Obituary

[interz]

May her soul rest in peace.

She was excellent as mum, character artist as well as comedian, a versatile actress.

What is happening in 2013? Many of the wellknown celebs from Kollywood dies this year.

[ravi200101]

R I P : Vaali and Manjula.

Vaali's songs gave innumerable good times - countless number of times hearing songs like "Puthan Easu Gandhi ......"

Manjula's duet's still are very watchable - non-chalant performances in "oruvar meethu..." "malare kurinji malare...", etc.

[NOV]

RIP Manjula Vijayakumar (9 September 1953 – 23 July 2013)

[mahendra raj]

Saroja Devi first acted with MGR in 'Thirudathae' but 'Nadodi Mannan' got the credit as her debut Tamil film. Manjula too shares this anomalous situation. Her first major role film 'Ulagam Sutrum Vaaliban' was released after 'Rickshawkaran' almost as the inordinate time frame difference between Nadodi Mannan and Thirudathae. Like Saroja Devi she too started to act with other top reigning heroes of the time almost immediately after her first film. At a time when she was being parodied as the newest pair for MGR, 'Engal Thanga Raja' with Shivaji in the lead put paid to the expectations. There were news reports abound that she infringed on her agreement with MGR Productions when 'Engal Thanga Raja' was in the making.

Apart from VN Janaki, Bhanumathi, Raja Sulochana and Chandrakala (the last two having one or two films only) who acted in fewer films Manjula appears to be the first 'young' leading lady of numerous MGR films to pass away. Veteran MGR's pairs like BS Saroja, Anjali Devi, Saroja Devi, Jayalalitha and Latha ( her contemporary) are still around.

She was equally at ease with both MGR and Shivaji starrers. My personal vote would go for 'Netru Indru Naalai', 'Ninaithathai Mudippavan' and 'Ulagam Sutrum Vaaliban' with MGR. With Shivaji who can ever forget the naive character she portrayed in 'Avan Oru Sarithiram' and as a modern Singaporean Indian in 'Avanthaan Manidhan' ? My votes go for these too and not to forget her excellent down-to-earth acting in 'Marupiravi' with Muthuraman which earned the 'A' certificate from the Censors. She was one of those non-chalant artistes to act in black and white movies despite consequently acting in colour films from debuting days.

Of course, there are other memorable films like 'Rickshawkaran', 'Dr. Siva' and 'Anbey Ariyiure' which deserves special mention. If in 'Dr. Siva' her role was serious and sober 'Anbey Ariyure' was diabolically opposite. She proved that she too could act in comedy roles especially in scene depicting her in a swimsuit but with spectacles and a bunch of jasmine braided into her hair!

I am optimistic that had she acted under KBalachander's directions her latent acting talents would have been exhibited. Alas, that never happened.

We have lost yet another talented and leading star who delivered her dialogues in chaste Tamil without the help of dubbing artistes.

R.I.P - you deserve a well sought after rest after continuing to entertain us with your natural acting talents.

[Designer]

She was captivating in her performances in Rickshawkaran, Ulagam Sutrum Vaaliban, Dr.Shiva, etc. Death has snatched her away at a relatively young age. May God give solace to the grieving family members.

RIP Manjula Vijayakumar.


Yesteryear actor Manjula dead

http://www.thehindu.com/features/cin...cle4944754.ece

Yesteryear actor Manjula Vijayakumar, 59, who paired with major heroes, including M.G. Ramachandran, died here on Tuesday, following a brief illness.

The actor, who made her first screen appearance as a child artist in ‘Shanthi Nilayam,’ was recently admitted to a private hospital, Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre, here for treatment after a fall. Her health took a turn for the worse when she lost consciousness on Tuesday morning, and died just a couple of months short of her 60th birthday. She was born on September 9, 1953.

Her role as Gemini Ganesan’s teenaged daughter in ‘Shanthi Nilayam’, the Tamil film industry’s adaptation of Sound of Music, marked her debut. This was in 1969. Only two years later, she got her big break, when she was chosen to play the heroine beside MGR in the 1971 blockbuster ‘Rickshawkaran’. That was a grand re-entry into the world of films, and one that ensured that this star was on the ascendant for the nearly the next 10 years.

Another of her super-hit films again came with MGR: ‘Ulagam Suttrum Vaaliban’ (1973). The film, shot in locations abroad, ran for over 200 days. Her success on the screen made her the natural choice for heroes like Sivaji Ganesan, ‘Dr. Siva’ being the most famous of the films. The hugely popular “Malare, Kurinji Malare” was from this movie. In ‘Engal Thanga Rasa’, a rough adaptation of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Sivaji romanced Manjula in the song, ‘Kalyana Aasai Vanda’. It was not surprising that Manjula was one of the heartthrobs of the 1970s, and managed to keep her position as heroine right through that decade. She married fellow actor Vijayakumar.

She also played lead roles in Telugu and Kannada films alongside NTR, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Sobhan Babu, Gemini Ganesan, and Vishnuvardhan. She also played roles with Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth later. In the 1980s she moved on to playing supporting roles in films. She continued to act, doing a few films, upto the 2000s and has notched up a repertoire of over 100 films in the three languages. The South Indian film industry was shocked as news of Manjula’s death came in. “She had a fall a week ago, and that must have caused a clot in the abdomen. We only found that out three days ago, and admitted her to hospital. It was completely unexpected, even for us,” Arun Vijay, her step son, told The Hindu.

Stars from the industry trooped into the Vijayakumars' home in Alapakkam, a Chennai suburb to pay their last respects.

Among them were Rajnikanth, Manorama, Vijayakanth, Prabhu, Radhika, Sarath Kumar, Bhagyaraj, Goundamani, K.S.Ravikumar. A number of her younger colleagues, including Ramya Krishnan, Sneha and Prasanna, Soundarya Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Dhanush, paid their respects and offered condolences to her husband Vijayakumar. Actor Khushbu Sundar was quick to react on Twitter.

Manjula is survived by her husband, actor Vijayakumar, her daughters Preetha, Vanitha and Sridevi. The funeral is to be held tomorrow at about 1 p.m. at the Porur crematorium.

[rajeshkrv]

Thanks Murali!

About KSG utilising Vaalee after 'Karpagam'. Yes, I agree with you that he had used him for both 'Selvam' and 'Pesum Deivam' but they were released in 1966 and 1967 respectively. Immediately after 'Karpagam' (1963), if my memory serves me correctly, it was 'Kai Kodutha Deivam' (1964), 'Chinnanjiru Ulagam' and 'Chitthi' in early 1966 where KSG used Kannadhasan. I could only think of 'Ennathan Mudivu' in 1965 by KSG. You will also agree that all the block-busters of KSG (barring 'Selvam' and 'Pesum Deivam') like 'Panamaa Paasamaa' (1968) and 'Uyiraa Maanamaa' (1969) had Kannadhasan as the lyricist.

Sometimes I used to wonder as to why big time producers or directors use other lyricists when their friendship with Kannadhasan was more than a working relationship like in the case of Sridhar, KSG, Devar Films, Muktha Seenivasan, KBalachander.

While on this topic I wish to recollect my meeting with Muktha Seenivasan sometimes back after his biography was launched where he had written extensively about Kannadhasan heaping praises on him. I asked him to verify who the lyricist was for the song 'Kai Mai Yenthu Vilayaadum' (Poojaikku Vandha Malar' 1965) as some were saying it was Kannadhasan whereas the disc shows it as Vaalee. He was not sure as it happened a long time ago.

He also told me that his personal choice was always Kannadhasan but during exigencies of time he had to use Vaalee. This was because, Kannadhasan was always mobile with his political meetings or night sessions of social gatherings etc. He also confided that his people back in his native place in Srirangam wanted him to consider Vaalee, another native of Srirangam. That explains the reasons for Muktha Seenivasan ( and possibly others referred to above) to use both of them in nearly all of his films although his personal preference was Kannadhasan.

Vaalee publicly asked KBalachander as to why the latter does not consider him although he had the capability just as Kannadhasan. KB remained to keep silent but later he not only offered him to write lyrics but also was the cause for him to debut as an actor in 'Poi Kaal Kuthirai' and 'Paarthale Paravasam' where he did justice to his acting roles. He also acted in KB's long-running television serial 'Kai Alavu Manasu' in the late nineties. He carried out his role very naturally as a Tamil teacher. That was how KB recognized his latent acting talents and brought it out for exposure.

Gosh! you seem to have a crystal clear memory of events past especially on the dates going back nearly half-a-century. Talking about 'breath' in his opening lines in that philosophical song for MGR and he 'breathing' his last on 18.7.2013 in almost a near-golden jubilee is indeed poetic justice to the poet extraordinaire. Thanks for publicising this unique equation, Murali!

I am glad you share my views. Even when Vaalee was writing in 'Thuglak' on his relationship with MGR he by-passed 'Deiva Thaai' and quoted 'Padahotti' as his first all-songs for MGR. He did not mention 'Deiva Thaai' at all. In the series he did mention that MGR asked him to go on stage and explain on his behalf about that controversial statement he (MGR) made.

Mahendra raj sir. it's very sad to see a post from you like this. Already we vaali fan's are sad so please do not post anything like this
yes if someone is from same place people will say "why dont u give chance to our guy" but at that time there were stalwarts in tamil like anna, mgr, ma po si etc
amdist Vaali got applause for his writings.. So only if you got sarakku you can continue and he did have tons of talent and that's the only reason he could write this much this long..

We should not talk like this after someone's death ..

[raagadevan]

V. Dakshinamoorthy passes away

Chennai: Veteran Carnatic musician and prominent music director V. Dakshinamoorthy passed away here on Friday. He was 93.

http://english.manoramaonline.com/cg...RIAL&BV_ID=@@@

[raagadevan]

Some of Dakshinammorthy Swami's Tamil movie compositions:

[venkkiram]

Legendary film music composer, V. Dakshinamoorthy no more. ஆத்மா சாந்தியடைய பிரார்த்தனைகள். His "Nandha En Nilaa Nilaa" - One of my all time favorite songs.

[madhu]

இசையமைப்பாளர் வி.தக்ஷிணாமூர்த்தி சுவாமிக்கு அஞ்சலி



மலையாளம்தான்.. ஆனாலும் அந்த இடை நாழியில் ( வாசல் வராந்தா என்று சொல்லலாமா ? ) இனிமையான காலடிச் சப்தம் தமிழிலும் கேட்காதா என்ன ?

படம் : இட நாழியில் ஒரு காலொச்ச

குரல் : ஜேசுதாஸ்

நடிகர்கள் : வினீத், கார்த்திகா