Potpourri of titbits about Tamil cinema - M. S. Viswanathan

I had interviewed MSV on many occasions. My queries and his replies still hold our interest. Excerpts from the interviews

Q:Please tell us some of the very interesting arguments you had with ‘Kavignar’ Kannadasan …

A: Kannadasan asked me to compose music for the song ‘Ponaal pokattum podaa …’ for the film ‘Paalum pazhamum’. I refused to compose pointing out the disrespectful words in the lyrics. But, he was adamant and refused to change the words. I was also adamant, but eventually I gave in and composed music. The song became a super hit. And, he wrote the song ‘Yaarai nambhi naan pirandhen …’ for the film ‘Enga oor raja’. In this song too, he had included the words ‘podaa … vaadaa …’ and when I pointed them out, he was very adamant as before. And, that song also became a super hit! He used to affectionately order me that I should start all my programs with his song ‘Pullaankuzhal kodutha moongilkale …’.

Q:Why did you and Ramamurthi part ways when you both made a very good duo as music directors?

A: ‘Panam’, produced by A. L. Srinivasan and directed by N. S. Krishnan was our first movie in which we worked together. We had together worked for around 750 films after this movie! Suddenly, one day Ramamurthi told me that he wanted to work independently as a music director. Though I was shocked and disappointed, I didn’t show off my feelings and wished him a good future. ‘Aayirathil oruvan’ is our last film in which we worked as a duo. Ramamurthi composed music for more than thirty films as an independent music director. ‘Marakka mudiyuma?’, ‘Nilgiri express’, ‘Saadhu mirandaal’, ‘Madras to Pondichery’, ‘Soppu, seeppu, kannadi’ are some of them. But till date, we are good friends. We are in regular touch.

Q: You produced some films. Did you make money?

A: I took care to see that the loss didn’t affect me much. I sold off some of my properties and cleared my debts. In the year 1958, I produced the film ‘Pathi bhakthi’ with director Bimsingh, G. N. Velumani and M. S. Solaimalai as co-producers. It was my first production. After that, I produced more than fifteen films including films in Malayalam. All my films flopped. But I learned a bitter lesson.

Q:What do you consider a matter of pride?

A: We had a great singer in T. M. Sounderrajan, who had a very majestic voice. The film industry can think of him as a boon. I’ve composed the music for the inaugural Tamil prayer song ‘Neeraarunkadaledutha …’ and I still feel proud for the same. I played 21 tunes for this song to ‘Kalaignar’. He chose the first tune as the most suitable after listening to all the tunes. Both TMS and P. Susheela have sung the song very beautifully.

MSV had demolished his house on the Santhome Church Road and had built a multi-storey building. He has built a small temple for Vinayaka at the entrance of his house and has kept his mother’s photo in his puja room. He is offering puja both in the morning and in the evening. And, he pays obeisance to his mother’s photo before doing any work. His sons, daughters, grandchildren, in-laws and his wife Janaki Ammal are all taking care of him with lot of affection. He is still composing music for films and apart from this, he is acting in films and television serials too! He is attending functions also respecting the feelings of others! Let us all pray for a long and healthy life for our dear MSV!