Chennai: As Tamilnadu celebrates the 103rd birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and actor MG Ramachandran today, what strikes our mind when we say MGR are his philosophical and spirited ‘kolgai’ padalgal that always conveyed a strong message to audience.
They were his essential tool to reach out to wider masses and songs helped him achieve greater success in politics. And a major credits should go to playback singer T M Soundararajan aka TMS for this.
When Tamil film music industry was all about P U Chinappa, MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and the likes, came T M Soundararajan. A man with robust voice whose full-throated rendering of songs suited MGR the best.
Speaking about TMS voice for MGR songs, Baskar, a die-hard music lover and an octogenarian, says, ”He was no doubt a versatile singer. He had the knack of singing in such away that a listener could easily identify the star on screen without even watching the movie”.
”His voice for MGR songs, which spoke high of rationalist Dravidian ideas came handy for the actor in establishing a successful political career. Interestingly TMS was a devout spiritualist, A die-hard Murga Baktha”.
”There were lyricists who came up with songs that were laced with political ideas in MGR films and it effectively reached his fans thanks to TMS voice. It was his voice that helped people formulate a positive opinion on MGR”, says Ganapathy, a senior citizen.
Much later when the likes of S P Balasubrahmanyam or K J Yesudoss sang for MGR, they could not create the aura of TMS for Makkal Thilagam on screen, he adds.
”The list is endless. Naan Aanaiyittal, Ethanai Kalamthaan, Adho Andha, Parapopa Pazhaniappa, Aadaludan Padalai, Thottal Poo Malaraum, Javadhu Medaittu, Yennathan Nadakkum, Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum are my all-time favourites,” says Priyanka,a music student.
Even today when we listen to Achcham Enbadhu Madamayada being played in AIADMK public meetings, it is the image of MGR that comes to our mind. TMS’ voice had that magic. He was a selfless singer. He put the actor before him when he sang the songs. He made us believe that it was MGR who is actually singing, say music-lovers.
Not just mass songs, even romantic and pathos numbers of MGR were ably delivered by TMS. No doubt that if there is a book on MGR’s musical success, plenty of pages do belong to TMS.