MAMBALAM TIMES

Page 2TAMIL CINEMA 75 -A LOOK BACKBy RANDOR GUYTamil Cinema and Music - 23‘Manamagal’ was the Tamil screen adaptation of the popularMalayalam play ‘Suprabha’ by one the noted Malayalam writers,Munshi Paramu Pillai.The socially reformist play was all about a young woman whomarries a womanizing useless man by force of circumstances,after being in love with another fine man who is away in England.In a daring move, she makes up her mind to be only a bride and avirgin and never a wife. Hence the title ‘Manamagal’ (Bride).NSK, an ardent champion of social reforms, found the Malayalamplay to be up his alley and he produced and directed it under his ownbanner. The cast had, besides himself and his star wife T. A.Mathuram, S. V. Sahasranamam, Padmini, Lalitha, T. S. Balaiah,D. Balasubramaniam and other members of NSK Nataka Sabha.The film had classical music as a continuous thread right throughits screenplay. T. S. Balaiah played the role of a lecherous musicteacher who covets his student (Padmini), the only daughter of awealthy man. The girl is engaged to her cousin who is studying inEngland (Sahasranamam).The music master had previously abandoned a widow with whomhe had a relationship (T. A. Mathuram), who is rescued by a goodSamaritan (N. S. Krishnan). The music master also has his eyeson the young wife (Lalitha) of an aged gumastha (clerk). This ladyreciprocates and the scheming duo plot to ruin the life of the richyoung girl.The introductory scenes feature T. A. Mathuram lamentingabout her fate to NSK. The flashback shows Balaiah leading herinside his bedroom with the tune of ‘Radha sametha Krishna’ (madefamous by the legendary GNB) in the background. At the end of thenarration, NSK asks Mathuram where the ‘paavi’ (rogue) lives.The scene immediately shifts to Padmini’s house, where Balaiahis teaching her the song ‘Paaviyanum Padu Paavi’, set in ragaKalyani, a duet by V. N. Sundaram and MLV.Later Lalitha also becomes Balaiah’s student and the duet‘Ellaam inba mayam....’, set in raga Simhendra Madhyamam,followed by ragamalika swarams in Kambodhi , Mohanam, Hindolamand Ataanaa and is performed by the two (Lalitha and Padmini,with Leela and MLV as the playbacks respectively) as a sign thatthey have attained musical maturity.The sequence, set in a typical 1950s’ drawing room, has the girlsseated on a mat with the music master looking. At the other end,on a swing, sits Padmini’s ageing father looking on admiringly. Partof the song is shot from his perspective and the camera (placed onthe swing) keeps panning forward and backward in time to themusic.The duo then participate in a dance competition too where theydance to ‘Aayirathi Thollaayirathi’ (sung by MLV and Leela again),a song championing many social causes - a fast paced number thathas MLV dominating the show.‘Chinnam Chiru Kiliye’ of Subramania Bhrathiar made its screendebut in this film as a duet on screen between T. S. Balaiah (V. N.Sundaram) and Padmini (MLV), to which Lalitha dances. Itsraagamalika suite has been grafted since then to the concertplatform without any change.A song, not much heard, from the film is a solo by MLV. A sadpiece (Piranda Koondil), it is shot on Padmini. The song has anamazing range and only MLV could have done justice to thenumber. Most of the songs in the film were penned by UdumalaiNarayana Kavi.The music composer Chintamani Ramaswami Subburaman(1924-1952) was one of the most brilliant music directors of SouthIndian cinema who died at the height of his creative powers whenhe was hardly forty. Hailing from a Telugu Brahmin family longsettled down in Tirunelveli district, music ran in his genes. As a ladof sixteen, he was member of the famed HMV Orchestra in Madras.Even though he was reluctant to take up music composing as aprofession at such a young age, he was forced, thanks to the gamesDame Destiny plays in human lives, to composemusic for a successful Telugu film ‘Chenchu Lakshmi’ when he wasstill a teenager!Trained in classical Carnatic music, he created new trends inTamil and Telugu cinema, bringing in other schools of music likeWestern and Latin American with which he was quite familiar. Hewas one of the earliest to make such experiments during early1940s, proving extremely popular.( To be continued)MAMBALAM TIMES July 28 - August 3, 2012T. NAGAR BAZAARThis column is intended to help small businesses in & aroundT.Nagar and West Mambalam to have a cost-effectiveadvertisement medium. Advertisement in this section will be instandard panel sizes of 4 cm. x 1 column (costing only Rs. 500)and 4 cm. x 2 column (costing Rs. 1000)5% - 10 %Discountupto Aug. 3POLYWOODLoft cover, PoojaShelf, Cupboard,Showcase,Modern Kitchen,False Ceiling, PaintingVISWA ENTERPRISESVADAPALANI98400 18492, 6537 9721www.viswadecorators.com, E-mail: enquiry@viswadecorators.comWashing Machines,Fridges (2 doorspecialist), A/cs,Micro Ovens, InductionStove ServicesT. Nagar / MambalamAdvertise inthe bazaarcolumn foryourbusinessto boom!