The MSV I knew

Every night, my parents used to switch on the radio and tune into the station that plays old Tamil songs. They’d sleep in the next 5 minutes, but I’d be listening to them for a couple of hours. I didn’t strictly grow up listening to MSV, but I have listened to almost all of his good songs.

When I heard that he passed away, I was, for the lack of a better word, disappointed. Just the way I felt when Shivaji died, when Nagesh died.. I couldn’t get his voice singing “Udattil punnagai pudhaithom,
uyirai udambukkul pudhaithom, verum koodugal mattum oorvalam pogindrom” out of my head. So much so that I felt guilty about not being able to recall any of the songs he actually composed.

So I sat down and listed every old Tamil song I love and checked to find out how many of them were composed by MSV. It was 10/12. Here they are:

1. Adho andha paravai pola (Freedom)

from Ayirathil Oruvan

“கோடி மக்கள் சேர்ந்து வாழ வேண்டும் விடுதலை,

அச்சமின்றி ஆடிப்பாட வேண்டும் விடுதலை”

A group of slave workers think that they are sailing to freedom. They sing about how freedom is their birthright and they dream about the things they’d do once they are free. If it weren’t for the fact that they are eventually betrayed, this journey could be their best moment in life. Fittingly, this song is an explosion of happiness and optimism.

2. Anbulla Maanvizhiye (Romance)

from Kuzhandhaiyum Deivamum

“நலம் நலம்தானா முல்லை மலரே?
சுகம் சுகம்தானா முதுச்சுடரே?”

“நலம் நலம்தானே நீ இருந்தால்,
சுகம் சுகம் தானே நினைவிருந்தால்”

A pair of young lovers writes letters to each other while sitting right next to each other. The hero writes first, the heroine replies, the hero replies with questions that show how much he cares, and the heroine replies with answers that show how much she loves him. This song could just be the definition of a melody.

3. Viswanathan, velai vendum (Rebellion)

from Kadhalikka Neramillai

“வேலையின்றிப் போகாது வேறு வேலை தேடாது பாட்டுப் பாடிக் கூச்சல் போட்டு வேலை வாங்குவோம்!”

A wealthy businessman, Viswanathan, dismisses his employee because his daughters don’t like him. The infuriated employee gathers a bunch of people and performs a musical protest in front of Viswanathan’s house. This song could have just taken the wrong turn towards communism and ended up bashing the rich people. But keeping up with the lighter vein of the movie, this song just becomes a catchy and creative way to ask for your job back. Like a flash mob.

4. Ennai teriyuma (Pride)

from Kudiyirundha Kovil

“அவள் அருகில் வந்து பழக, நான் மெழுகு போல உருக, இதழ் பிழிய பிழிய தேனை எடுத்து எனக்கு தந்தாளே. கொடுத்ததை நினைக்கலாம் கொடுத்தவள் மறக்கலாம்”

Even as a club dancer, MGR maintains his image of a righteous hero of the masses. Once, when I listened to this song I heard a stanza which I have never heard before (or heard since). It’s been mysteriously removed from everywhere, even in the video above. But I love this song, the ennai teriymaaaaa and the chorus. But more than that, I love that stanza (mentioned above) that was cut to maintain MGR’s image.

5. Partha nyabagam illayo (Mystery)

from Puthiya Paravai

“இந்த இரவைக் கேளது சொல்லும், அந்த நிலவைக் கேளது சொல்லும், உந்தன் மனதைக் கேளது சொல்லும், நாம் மறுபடி பிறந்ததைச் சொல்லும்”

Gopal is a normal guy except when he gets upset every time he sees a train. We understand why in the flashback which opens with his first wife singing a haunting song “partha nyabagam illayo?”. Why is it haunting? Because this normal guy had killed his first wife and made it look like a suicide by placing her body on a railway track. But the real mystery is.. is she really dead?

This song treads a thin line between being alluring enough to justify the hero falling in love with the singer and being mysterious enough to haunt him for the rest of his life.

6. Naan aanaiyittal (Power)

from Enga Veetu Pillai

“இங்கு ஊமைகள் ஏங்கவும் , உண்மைகள் தூங்கவும் நானா பார்த்திருப்பேன்? ஒரு கடவுள் உண்டு, அவர் கொள்கை உண்டு, அதை எப்போதும் காத்திருப்பேன்”

When you listen to TMS roar “Naan aanayittal”, you feel safe. We have all wanted someone like MGR to jump in and whip the bad guys and make them behave. I love the way the verses in this song start in a low tone that shows the anger of the hero against all the injustice and ends in a high note that threatens the bad people.

7. Chellakizhigalam palliyile (Lullaby)

from Enga Mama

“கன்றின் குரலும், கன்னித் தமிழும், சொல்லும் வார்த்தை அம்மா அம்மா.

கருணை தேடி அலையும் உயிர்கள் உருகும் வார்த்தை அம்மா அம்மா”

For a lullaby that begins with “Why haven’t you slept yet?” this song is incredibly beautiful and can actually put you to sleep. The hero takes a dozen orphans under his care. They are his family. He plays with them, sings with them.. he is basically a mother to them. Every frame, every character, every verse in this song oozes of goodness.

8. Varavu ettana (Money)

from Bama Vijayam

“நிலைமைக்கு மேலே நினைப்பு வந்தால் நிம்மதி இருக்காது,
அளவுக்கு மேலே ஆசையும் வந்தால் உள்ளதும் நிலைக்காது”

A rich movie-star neighbor moves next door to a peaceful middle-class joint family. The young couples in the family go crazy trying to imitate the extravagant life of the neighbor. So the grandfather and his grandkids decide to teach them a math lesson. This all-time classic budget song teaches you the perils of biting off more than you can chew.

9. Ullathil nalla ullam (Greater good)

from Karnan

“செஞ்சோற்று கடன் தீர்க்க சேராத இடம் சேர்ந்து வஞ்சத்தில் வீழ்ந்தாயடா.. கர்ணா வஞ்சகன் கண்ணனடா”

I get a lump in my throat every time I listen to this song. Every time.

The pandavas have to take out Karnan in order to win. But they can’t because all the dharma that Karnan did is protecting his life. So Arjunan enlists the help of Krishnan. And Krishnan begins his long walk towards Karnan, who is lying wounded on the opposite side of the battlefield, singing about his virtues (something like “I love you man, but I have to kill you”). He disguises himself as a poor brahmin and asks for a little bit of Karnan’s blood. And Karnan, of course, gives him; thereby giving Krishnan the power to kill him. (It’s fascinating how much like Harry potter this part of Mahabharatha is).

Karnan is a very important and interesting literary character. When someone tells me that they have read Mahabharatha, I ask them what their favorite character is. The answer is always Karnan. The guy gives up his values, identity and even his life for his friend. And Karnan is my favorite movie about my favorite character.

But I digress, let’s talk about Karnan later. Coming back to MSV..

10. Malarnthum Malaradha (Love)

from Pasamalar

“சிறகில் எனை மூடி அருமை மகள் போல வளர்த்த கதை சொல்லவா?

கனவில் நினையாத காலம் இடை வந்து பிரித்த கதை சொல்லவா?”

I saved the best for the last.

This song is a sobfest disguised as a lullaby. Raja and Radha are loving brother and sister. They value their relationship so much that their memory will live on even after the earth, the sea or the sky.

“இந்த மண்ணும் கடல் வானும் மறைந்து முடிந்தாலும் மறக்க முடியாதடா உறவைப் பிரிக்கமுடியாதடா”

But, of course, life happens. They get their own families and are separated. But they miss each other so much that they rave about the love they have for each other in the lullabies they sing for their own kids (an ingenious idea). Though there are many emotional factors involved here, I think this simple song is MSV’s best.

Why, then, did I not think of any of these songs when I heard that he passed away?

Maybe because, in my mind, I filed these songs under “old songs” and not “MSV songs”.

Maybe because MSV was before my time.

Or maybe because the sadness in his voice in vidai kodu engal nade expressed what I felt about his death more appropriately than any song he composed.