Obituary

[Brianengab]

Notable deaths of tis year..

January 17 Sophiya Haque 41 Actress

March 5 Rajasulochana 77 Actress

March 7 Venky Sambamoorty Graphics Expert

March 26 Sukumari 74 Actress

April 14 P. B. Sreenivas 82 Singer

April 17 T. K. Ramamoorthy 91 Music director

April 22 Lalgudi Jayaraman 82 Music director

May 25 T. M. Soundararajan 91 Singer

June 15 Manivannan 58 Director,Actor

July 6 Santo Krishnan (Krishnan Nair) 92 Actor

July 8 Agasthiya Bharathi 48 Director

July 9 Rasu Madhuravan 44 Director

July 12 M. Bhaskar 78 Director

July 13 Ravi Shankar Prasad 58 Producer

July 18 Vaali 81 Lyricist, Actor, Writer

[interz]

As per Harris Jayaraj, a song from 'Yaan' that was prepped for recording(or was already recorded) was Vaali's last written work.

Vaali also wrote lyrics for a song in Kaaviya Thalaivan, A.R Rahman scores music. I read somewhere that was his last song.

[mahendra raj]

Looks like Kamal had tried an vasool raja method. In that film, Kaka radhakrishnan will ill on bed and Kamal plays Carom and induced KAka to get out of bed and play Karom. Thus he saved his life. similarly it seems kamal sir went to hospital and said to doctors, "Send him home soon, we need to ask him to write a song in Vishwaroopam2" he said that loudly so that it Vaali Sir in bed was able to hear and maybe that induces him to get well soon

Yes, Sakalakala Vallavar, I too thought like that when I first read the news about Kamalhassan paying a visit in the hospital bed prior to his death. He may have tried this psychology but in vain.

There is a popular mistaken notion about Vaalee"s full involvement with MGR from 'Padahotti' onwards. It is not so. It started from the song 'Sirikkindraar' in 'Nallavan Vazhvaan' (1960) where Annadurai amended the lyrics by adding the word 'udhaya sooriyan' to reflect the DMK party logo. That was all and they (MGR and Vaalee) never met again until 1964. In between Vaalee was writing a few pieces like in 'Neengaatha Ninaivu' and 'Idhayathil Née'. But his big break came through 'Karpagam' where he penned all the four songs.

A bit on 'Karpagam'. Just the year before 'Karpagam' KS Gopalakrishnan made his debut as director of 'Saratha' (1962) a film produced under the ALS banner whose producer, AL Sreenivasan, was the elder brother of Kaviarasu Kannadhasan. The songs for 'Saratha' was by Kannadhasan. Being close friends, both KS Gopalakrishnan and Kannadhasan, were celebrating the success of 'Saratha' with scotch when a friendly argument took place. KS Gopalakrishnan insisted that the success of this film was due to his excellent direction but Kannadhasan countered by saying that it was because of his immortal songs. (The song 'Manamagalae Manamagalae Vaali Vaa' was however written by Panchu Arunasalam, Kannadhasan's erstwhile assistant and relative as the latter was out of town and the producers needed this extra song urgently).

So, the bets were laid by both KSGopalakrishnan and Kannadhasan that in the next film a new song writer will be booked and the end-result will reveal the results, that is, whether it will be due to direction or otherwise. And that film was 'Karpagam' and it was a colossal success without Kannadhasan's input. Well, Kannadhasan lost the bet and he jovially lost the scotch bottle to KSG. But, after this in nearly all of KSG films it was Kannadhasan for songs and 'Karoagam' was only for the purpose of a friendly bet!

It is interesting to note that it was around this time Vaalee was depressed and decided to leave for good when he was told of Kannadhasan's newly-minted 'Mayakamaa Kalakamaa' song lines which was at recording stage level - especially the lines ' unakkum keelae Ulagam kodi...' which changed his fate. That was the time when MS Viswanathan invited Vaalee to pen the songs for 'Karpagam' when KSG was looking for a new lyricist just to prove Kannadhasan wtong. Vaalee shot to fame overnight especially by infusing novelty in the song 'Aayiram Iravugal Varuvathondu' where in between the lyrics there were blanks deliberately to allow listeners to fill in their own choice words.

However, Kaviarasu Kannadhasan liked the song 'Pakkathu Veetu Paruva Machaan' from 'Karpagam'.

And now back to the relationship of MGR and Vaalee. In 1964, the film 'En Kadamai', although having a brilliant story-line, good direction and excellent songs by Kannadhasan and music by Viswanathan Ramamurthy had a short run only due to MGR's public proclamation that 'Kamaraj was his leader and Annadurai his mentor'. The film was boycotted by the DMK cadres and it nearly gave an impression that MGR's career was finished.

During this time 'Deiva Thaai' was being produced jointly by RM Veerappan and MGR and the latter decided to rectify and publicly state his allegiance to the DMK through a song in this film. That was the time also when there was an apparent strained relationship between both MGR and Kannadhasan. He, therefore, decided to rope in the new kid on the block, Vaalee to write a song featuring him as a faithful to the DMK. Thus, the song 'Moondrezhuthil En Moochirukkum' by Vaalee compelled the gratified MGR to ask Vaalee to write all the remaining songs of 'Deiva Thaai'. That opening lines of this particular song was enough to show his allegiance to the DMK and all was forgotten. 'Deiva Thaai' was a grand success and thereafter MGR's image too became more enhanced in popularity.

That was how the MGR-Vaalee relationship took root. Later, he was recommended by MGR to write nearly all the songs in 'Padahotti'. The rest is history. But I notice that 'Deiva Thaai' has been continuously left-out and 'Padahotti' is parodied in its place. Perhaps, it may be due to the political sensitivity that surrounded the situation prevailing at that time.

[Murali Srinivas]

Dear Mahendra Raj Sir,

A nice re-collection about the friendly bet that took place between KSG and Kannadasan. Kannadasan acknowledged Vaalee during the 100th day function of Karpagam. He mentioned பக்கத்து வீட்டு பருவ மச்சான் song and in particular the lines மனசுக்குள்ளே தேரோட்ட மைவிழியில் வடம் பிடிச்சான்.

Again one small nit picking. Not only for Karpagam, KSG did use Vaalee for Selvam and Pesum Deivam during that phase itself.

Again what you had mentioned about the reason behind MGR using Vaalee for writing மூன்றெழுத்தில் என் மூச்சிருக்கும் in தெய்வத் தாய் after the debacle of என் கடமை is absolutely true and that was the song that strengthened MGR Vaalee relationship.

I am not sure whether you noticed this irony rather poetic irony! தெய்வத் தாய் got released on 18th July of 1964 and this particular song induced fresh breath for MGR's political career and on the day the movie started celebrating it's Golden Jublie [Completing 49 years and entering in to 50th year] on July 18th of 2013, Vaalee breathed his last.

Regards

[mahendra raj]

Dear Mahendra Raj Sir,

A nice re-collection about the friendly bet that took place between KSG and Kannadasan. Kannadasan acknowledged Vaalee during the 100th day function of Karpagam. He mentioned பக்கத்து வீட்டு பருவ மச்சான் song and in particular the lines மனசுக்குள்ளே தேரோட்ட மைவிழியில் வடம் பிடிச்சான்.

Again one small nit picking. Not only for Karpagam, KSG did use Vaalee for Selvam and Pesum Deivam during that phase itself.

Again what you had mentioned about the reason behind MGR using Vaalee for writing மூன்றெழுத்தில் என் மூச்சிருக்கும் in தெய்வத் தாய் after the debacle of என் கடமை is absolutely true and that was the song that strengthened MGR Vaalee relationship.

I am not sure whether you noticed this irony rather poetic irony! தெய்வத் தாய் got released on 18th July of 1964 and this particular song induced fresh breath for MGR's political career and on the day the movie started celebrating it's Golden Jublie [Completing 49 years and entering in to 50th year] on July 18th of 2013, Vaalee breathed his last.

Regards

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.

[NOV]

Nice conversation Murali Nd Mahen.
We the audience are the beneficiaries.

[kubrick]

Manjula Vijaaykumar passes away.

[Brianengab]

fall down frm bed nd admitted to hospital nd .....

RIP..

[mahendra raj]

Manjula Vijaaykumar passes away.

May Her Soul Rest In Peace!

[madhu]

R I P manjula vijayakumar :RIP: