SOUTH INDIAN CINE MUSIC DIRECTORS [OLD] –XVI

MD XI - V KUMAR [VARADHARAJULU KUMAR    [28-07 -1934—07-01-1996]

In plain language, Mr. V, Kumar co-travelled with K. Balachander; Yes literally they began their life of artistic creativity in stage plays and progressed in that medium for several years before, they ventured in to movie –making exercise.

The most astonishing facet of Mr. V Kumar was his ‘originality’ in ideas especially in composing ‘captive’ tunes. That he was ‘visible’ in that era of prolific composers Viswanathan, K V Mahadevan and their contemporaries like R Sudharsanam . A budding composer [‘budding ‘in cine domain ] to keep himself and his compositions aloft were no mean feat by any stretch of imagination.

As mentioned earlier, he opened his cine innings along with K Balachander  and never looked back in my understanding.

1965

His first film was NEERKUMIZHI where he had given a dance number ‘kanni nadhioram ‘

Another melancholic number ‘AAdi adangum vaazhkkaiyada’.

‘NAANAL ‘ Romantic piece ‘mannukku melaadai ‘ and a pathos cum story teller ‘ennadhaan paaduvadho’

1967

‘NINAIVIL NINDRAVAL’  A peppy song ‘yenna thorium indha chinna ponnukku ‘ a romance bsong ‘thottadhaa thodaadhadhaa ‘; comic piece ‘nandhan vandhaan ‘

1968

‘BOMMALAATTAM ‘ , ‘EDHIR NEECJHAL’  Both had very good hit numbers. Like ‘vaavadhyare oottaande’

‘thamaraikaannangal , aduththaaththu ambujaththai’   Among his 1969 –pieces Irukodugal stood out. Melodies like ‘punnagai mannan’ and  ‘kaadhodu thaan’ + paappa paattu’

1971

‘RANGA RAATTINAM’      V Kumar LITERALLY REVIVED THE SINGER LIFE for AM Raja through the song  'muthaarame’  in this movie.

1972

‘VELLI VIZHA’  V K created a history of sorts when he hesitantly approached  MSV to sing a song for him. MSV was the Numero Uno  MD in Tamil films . Gladly MSV rendered the song ‘unakkenna kurachchal’.

KUMAR registered his class as a composer through the thick of the then competition in the industry and came out admirably well.  VK gelled with CHO S. Ramaswamy and Muktha V Srinivasan and gave some vey good tunes in their movies.

Prof. K. Raman