For
those who run down the concept of Carnatic musicians singing film songs, the
most effective rebuff comes from MS herself. In many ways, she was a trendsetter
for the women Carnatic singers, in breaking many a barrier. The film arena was
also one of them.
When director K Subramaniam
wanted to make a film based on Munshi Premchand's novel Seva Sadan, which was
published in the Ananda Vikatan, he had to negotiate with Vikatan's Advertising
Manager T Sadasivam. Opportunity thus came to MS when Sadasivam insisted that
she should be the heroine. Subramaniam agreed, although reluctantly, it was
said. Seva Sadanam thus emerged in 1938, with MS donning the role of the second
wife of an old man.
The songs of MS were highly
popular and a star was born. Papanasam Sivam used Thyagaraja's tune in Marubalga
for the song 'Enna Seyven, enga selven'. Pallavi Gopala Iyer's Telugu song
Needhu Saramula was sung by MS in the raga Kalyani, and it was a big hit.
Another song 'Shyama Sundara Kamala Vadhana' was based on a famous song which
featured in Marathi theatre.
Papanasam Sivam, who wrote the
lyrics for the film, also composed the songs and recorded them with the
assistance of harmonium player Mothi Babu. There was no scope for full-fledged
music directors at that time.
The next film of MS, Sakuntalai,
was undertaken by Sadasivam himself, on behalf of his new film company,
Chandraprabha Cinetone, along with Madurai's famous production house, Royal
Talkies. The famous Carnatic singer, G N Balasubramaniam, was the hero, he
having already acted in 1934 in the film Bama Vijayam. MS played the role of
Sakuntala, GNB that of Dushyant, and Radha, Sadasivam's daughter, as the child
Bharata. Anandam en solvene, Engum Nirai Nadha brahmam, Sukumara en thaapam,
Manankulira, were highly popular. Her two romantic duets with GNB were also big
hits. Towards the end of the film, Sadasivam and MS got married in a simple
ceremony at Tiruneeermala.
Next came Savitri in 1941,
produced by Royal Talkies, in which MS played the male role -- of Naradar. Bruhi
mukunthethi, a Sansrkit song, said to have been composed by GNB himself, and
Papanasam Sivam's Maname, Ganamum maraville, figured in the list of hits. As
Sadasivam decided to leave the Vikatan fold and start his own magazine, he badly
needed money. He therefore planned that MS should get the role and that the fees
paid to her would help establish the Kalki magazine.
However, the advent of Meera in
1945 was what catapulted MS to national and international fame, as it was later
re-made in Hindi. Kaatrinile varum geetham, Brindavanathil Kannan valarntha,
antha naalum valarnthidatho, were ranked among all-time hits. The tunes for
these two songs were not composed by S V Venkatraman. MS had prepared the tunes,
based on Bengali songs by Juthika Roy. The other songs of the film were composed
by S V Venkataraman.
SVV's tunes of Engum
nirainthaaye, Indru engu marainthaayo, maraintha kondirintha enathu ullame, were
also highly popular, as also Giridhara Gopala.
The popularity of MS spread far
and wide with the release of the Hindi version.
However, the film career of MS
ended abruptly with these films and about 30 wonderful songs. It was said that
Sadasivam, acting on Rajaji's advice, felt MS should not act in films any more
and should concentrate on music.
The ethereal beauty and grace
of MS in films like Meera, along with the rapturous songs rendered by her, made
her a household name in Tamil Nadu and in other parts of India too. Her career
in the music scene was certainly given a major impetus by her on-screen image
and presence.
RR
Film World's Singing Star
