 A popular, well-known voice in south Indian films,
P Leela entered the field of playback singing when the rule that those who knew acting should also know singing was relaxed and others were given a chance to do the job. This was around 1947-48.
She rode high on the wave of popularity in the south Indian film industry for nearly 25 years. Her songs were and still are enjoyed by the listeners.
“I was the first female playback singer as far as south Indian films were concerned. I was introduced at a time when the actresses were singing for themselves,” reminisces
Leela.
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‘Neeya Thunai Eswari' (Annayin Aanai),
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‘Enai Aalum Mary Mada' (Missiamma),
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‘Kaathiruppan Kamala Kannan' (Uththama Puthiran),
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‘'Needhana Ennai Azhaithadhu’ (Maya Bazaar),
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‘'Thazhaiyampoomudithu’ (Bhagapirivinai),
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‘Jagam Pughazhum Punya Kadhai’ (Lava Kusa),
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‘Kannum Kannum Kalandhu’ (Vanjikottai Valiban),
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‘Konjum Salangai Oli Kettu’ (Konjum Salangai)
are some of the super-hit songs sung by
Leela.
She has even rendered a song for music director Ilayaraja for the film ‘Karpoora
Mullai’.
She hails from Chittoor (Palghat) and her father V K Kunjanmenon was working as a teacher in Ramavaram Higher Secondary School at
Ernakulam. She owes her interest in music to her father. The common adage is that ‘Behind every successful man there stands a woman’, but in her case it was a man - her father.
“We were three girls in our family and I was the youngest. My father wanted us to learn
Carnatic music and all three of us used to sing well,” continues
Leela.
Thiribuvana Manibhagavadhar (T V Gopalan’s uncle) was her first guru. Then followed Paththamadai Krishna Ayyar, Vadakanjeri Ramabhagavadhar and many more.
In-between, the headmistress of the school in which was studying advised her father that it would be better to go to Madras (now Chennai) for further training in music and that opportunities were more there. Paying heed to her advice, her father resigned his job and the family migrated to Madras.
She started learning in the gurukulam method from Vadakanjeri Ramabaghavatar. Durgabaideshmuk was the one who gave her the first opportunity to sing on stage.
 Madras introduced her to many eminent stalwarts of music like Ariyakudi Ramanujam Iyengar, S
Ramanathan, GNB, Sembai and just by listening to their music, she fine-tuned her talent.
Columbia Recording Company was looking out for female voice and its manager recommended Leela. She was appointed as their artiste and one can say that this paved the way for her entry into the field of cinema.
She started singing in 1947 and her first song, ‘Sree Varalakshmi’, which was in fact a prayer, was for the film ‘Kanganam’. Padmanabhasastry was the music director of the film. She sang all the songs for the heroine in that film. The songs were a hit and so the opportunities continued to come her way.
C R Subbarayan introduced her in Telugu films and later on Ghantasala followed suit. She ruled the roost in Telugu films from then on.
Leela has rendered nearly 5,000 songs so far and has sung duets with all the popular male singers. Her duets with Ghantasala were all hits. Many famous artistes like Savithri, Sree Ranjini, Padmini and Sarojadevi have lipsynced for her songs.
When asked about the difference between the recording methods then and now, she replies, “Today there is a lot of progress. During our times, we were taught to sing the song first...the rehearsal used to go on for two days...then comes the singing with the orchestra.... after they are satisfied, the recording used to take place in Vahini or Vijaya Studios...there would be two mikes... sometimes it used to take a whole week to finish a song.... rehearsal was a must those days.
“Nowadays I hear that 8 to 9 songs are being recorded in a day...One can only say that times have changed... they sing line by line...the singer’s voice is difficult to identify... During our times, shooting and song recording for the film used to take place on the same floor... the changes are many but no one can find fault with the situation prevailing now…” elaborates
Leela.
She has rendered a variety of songs for Gemini films like ‘Avvaiyar', ‘Moonru Pillaigal’, ‘Vanjikottai Valiban’, etc., and she talks highly of S S Vasan, his punctuality and discipline.
“Vasan used to come suddenly during the recording of the song.... he would ask us to sing the song... if he was satisfied, he would ok it.... then the recording would take place.... The recording would begin in the morning and would get over at 8 or 9 p.m...he would ask us to repeat till he was finally satisfied...” says
Leela.
 She has been bestowed with many awards and titles. Though the awards were not many like at present, she has been conferred many titles like, ‘Ganamani’, ‘Ganakokila’, ‘Kalarathnam’, ‘Ganavarshini’, etc.
She was conferred with the ‘Kalaimamani’ title in 1994 by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who said in her speech that though the award had come late, she was proud to be the one to bestow it on her. “... I got the chance to sing Guruvayarappan Narayaneeyam which I consider as an honour...” says Leela about the encomiums that came her way.
She has rendered many devotional songs like Narayaneeyam, Harinamakeerthanam, Ayyappa Suprabatham, Guruvayur Suprabatham, Sree Mookambigai Suprabatham and Ayyappan
Padalgal.
She worked as a music director for a film called ‘Chinnari Pappulu’ (Telugu) in 1968. The special feature of the film was that it was produced exclusively by women. She considers it an honour and feels proud to have sung in the same period as
M S Subbalakshmi, M L Vasanthakumari and
D K Pattammal - the queens of Carnatic music. She feels proud to say that she is a fan of
M L Vasanthakumari.
She has rendered many songs in films which had
MGR and Sivaji as heroes. About MGR she says, “I happened to meet him at a wedding. While conversing, I told him that my father had passed away and that I had no one. He interrupted me and said he was there as an elder brother. It is just an example of his noble quality. In the same way, whenever I met
Sivaji, he used to enquire about my welfare.”
“My life, soul is only music. I live for music even today I perform in concerts. I sing bhajans and take part in light music programmes. If I am standing in front of you and talking, it is because of my father, he was everything to me.
“If he was not there, I am not there. The fame, wealth was all given to me by him.” Leela turns emotional while talking about her father.
When she sings the song ‘Thazhaiyam Poomudithu’ from ‘Bhagapirivinai’ in the same mellifluous voice, you know that she is still the great singer that she once was.
K
T SRI
Translated by Radha N
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Melodiously yours
