SOUTH INDIAN CINE MUSIC DIRECTORS [OLD] –XVII

 MD XII- C R SUBBARAMAN [1916-1952] 

CRSubbaraman was from Chintamani area of Nellai district of TN. Even as young boy, he displayed brilliant grasp and learnt varied nuances of classical music. Information is that, CRS gathered the intricacies of classical music from a Nadaswaram exponent of Kumbakonam. His deft handling of harmonium as a boy of 14 really mesmerized many. 

It was Mr Sundara baghavathar[ brother of MD G Ramanathan ]who got CRS placed as a harmonist in HMV gramophone company –the makers of graphite records then. Impressed by CRS’ ability to comprehend music nuances, HMV elevated him to the position of Assistant MD. In those days, he was accompanied by a young violinist; the youngster was Mr. T K Ramamoothy  and CRS readily made him his assistant. With scholarship on the nuances of classical music, CRS / TKR became friends, mutually impressed by the other person’s talent.

CRS had lived for just 36 years and his cine life as an MD had spanned 10 years. But, in a short span of a decade he carved a niche for himself as a highly imaginative composer. In his first movie ‘Chenchu lakshmi’, CRS  was brought in to complete unfinished compositions; he brilliantly blended certain Latin –American musical frames with typical classical frames and took the music lovers by storm. The movie proved a grand hit.

After some hiccups typical in any talented person’s career, CRS started working for P. Banumathi’s Bharani pictures.   In most movies of that production house, CRS was the composer.  Meanwhile, SMSubbiah naidu had inducted MS Viswanathan as an assistant to CRS . As his ill luck would have it, when songs were being made for Devadas, Chandi Rani and a few other movies, CRS passed away. All those incomplete stretches were completed  by Viswanathan –Ramamoorthy [CRS’ s assistants].

Quite often providence looks to be impatient with talents.

My salutations to CR Subbaraman

Prof. K. Raman