M.K. Thyagaraja Bagavadhar

[Oldposts]

Satish:

You are probably right about Rajamukthi being
the last movie by MKTB. The MD was CRSubbaraman.

An interesting digression...

CRS was keen to make MKTB sing in his music
and he got this chance first in 1945, in the
movie, UdhayaNan-Vaasavadhaththai in
which MKTB and Vasundhra Dhevi were chosen as
hero-heroine. CRS was so excited, made the tunes,
and all was set to record MKTB's voice for the
first time under CRS. At that moment MKTB was
urgently called outside by a friend and MKTB
had to leave in a hurry without recording that
song. Half hour later they got the news that
MKTB was arrested in connection with Lakshmikanthan
murder case. It later turned out that GNB was
replaced as the hero for that same movie and
CRS was also replaced by CSJeyaraman (yes, the
same pokkaivaai pugazh CSJ) as MD! CRS had to wait
till 1948 when MKTB was released from prison
and when MKTB produced his own movie, Rajamukthi, to
record MKTB's voice under his music. There is one
more popular song in that movie (apart from
maanida janmam that you mentioned above):

unaiyallaamal oru thurumbasaiyumO

It seems this song is in Saramathi raagam.