SOUTH INDIAN CINE MUSIC DIRECTORS [OLD] - VIII

 MD- III

SM SUBBIAH NAIDU [15-03 -1914- 26-05 -1979]

[SUBBARAYALU MUNUSWAMI SUBBIAH NAIDU] POPULAR AS    SMS

SMS was born in Kadayanallur and had a miserable early life- running away from home.  Like the then children –off home, drama troupes were his refuge too and slowly he entered Kovai Central studio, Pakshiraja studios ; also, he had worked for Jupiter pictures where he picked up proximity to MGR in the latter’s early career. Even by 1940s SMS had worked with the then MDs in cinema houses. As early as 1947, he became a composer in Rajakumari- a film fielding MGR AS HERO. Though slow to capture market, SMS was steady with good movies like Malaikkallan, Ezhai padum paadu, Thirumanam ; his fortunes were steady . Later he worked for movies like NADODI MANNAN , MANNIPPU, MARAGADHAM etc.

Having been an early bird to Music Direction, SMS was called ‘Sangeetha ayya’ in studio circles then.     Besides his ability as a composer, SMS is rated to have been an excellent conductor for sessions of song recording.  In view of these profundities, Mr. SMS was affectionately referred to as OP Nayyar of South Indian screen. Three of his major contributions to Tamil screen were his ‘grooming’ of Chandrababu to the status of a good singer; 2. His innovative assembly of the song ‘Singara velane deva’ using                         S. Janaki’s voice conjointly with Nadhaswaram and to comfortably sail with Karukurichi Arunachalam’s Nadaswaram in ‘KONJUM SALANGAI’ – remarkable by any standards then and 3 his nurturing and grooming the young MSV who later catapulted to the status of ‘Monarch’ of light music’ in TF. Sri SMS is also said to have been the first MD to have introduced the system of play back singing. Having been a pioneer in the trade, SMS has used every known voice of either gender then.

The association between MGR and SMS gelled very well especially through their interaction during movies MARMAYOGI and MALAIKKALLAN, the former developed a positive disposition towards SMS. This became all too evident when MGR produced and directed the movie ‘NADODI MANNAN’; he offered the assignment of MD to SMS.

With the emergence of more refined orchestration, intricate weaving of musical notes etc during 1960s, SMS’ fortune as an MD faced an inevitable decline. But what happened during hey days of SMS is a  matter of interest rather than of his darker days. SMS being a pioneer among the then MDs, he was a leading person in cine studios of Coimbatore where MS Viswanathan was a full-time temporary employee. For his boss [SMS] MSV rendered varied services like ‘upkeep of instruments’, setting them in state of readiness for use daily, providing ‘notes’ for orchestra men, coaching the singers for every new song and so on. So, MSV was the ‘all-in-one’ assistant to SMS. In fact Kannadasan’s first cine lyric was set to tune by SMS IN 1947 [‘kalangaathiru maname’for movie ‘KANNIYIN KAADHALI’]

When song composing for movie ABHIMANYU was on, SMS was unhappy over a particular lyric [‘pudhu vasanthamame vaazhvile’] eluding the elegance of fine arrangement. Several attempts only frustrated SMS and the work was postponed.  A curious MSV [forgetting his status of an errand boy] sat with SMS’s harmonium and formulated the tune now we know for the song. SMS was happy that at last a head ache was over; but warned MSV not to reveal anything to anyone and the song was released on SMS’ name. Years later SMS demonstrated the highest form of regard and rendered the best help to MSV. When the studio bosses deemed it fit to shift their work territory to Madras, all employees were given a handshake disposal [decent dismissal]. MSV was a literal orphan with nothing to fall back upon.  His predicament was too complex. SMS took MSV along to the bosses and told them ‘Sirs, we –the experienced musicians would find new placement in Madras studios. But, this boy [MSV] is highly talented without much publicity for his work. Some of the best tunes made in our studios were made by him [MSV]; it was concealed for obvious reasons. Somehow you take him along; he would be an asset to any music team. The bosses obliged; this saved MSV the nightmare of survival agony.

In Chennai SMS was re-establishing himself as an MD. On and off MGR was offering work to SMS for his sheer love of the man. Movies ‘THIRUDATHE’, ‘KANAVAN’ are some examples.  His composition in 1963 movie ‘VEERAANGANAI ‘proved a grand hit then. [‘neela vanna kangal irandu – KJJ and PS] ‘nee enge’     [TMS] from MANNIPPU was another SMS hit then. Another excellent duet from the same film was ‘vennilaa vaanil varum velaiyil’  TMS- PS stands testimony to SMS’s concept of duet assembly/ orchestration [1969].

With MGR as TN CM, Kannadasan and MSV arranged a function in honour of SMS on his 60^th birth day and a purse was presented.  Due to old age SMS became sick; MSV took personal care of both SMS and his wife, as they had no children. MSV, also performed the last rites when they died. MSV reciprocated his gratitude to his guru but for whom perhaps MSV may have had to struggle further in his early period.

SMS- MSV depict Guru-Sishya tradition of our culture. Hats off to both.

Prof. K.RAMAN