MSV and who never worked with any other MD since ‘Nenjil Or Aalayam’- 1962, crossed over to IR to create the songs for his ‘Ilamai Oonjalaadukirathu’ in 1978. And no less a person than Sivaji Ganesan is said to have remarked at that time, that of all the songs of 1977, ‘Senthoorappoovey’ was the one he liked the most! (Notwithstanding the magical songs created with painstaking care by MSV in 1977 for Sivaji, even in insipid stories like Avan Oru Sarithiram and Annan Oru Koyil)
  
  And how did MSV fare this year? It terms of numbers, he had more films than IR: 28.
  And in many of them, he crafted wonderful songs. But the fact remains that many of his songs were overshadowed by the contemporary works of IR. He would still be a force to reckon with, but the irreversible descent had begun.
  
  Let us take a quick glance at the other MDs and their works this year.
  
  KVM’s plebeian score in Radhaikketra Kannan was a big let down. V Kumar, as usual breathed melody into the songs of Kannamoochi, Ival Oru Seethai, Annapoorani and Chathurangam. And Vijayabhaskar got to compose the music for a K Balachander film- and in spite of its name, VB’s songs had thapaadha thaalangal! Another film that came his way was ‘Per Solla Oru Pillai’.
  
  S-G continued to be a godsend for low-budget producers who weren’t too particular. Devar, after the stupendous success of Aatukkara Alamelu the previous year, continued with S-G for Thaai Meedhu Sathiyam. S-G also gave a couple of great songs in A Bhimsingh’s last film-Kai Pidithaval. Among S-G’ s other films this year were Unakkum Vaazhvu Varum, Panchamirtham, Meenakshi Kungumam and Ullathil Kuzhandaiyadi.
  
  Chandrabose, who had arrived the previous year with his Mathura Geetham, shot to fame in 1978 with his enchanting ‘Maampoove siru mainave’ in Machanai Paartheengala.
  His other film Mangudi Minor, along with the songs, sank without a trace.
  
  Shyam, who had earlier worked with RC Shakthi and Kamal in Unarchigal-1976, came together with the same team in 1978 to create some lovely songs in Manitharil Iththanai Nirangala. Sathyam and Ramesh Naidu peeped into tfm and gave some good songs in Mudisooda Mannan and Melathalangal respectively. R Ramanujam gave an excellent account of himself in Ananda Bhairavi. When the super hit Malayalam film Madanotsavam was dubbed into Tamizh as Paruva Mazhai, tfm was honoured to welcome to its fold, the genius called Salil Chowdhry. (Salil’s first tamizh venture-Karumbu was never released). MB Srinivasan wasn’t so lucky- though he composed two wonderful songs for Jayakanthan’s Pudhu Seruppu Kadikkum in 1978, the film found no takers and never saw the light of the day. HMV Raghu gave an appealing score to Kanchi Kamakshi.
  
  So much for the MDs. Now let us look at the works in this year of female singers (apart from VJ, whose songs we will be looking at in detail).
  
  S Janaki was, of course, there, right on top. She had strongly consolidated her postion in 1977, and in 1978, she would effortlessly retain her postion. The songs that she got to sing for IR this year were really memorable. Consider a sample of these spellbinding solos: ‘Matha Un Kovilil’-Achaani, ‘Veenai meettum kaigale’-Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam, ‘Vaazhkkai Odam sella’-Aval Appadithaan, ‘Vasantha kaala kolangal’-Thyagam, ‘Adadada maamarakkiliye’-Chittukkuruvi, ‘Kanden engum’-Kaatrinile Varum Geetham, ‘Yethamirachu’-Bhairavi and ‘Poovarasampoo pooththachu’-KPR- all absolute gems!
  Her list of duets for IR in 1978 is equally awesome- ranging from TMS to Kamal, she sang with various singers to create lovely duets of lingering enchantment. A random selection from them- ‘Alaiye kadal alaiye’-Thirukkalyanam, ‘Engum niraindha iyarkkaiyil’-Ithu Eppadi Irukku, ‘Hey paadal ondru’-Priya, ‘Kovil mano osai’ and ‘Malargale’-KPR, ‘Then malli poove’-Thyagam, ‘Ninaivo oru paravai’ and ‘Indha minminikku’-both Sigappu Rojakkal, ‘Oru vaanavil poley’-Kaatrinile Varum Geetham, ‘Aazhakkadalil’-Sattam En Kaiyil, ‘Kinnathil then vadithu’-Ilamai Oonjalaadukirathu.
  
  And with IR showing the way, other MDs too gave SJ some great songs this year. : ‘Sugamaana Sindhanayil’-Taxi Driver-MSV, ‘Ninaivu pothum’-Punniya Bhoomi-MSV, ‘Ven Meghame’-Aayiram Jenmangal-MSV, ‘Sindhunadhippoovey’-Shankar Salim Simon-MSV, ‘Ithu ilamaikaala iravu’-Kai Pidiththaval-S-G, ‘Penn ninaithaal’-Meenakshi Kungumam-S-G, ‘Ananda veenai naan meettum pothu’-Melathaalangal-Ramesh Naidu, ‘Then malar kannigal’-Paruva mazhai-Salil Chowdhry, ‘Oh kaadhal bodhai’-Mudisooda Mannan-Sathyam, ‘Ponne bhoomiyadi’-Manitharil Iththanai Nirangala-Shyam----
  
  PS was definitely not where she was, say even 3 years back. The number of her songs was steadily coming down. However she still sang some lovely songs in 1978- recollect these ones: ‘Darling darling’-Priya, ‘Thaalaattu’-Achchaani, ‘Iyarkkai rathangale’-Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam, ‘Megame thoothaaga vaa’ and ‘Moha sangeetham’-Kannan Oru Kaikkuzhandhai, ‘Dhinam dhinam oru nadagam’-Idhu Eppadi Irukku, ‘Thangakudathukku pottum itten’-Maariamman Thiruvizha, ‘Orey idam’-Sattam En Kaiyil, ‘Unnai nambi nethiyile’ & ‘En kannmani’-Chittukkuruvi-all IR, ‘Manjal itta nilavaaga’-Aval Thandha Uravu, ‘Kannanai ninaikkatha naalillaiye’-Seervarisai, ‘Veera magan poraada’-Maduraiyai Meeta Sundarapandiyan, ‘Joyful Singapore’-Varuvaan Vadivelan, ‘Udhadugalil unathu peyar’-Thangarangan-all MSV, ‘Vaa nilave’-Panchamirtham-S-G, ‘Neram vandhachu’-Thaai Meedhu Sathiyam’-S-G, ‘Kannanukku kovam enna’-Annapoorani-V Kumar, ‘Sirithaal andha sirippil’-Ananda Bhairavi-R Ramanujam.
  
  One singer whom IR brought back into the limelight this year was the great Jikki. Jikki (Pillavaallu Gajapathi Krishnaveni) was the queen among singers in the 50s, and this was no mean achievement, for the in the 50s, unlike in the later decades, highly talented and trained singers were many in number. Jikki proved herself as a singer of rare merit in this galaxy of stalwarts like MLV, (Radha)Jayalakshmi, R Balasaraswathi, TV Rathnam, PA Periyanayagi, P Leela, TS Bagavathi, AP Komala, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, K Jamunarani, and later PS and SJ. She was said to be one of the two favourite singers of G Ramanathan, (the other one being S Varalakshmi). However towards the beginning of the 60s, due to personal and other reasons, she lost out and quickly became history. Though she made a comeback of sorts in the early 70s and got to sing a few songs in the following years, it was IR in 1978 who gave her an alluring solo- ‘Kaadhalennum kaaviyam, kanni nenjin oviyam’-Vattathukkul Sathuram. And old-timers who were deprived of this voice all these years got to hear vintage Jikki again in all her glory. It remains to this day a song of mesmerising beauty.
  
  LRE got one of her rare opportunities to sing for IR this year: ‘Nee Mohiniya’-Thirukkalyanam. Among her songs for MSV were ‘Oru pakkam neruppu’-Vandikkaran Magan, ‘Kottu Potta’ and ‘Azhagi Oruthi’-Pilot Premnath.
  
  It was a memorable year for BSS as well. ‘Itho itho en nenjile’-Vattathukkul Sathuram (with SJ)-IR, ‘Nadigai paarkkum nadagam’-Oru Nadigai Nadagam Paarkkiraal, ‘Adiyenai paaramm’-Vanakkuthukkuriya Kadhaliye and ‘Rathi devi sannidhiyil’-Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam – all MSV, were her songs this year.
  
  K Swarna got to sing two songs for her husband in Chathurangam- ‘Ada abishtu’ and ‘Aarambam maalai nerathu’.
  
  It was in 1978 that Manorama sang her evergreen ‘Manjakkayiru thaali manjakkakyiru’ for S-G in Unakkum Vaazhvu Varum. She also got to sing for IR this year- ‘Adhu maathiram’-Achchaani and the famous ‘Kaanaankuruvikku kalyanamaam’-Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam.
  
  Again, it was in 1978 that a new, distinctly enchanting voice suddenly made its song heard. She sang her first tamizh song with SJ for IR. The song ‘Vaanathu Poonkili’ from Thiripurasundari may not have become a big hit, but the new singer Jency Anthony would attain instant stardom, and in the following 4-5 years, go on to sing wonderful songs in blockbuster movies, at the same time maintain an amazingly low profile (I don’t recollect ever reading any interview of hers or even seeing her photo in any magazine!) and one fine day, simply diasappear from tfm, never to return. Look at the other songs of Jency in 1978- ‘Adi Penney’-Mullum Malarum, ‘Aada sonnare’-Vattathukkul Sathuram and ‘En Uyir nee thaane’-Priya.
  
  The voice of SP Shailaja too was first heard in 1978, though she would make a full-fledged debut only in 1979. In 1978, she gave a spellbinding humming for an ever-appealing song of her brother’s- ‘Mazhai tharumo en megam’-Manitharil Iththanai Nirangala, MD-Shyam.
  
  Speaking of brothers and sisiters reminds me to add that in 1978, Shobha Chandrasekhar sang a dreamy, magical duet with her brother SN Surendar, for Ilayaraja. I am sure at least some of you would recollect the class song ‘Maalai- ila manathil’ from Aval Oru Pachchaikkuzhandai.
  
  This, in short (!), was the tfm scene in 1978. In this year of wonderful music, Vani Jairam reaped a bumper harvest of excellent songs for various Music Directors. We will commence discussing them next week.
  
  Anbargaley, let me confess that I was a mere child in 1978, and I have absolutely no business to be dissecting the state of tfm prevailing then, as though I had observed it first-hand!! So, if any of you who were old enough in 1978 recollect any interesting happenings in tfm that year, please help me. Again if there are any errors in what I have written, Mannitharulga!
  
  -Meendum Santhippom-
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1978- A Curtain-Raiser:
  
  
  This week, we shall commence our journey through the year 1978. However, before we actually begin with a retrospective of the wonderful songs that Vani Jairam sang this year, let me, in this part, ruminate in leisure, (I am in the ‘Random thoughts’ mood!) over the tfm scene in 1978, especially concentrating on the Music Directors who made a mark, and the female singers who got to sing some good songs this year.
  
  We have to surely begin with Ilayaraja, for he had already become the industry’s blue-eyed boy. Every film that carried his name as MD had songs which became assured hits as a matter of course. IR was bestowing refreshingly different and enchanting scores on film after film. The sheer numbers of his films speak volumes of his increasing popularity- 4 in 1976, 12 in 1977 and 21 in 1978. In the coming years, these numbers would only increase more and more.
  
  We have already seen that in his very second year, he bagged the prestigious TN State Government Award for his awesome score in 16 Vayathiniley. It was again in 1977, that producer K Balaji had turned to IR for his lighting his Deepam. While Panju Arunachalam, Devaraj-Mohan and SP Muthuraman were already IR regulars, when Bharathiraja, an old friend of IR, got an opportunity to direct, IR was his musical backbone. In 1978, this partnership created magic in 2 completely diverse themes- Kizhakke Pogum Rayil and Sigappu Rojakkal.
  
  Again it was in 1978 that not being content with merely making music, IR brought about a revolution in tamizh film music by introducing streophonic sound in ‘Priya’. Of course, this became possible only with the help of KJY who had bought the equipment, and willingly allowed IR to experiment and record the songs in 8-track stereo. Tfm would never be the same again!
  
  This was a period when Tamizh cinema was itself passing through an invigorating phase of renaissance. Melodramatic themes with ageing actors in studio settings were slowly but surely being shown the door. While Bharathiraja was among the pioneers of this movement, two others who set new standards in filmmaking this year were Rudraiyya (Aval Appadithaan) and Mahendran (Mullum Malarum). And of course, it was IR who added spellbinding sheen to their path-breaking ventures.
  
  It was not the new wave directors alone who were seeking IR’s musical support- veteran Sridhar, who was an ardent admirer of MSV and who never worked with any other MD since ‘Nenjil Or Aalayam’- 1962, crossed over to IR to create the songs for his ‘Ilamai Oonjalaadukirathu’ in 1978. And no less a person than Sivaji Ganesan is said to have remarked at that time, that of all the songs of 1977, ‘Senthoorappoovey’ was the one he liked the most! (Notwithstanding the magical songs created with painstaking care by MSV in 1977 for Sivaji, even in insipid stories like Avan Oru Sarithiram and Annan Oru Koyil)
  
  And how did MSV fare this year? It terms of numbers, he had more films than IR: 28.
  And in many of them, he crafted wonderful songs. But the fact remains that many of his songs were overshadowed by the contemporary works of IR. He would still be a force to reckon with, but the irreversible descent had begun.
  
  Let us take a quick glance at the other MDs and their works this year.
  
  KVM’s plebeian score in Radhaikketra Kannan was a big let down. V Kumar, as usual breathed melody into the songs of Kannamoochi, Ival Oru Seethai, Annapoorani and Chathurangam. And Vijayabhaskar got to compose the music for a K Balachander film- and in spite of its name, VB’s songs had thapaadha thaalangal! Another film that came his way was ‘Per Solla Oru Pillai’.
  
  S-G continued to be a godsend for low-budget producers who weren’t too particular. Devar, after the stupendous success of Aatukkara Alamelu the previous year, continued with S-G for Thaai Meedhu Sathiyam. S-G also gave a couple of great songs in A Bhimsingh’s last film-Kai Pidithaval. Among S-G’ s other films this year were Unakkum Vaazhvu Varum, Panchamirtham, Meenakshi Kungumam and Ullathil Kuzhandaiyadi.
  
  Chandrabose, who had arrived the previous year with his Mathura Geetham, shot to fame in 1978 with his enchanting ‘Maampoove siru mainave’ in Machanai Paartheengala.
  His other film Mangudi Minor, along with the songs, sank without a trace.
  
  Shyam, who had earlier worked with RC Shakthi and Kamal in Unarchigal-1976, came together with the same team in 1978 to create some lovely songs in Manitharil Iththanai Nirangala. Sathyam and Ramesh Naidu peeped into tfm and gave some good songs in Mudisooda Mannan and Melathalangal respectively. R Ramanujam gave an excellent account of himself in Ananda Bhairavi. When the super hit Malayalam film Madanotsavam was dubbed into Tamizh as Paruva Mazhai, tfm was honoured to welcome to its fold, the genius called Salil Chowdhry. (Salil’s first tamizh venture-Karumbu was never released). MB Srinivasan wasn’t so lucky- though he composed two wonderful songs for Jayakanthan’s Pudhu Seruppu Kadikkum in 1978, the film found no takers and never saw the light of the day. HMV Raghu gave an appealing score to Kanchi Kamakshi.
  
  So much for the MDs. Now let us look at the works in this year of female singers (apart from VJ, whose songs we will be looking at in detail).
  
  S Janaki was, of course, there, right on top. She had strongly consolidated her postion in 1977, and in 1978, she would effortlessly retain her postion. The songs that she got to sing for IR this year were really memorable. Consider a sample of these spellbinding solos: ‘Matha Un Kovilil’-Achaani, ‘Veenai meettum kaigale’-Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam, ‘Vaazhkkai Odam sella’-Aval Appadithaan, ‘Vasantha kaala kolangal’-Thyagam, ‘Adadada maamarakkiliye’-Chittukkuruvi, ‘Kanden engum’-Kaatrinile Varum Geetham, ‘Yethamirachu’-Bhairavi and ‘Poovarasampoo pooththachu’-KPR- all absolute gems!
  Her list of duets for IR in 1978 is equally awesome- ranging from TMS to Kamal, she sang with various singers to create lovely duets of lingering enchantment. A random selection from them- ‘Alaiye kadal alaiye’-Thirukkalyanam, ‘Engum niraindha iyarkkaiyil’-Ithu Eppadi Irukku, ‘Hey paadal ondru’-Priya, ‘Kovil mano osai’ and ‘Malargale’-KPR, ‘Then malli poove’-Thyagam, ‘Ninaivo oru paravai’ and ‘Indha minminikku’-both Sigappu Rojakkal, ‘Oru vaanavil poley’-Kaatrinile Varum Geetham, ‘Aazhakkadalil’-Sattam En Kaiyil, ‘Kinnathil then vadithu’-Ilamai Oonjalaadukirathu.
  
  And with IR showing the way, other MDs too gave SJ some great songs this year. : ‘Sugamaana Sindhanayil’-Taxi Driver-MSV, ‘Ninaivu pothum’-Punniya Bhoomi-MSV, ‘Ven Meghame’-Aayiram Jenmangal-MSV, ‘Sindhunadhippoovey’-Shankar Salim Simon-MSV, ‘Ithu ilamaikaala iravu’-Kai Pidiththaval-S-G, ‘Penn ninaithaal’-Meenakshi Kungumam-S-G, ‘Ananda veenai naan meettum pothu’-Melathaalangal-Ramesh Naidu, ‘Then malar kannigal’-Paruva mazhai-Salil Chowdhry, ‘Oh kaadhal bodhai’-Mudisooda Mannan-Sathyam, ‘Ponne bhoomiyadi’-Manitharil Iththanai Nirangala-Shyam----
  
  PS was definitely not where she was, say even 3 years back. The number of her songs was steadily coming down. However she still sang some lovely songs in 1978- recollect these ones: ‘Darling darling’-Priya, ‘Thaalaattu’-Achchaani, ‘Iyarkkai rathangale’-Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam, ‘Megame thoothaaga vaa’ and ‘Moha sangeetham’-Kannan Oru Kaikkuzhandhai, ‘Dhinam dhinam oru nadagam’-Idhu Eppadi Irukku, ‘Thangakudathukku pottum itten’-Maariamman Thiruvizha, ‘Orey idam’-Sattam En Kaiyil, ‘Unnai nambi nethiyile’ & ‘En kannmani’-Chittukkuruvi-all IR, ‘Manjal itta nilavaaga’-Aval Thandha Uravu, ‘Kannanai ninaikkatha naalillaiye’-Seervarisai, ‘Veera magan poraada’-Maduraiyai Meeta Sundarapandiyan, ‘Joyful Singapore’-Varuvaan Vadivelan, ‘Udhadugalil unathu peyar’-Thangarangan-all MSV, ‘Vaa nilave’-Panchamirtham-S-G, ‘Neram vandhachu’-Thaai Meedhu Sathiyam’-S-G, ‘Kannanukku kovam enna’-Annapoorani-V Kumar, ‘Sirithaal andha sirippil’-Ananda Bhairavi-R Ramanujam.
  
  One singer whom IR brought back into the limelight this year was the great Jikki. Jikki (Pillavaallu Gajapathi Krishnaveni) was the queen among singers in the 50s, and this was no mean achievement, for the in the 50s, unlike in the later decades, highly talented and trained singers were many in number. Jikki proved herself as a singer of rare merit in this galaxy of stalwarts like MLV, (Radha)Jayalakshmi, R Balasaraswathi, TV Rathnam, PA Periyanayagi, P Leela, TS Bagavathi, AP Komala, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, K Jamunarani, and later PS and SJ. She was said to be one of the two favourite singers of G Ramanathan, (the other one being S Varalakshmi). However towards the beginning of the 60s, due to personal and other reasons, she lost out and quickly became history. Though she made a comeback of sorts in the early 70s and got to sing a few songs in the following years, it was IR in 1978 who gave her an alluring solo- ‘Kaathalennum kaaviyam, kanni nenjin oviyam’-Vattathukkul Sathuram. And old-timers who were deprived of this voice all these years got to hear vintage Jikki again in all her glory. It remains to this day a song of mesmerising beauty.
  
  LRE got one of her rare opportunities to sing for IR this year: ‘Nee Mohiniya’-Thirukkalyanam. Among her songs for MSV were ‘Oru pakkam neruppu’-Vandikkaran Magan, ‘Kottu Potta’ and ‘Azhagi Oruthi’-Pilot Premnath.
  .
  It was a memorable year for BSS as well. ‘Itho itho en nenjile’-Vattathukkul Sathuram (with SJ)-IR, ‘Nadigai paarkkum nadagam’-Oru Nadigai Nadagam Paarkkiraal, ‘Adiyenai paaramm’-Vanakkuthukkuriya Kadhaliye and ‘Rathi devi sannidhiyil’-Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam – all MSV, were her songs this year.
  
  K Swarna got to sing two songs for her husband in Chathurangam- ‘Ada abishtu’ and ‘Aarambam maalai nerathu’.
  
  It was in 1978 that Manorama sang her evergreen ‘Manjakkayiru thaali manjakkakyiru’ for S-G in Unakkum Vaazhvu Varum. She also got to sing for IR this year- ‘Adhu maathiram’-Achchaani and the famous ‘Kaanaankuruvikku kalyanamaam’-Vaazha Ninaithaal Vaazhalaam.
  
  Again, it was in 1978 that a new, distinctly enchanting voice suddenly made its song heard. She sang her first tamizh song with SJ for IR. The song ‘Vaanathu Poonkili’ from Thiripurasundari may not have become a big hit, but the new singer Jency Anthony would attain instant stardom, and in the following 4-5 years, go on to sing wonderful songs in blockbuster movies, at the same time maintain an amazingly low profile (I don’t recollect ever reading any interview of hers or even seeing her photo in any magazine!) and one fine day, simply diasappear from tfm, never to return. Look at the other songs of Jency in 1978- ‘Adi Penney’-Mullum Malarum, ‘Aada sonnare’-Vattathukkul Sathuram and ‘En Uyir nee thaane’-Priya.
  
  The voice of SP Shailaja too was first heard in 1978, though she would make a full-fledged debut only in 1979. In 1978, she gave a spellbinding humming for an ever-appealing song of her brother’s- ‘Mazhai tharumo en megam’-Manitharil Iththanai Nirangala, MD-Shyam.
  
  Speaking of brothers and sisiters reminds me to add that in 1978, Shobha Chandrasekhar sang a dreamy, magical duet with her brother SN Surendar, for Ilayaraja. I am sure at least some of you would recollect the class song ‘Maalai- ila manathil’ from Aval Oru Pachchaikkuzhandai.
  
  This, in short (!), was the tfm scene in 1978. In this year of wonderful music, Vani Jairam reaped a bumper harvest of excellent songs for various Music Directors. We will commence discussing them next week.
  
  Anbargaley, let me confess that I was a mere child in 1978, and I have absolutely no business to be dissecting the state of tfm prevailing then, as though I had observed it first-hand!! So, if any of you who were old enough in 1978 recollect any interesting happenings in tfm that year, please help me. Again if there are any errors in what I have written, Mannitharulga!
  
  -Meendum Santhippom-
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.170) on: Wed Dec 18 23:34:27 EST 2002
  
  oops- sorry- I don't know how that came twice! Sorry!
  
  

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