There is a song in the film ‘Dul-U, Dul-U’ Ratha PasamReleased on 14th August 1954. Young C.V. Sridhar, who wrote the story, did not have a boring career at all. Veteran actor T.K. Shanmugam was the one who chose the title Ratha Pasam and brought it from the stage to the screen. Sridhar’s future seemed bright. Soon, he became a partner in the production house, Venus Pictures.
Kalyan ParisuThis 1959 film directed by Sridhar was a phenomenal success. The comedy track, which featured Thangavelu pretending to be a famous writer, was presented as a 78rpm record. But the comedy does not overcome the heaviness in the air.
The film ends up leaving you with a question – isn’t it better to be cheerful and jovial like Thangavelu, taking life as a joke, than brooding over a lost love like Gemini?
Is this what Sridhar wanted us to consider?
M. Saroja and Thangavelu kalyan parisu| Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Sridhar had a wide range and he made films in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He paid special attention to the songs in his films and was very difficult to please. Nenjil or AalayamThis President’s Award winning film was entirely shot in a hospital and the atmosphere there was very sombre.
The release date was fixed and the recording was to start again the next day, when Sridhar asked for a song to lighten the mood. Kannadasan’s son Annadurai says, “My father wrote the song ‘Muthana Muthallavo’ in less than 10 minutes and the scene was shot late at night.” Similarly, the song ‘Poo Sumanthu Pogiral’ (film) Police Mangal) was an afterthought, but it proved to be a fitting finale to the film.
There was once a time when Sridhar was not happy with any of MSV-TKR and Kannadasan’s compositions. He took them with him to Bombay, hoping that a change of environment would help them. After a month passed, the music directors gave him a tune they liked and Kannadasan managed to capture the elusive muse. The result was the song ‘Nenjam Marappadillai’, an ethereal melody about love.
After recording the song ‘Vijiye Kadai Ezhudu’ for MGR’s movie urimaikkuralSridhar was told that it needed MGR’s approval. Kannadasan was MGR’s political opponent at the time. So, on his suggestion, Sridhar told MGR that Vaali had written the song. “MGR recognised Kannadasan’s impression immediately. However, he wanted the song to be included in the film,” says Annadurai.
C.V. Sridhar | Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Amar Deepam He had two music directors – Chalapathi Rao and G. Ramanathan. But MLV’s song ‘Yenge Marindayo’ was tuned by his guru GNB.
Former Doordarshan station director MS Perumal says ‘Oru Naalile’ (film) shiwantha mann) was originally sung by Balamuralikrishna. TM Soundararajan told that in the song ‘Oru Naal Podhuma’ (film) Thiruvilayadal), TMS’s voice for Sivaji ‘defeated’ Balamurali’s voice (for Balayya). TMS was skeptical about how Sivaji’s fans would react if the ‘defeated’ voice sang for Sivaji. “Balamurali’s recording was scrapped and the tune was slightly altered to suit TMS’s voice,” says Perumal.
“Shridhar ran a 16-page broadsheet on films called picture gallery“It was also the name of his production house. It was printed on glossy paper,” Annadurai recalls.
Savitri and Gemini Ganesan Maman Magal| Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Sridhar had a great sense of humor. Even in a serious film Maman MagalThere was no lack of subtle wit. In one scene, comedian TS Durairaj observed that the visitors to Balaiya’s house must be a husband and wife, since the man has no opinion of his own but politely agrees with everything the woman says. Sridhar wrote an amusing comedy –yaar payyanIn which the little boy Poori (played by Daisy Irani) gets attached to the unmarried Gemini Ganesan. Every time someone asks Poori who his father is, he points to Gemini and says, “Maaganam Porundiya Sriman Sundararajan (Honourable Mr. Sundararajan).”
But the most memorable comedy of Shridhar was Kadalikka Neramillai Released in 1964, it had brilliant dialogues for Nagesh penned by Sridhar’s friend Gopu. Why were the later comedies preferred? Uttarwindri Ulle Wa And ooty varai uraavu Who could not achieve the cult status of KN, even though he was equally funny? The answer is not far to find. Uttarwindri Ulle Wa It has a villain who traffics women, an unwed mother, and an abandoned child. Furthermore, Mali is left alone while all his friends are paired with their lovers. ooty varai uraavu In this a villain pursues an heiress and the wealthy Balaiya abandons his daughter. But Kadalikka Neramillai There is no negative element, no narrative tension. Even when Ravichandran is fired from his job, he demands his job back through a song and dance!
Nagesh and Balaiah’s iconic comedy track Kadalikka Neramillai
| Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
instead of Kadalikka NeramillaiSridhar could have given us a film in which the hero handles problems philosophically, to compensate for the despondent heroes of some of his previous films. But, to borrow a line from PG Wodehouse – “despair – the sweat of the soul” “cannot be absorbed by the pocket handkerchief of philosophy.” So Sridhar gave us the only painkiller that would work – the world of dreams Kadalikka NeramillaiWhere nothing can go wrong.
That is why even today, Kadalikka Neramillai This book appeals to enthusiastic youngsters and world-weary old people.
