A JOURNEY WITH K.V. MAHADEVAN

[Oldposts]

Mani Sir,

I am very sorry that we have reached the end of the spellbinding, nostalgic ‘Journey with KVM’, with you as the Guide. Kudos to you for this painstaking and excellent effort. It was really generous of you to spare so much time amidst your busy schedule, and undertake this. Salutations!

Can I make some additions? Here are some of my favourite songs from the 70s and 80s –Please consider adding them to the article: Many of these songs are KVM’s collaborations with the newer crop of singers- KJY, SPB, JC, MV, VJ and even SPS. Of course, he gave many songs to SJ too in this period:

1.Pudhiya Vaazhkkai:-1971

Film starred Jaishankar and Jayabharathi. KVM must have been clairvoyant- he knew that SPB and SJ would emerge soon as the top ranking playback artistes in tfm- so he made this a wholly SPB-SJ album. All the songs were enchanting:

1.Kaalam ennodu varum pothu, kadavul varunkindraan- SJ
2.Pesu maname pesu, pethai maname pesu,
naalu vagai gunamum niraindhe nadai podu-SPB
3.Paada therindhavar paadungal, aada therindhavar aadungal,
Ithu thanga papa pirantha naal- SJ


2.Irulum Oliyum-1971

This film had Vanisri in a dual role, along with AVM Rajan and Muthuraman. The same Vanisri would again figure in ‘Vani Rani’ in a dual role 3 years later in 1974, and this film too had music by KVM! Like Vani Rani, Irulum Oliyum also had one meek and subdued Vanisri and one aggressive Vanisri. The songs were wonderful:

1.Thirumagal thedi vandhaal, engal pudhu mania kudi pugundhaal,
Kulanmagal kungumathil, devi koyil kondaada vandhaal- PS

2.Thirumagal thedi vandhaal, endhan idhayathil kudi pugunthaal
Kulamgal kolathile, devi marumagalaaga vandhaal- SPB & B Vasantha

3.Amma! Vaanile mannile- PS- (a lovely ode to Mother Nature, and a favourite of Ilangai Vaanoli’s morning ‘Sugaraagam’)


4.Pattikkattu Ponniah- 1973

I am mentioning this film only because it was a MGR film, and more important, it was the last MGR film in which Jayalalitha acted. MGR had a dual role, and Rajasri was the other heroine. The songs were pedestrian, though.

1.Oru varusham-TMS,PS
2.Dee dee dee sathukkudi- LRE
3.Pattuppola Pennai- PS
4.Ye Machaan-TMS,PS
5.Iravugalai paarthathundu, uravugalai paarthathillai- SPB,SJ


5.Mazhai Megam – 1977

I have no clue as to the actors, but there were two great songs:

1.Oru kodi sugham vandhadhu, adhu ovvondrum nee thandhadhu- ALR,SJ
2.Aagaya Gangai indru mannil vandhadhu- SPB,PS

It is noteworthy that KVM gave a lovely duet to AL Raghavan even in 1977, when ALR’ s career was all but over.


6.Thaaliya Salangaiya-1977

A film with a superb score by KVM. It starred Muthuraman and Vanisri. Going by the dramatic title, I suspect that it was a KSG venture.

1.Vanji ithu vanji- KJY
2.Maduraikku sendraal megangale- PS (lovely song)
3.Mangala Kannagi Kunguma Janaki nalangal thulanga vilanga aniyumum thaaliya
Nadaga kaviya kaviri Madhavi mayangi kulingi arangil aniyum salangaiya
Thaliya-- salangaiya-- VJ (a classic)


7.Kannil Theriyum Kathaigal-1980

The film is remembered because it has 5 Music Directors for 5 songs. It was produced by AL Raghavan and starred Sarat Babu, Sripriya and Vadivukkarasi. The songs which became popular were ‘Naan Unna ninaichen’-SPB-Jikki-VJ by S-G and ‘Naan oru ponnoviyam’-SPB-SJ-PS by Ilayaraja. AL Raghavan himself sang a stunner by GKV ‘Naan paartha Rathidevi engey’. TR Papa gave ‘ Onnu rendu moonu’ (SPS-BSS?).

KV Mahadevan’s song was ‘Vettaikkaran malaiyile’ by TMS.


8.Naan Naanethaan-1980

The film starred Rajesh and Vadivukkarasi, who were considered a hit pair after the runaway success of ‘Kanniparuvathile’-1979. KVM had given a set of excellent songs.

1.Vanavillennum varnajaalangal, Ravivarman kaigal varaindha kolangal- SPB & Chorus.
2.Kaaya kurinji malar-VJ
3.Eththanai avatharam-JC
4.Kanagamani silambanaindha kaliyamma-VJ


9.Kaathal Kiligal-1980

I believe the film was a remake of a Hindi film ‘Ghar’. It starred Sivakumar and Rathi.

1.Nadhikkarai orathu naanalgale en nayaki azhagai paarungale
Kaalayil pootha pushpangale engal kathalai vaazhthi paadungale- KJY & SPS
2.Sevvaaname seer kondu vaa, ven megame ther kondu vaa-KJY & SPS
3.Kaathal kiliye nee yen pesa marandhaai-SPB


10.Kuruvikkodu-1980

The film starred Sudhakar. Two songs stand out:

1.Vannathu poochi sirikkithu, pala vadivam kaatti izhukkuthu- SPB,PS
2.Ponni nadhiyorathiley- SPB


11.Manmatha Rathangal-1980

No info on the actors, but there’s a lovely duet by SPB-PS:

Mamnmatha rathangal oorvalam pogum maalai neram ithu
en mangala valayal sangama nilayil paadum ragam ithu

There is another duet ‘Inimayaanathu’- SPB-VJ.


12.Neruppile Pootha Malar-1981

Sivakumar was the hero. KVM gave Jayachandran some great songs here.

1.Engengum aval mugam, angellam en manam- JC (among JC’s best songs ever)
2.Iravinil paniyinil iruvarum vizhithirippom, oruvarin madiyinil oruvarai anaithiruppom
Nammakkul ini ena ragasiyamo, ulagainil idhu enna adhisayamo- JC-VJ


13.Andha Raathirikku Saatchi Illai- 1982

Kapil Dev and Sulakshana were the lead pair. KVM’s music was scintillating:

1.Ethirpaarthen ilankiliyai kaanaliye- SPB
2.Mani osaiyum Kai valai osaiyum, anandha ragam solla naan ketkiren
Unnai agayam bhoomi engum naan paarkiren- SPB-SJ
3.Sumai thangi enintru azhugintrathu-SPB-PS


14.Thoongatha Kannindru Ondru- 1983

I would rate this film as KVM’s best album in Tamil in the 80s. R Sundararajan was a ‘Midas’ touch director just then- with Mohan as the hero and Ilayaraja as the MD, he gave a string of hits. But he did experiment with other MDs too, and those films too had good songs- Saranalayam by MSV, for instance.
This film had Mohan and Ambika as the lead pair. It was a usual love story, with a tragic end.
KVM gave two dazzling duets:

1.Mazhai vizhum kodiyena, nadhi vizhum kadalena, maragadha mani udal silirkkudhu-
this was a fast paced, rain song by KJY and SJ. Watch out for the ‘thakka thakka thaj jam’ part- amazing!

2.Idhaya vaasal thirandha pothu, uaravu vandhadhu
Urangum pothu kanavu nooru paruvam thandhadhu- SPB-SJ

A slow, dreamy, melodious song


3.Nee azhaithathu pol – SPB

A tour de force song by the Thirai Isai Thilagam. It had a poignant situational value- Mohan having successfully gained a foothold in the film industry, comes by train to CBE to bring the good news to his wife, Ambika and take her back to Madras. At the same time, Ambika, unable to bear the separation, boards a train to Madras, unknown to Mohan. Their trains cross each other—
Mohan finds himself in a compartment full of musicians, and starts a mini cutcheri- meanwhile Ambika is raped in her compartment—

KVM came up with a masterpiece here, and with SPB’s magical voice, creates a wonderful song:

Nee azhaithathu pol oru gnyaabagam, athu aasai alaigalin oorvalam,
Nee sirithathu pol oru gynaabagam, athu sindhayil nee seitha sagasam
It is a classical song, with all the accompaniments, and the interludes have bits of heartrending violin music bringing out the irony of the situation. With all this, KVM manages to keep the chugging sound of the train as the rhythmic beat throughout the song. SPB gave his best- the swaram passages in the end must have been really challenging- he comes out in flying colours.


15.Simma Soppanam-1984

This is noteworthy, as it was perhaps the last film of Sivaji to have music by KVM. It also starred KR Vijaya, Saritha, Prabhu and Radha. Two songs are memorable:

1.Pudavai katti kondu poo ondru aaduthu- TMS-VJ
2.Oodha kaathum oosi mazhayum –MV,SJ


16.Mel Maruvathoor Aadhi Parasakthi- 1985

A socio-mythological, by ‘Om Sakthi’ Jagadeesan, starring KR Vijaya, Nalini, Rajesh, Saritha and Senthamarai. Good songs by KVM:

1.Manithargale O Manithargale- K Veeramani
2.Maari thirisooli aadhi parameswariye-VJ
3.Unnai nimbi uchiyile poo mudichen thaaye-PS
4.MelMaruvathooril valar maragathame-VJ
5.Om Sakthi Om Sakthi-Seergazhi Govindarajan

There were some other films by KVM which had some good songs:

1.Manikka padumaikku kaanikkai-yaana pin manadhai tharalamaa-Neethi Devan-1971-SPB &PS
2.Ammayanavan enakku- Muruganadimai- 1977-TMS & PS
3.Paalodu then kalandha- Gnana Kuzhandai-1979-TMS&VJ (All songs were good in this film)
4.Thirumaale-Deiva Thirumanangal-1981-VJ (MSV and GKV were the other MDs in this film)
5.Azhaithaal varuvaal kettaal tharuvaal-Mouna Yudham-1981-SPB & VJ
6.Endha iravu mudhal iravu- Chinnansirusugal -1982- SPB
7.Ranganathan thangachi, rendunkettan un katchi- Samayapurathaale Saatchi-1985-MV
8.Maligaiyaanalum malarvanamaanaalum-Asha- 1985-JC & VJ
9.Magarantham kathoothum aravintham un paadham-Mahasakthi Mariamma-1986- M Balamuralikrishna
10.Singara Velanukku Arupadai veedu- Murugane Thunai- 1990- Seergazhi Govindarajan
(Since Seergazhi passed away much before 1990, the song must have been recorded much earlier)

Mention also must be made of ‘Isaikku oru koyil’, which though was dubbed from Telugu (Sruthilayalu), had great songs that became very popular. Endrume nalla rasi-SPB,VJ,
Sri Saradamba namosthuthe-SJ, Azhaganavan Sri Balakrishnan-VJ, Thirunaalum varume Swami-JC,PS and Srigananaatham-Poornachander,VJ.

Mani Sir, thank you once again for this fitting tribute to the great KVM. Poi Vaa Isai Alaye!