KANNODU KANNAI RAGASIYAM PESI - MADHANA MOHINI

Saravanan writes:

Let us today listen to a vintage classic by an unlikely singer:

Kannodu kannai ragasiyam pesi from Madana Mohini. Sung by K.V. Mahadevan & P. Leela. Lyrics by M.P. Sivan. Music by KVM.

It is only the audio that is available in the net, thankfully, for I am certain that video would be far from appealing!

Madhana Mohini (1953/ Liberty Pictures) was produced by M.L. Pathi. It starred an obscure actress of the 50s called C.R. Rajakumari in a dual role and Narasimha Bharathi as the hero. I recall seeing it on DD- it was a long-drawn meandering tale, a tedious amalgam of mythology, sorcery and romance. Shoddy editing, amateurish acting, and a screenplay that displayed an appalling indifference to logic compounded the woes of this misadventure, and the proceedings unwittingly ended up in a comical farce. And I would have given up on it too, had I not been riveted by its enchanting songs, and the knowledge that I was watching a slice of Tamil Film Music history.

Madana Mohini had songs in abundance, and there were at least 2-3 more songs than these 11 that I managed to gather over the years:

Vaana veedhi mele vilaiyaadum vennilave- P. Leela
Aanum pennum aasai vechu - A.P. Komala
UnmaikkE ulagil uyarvu thaazh illaiye (enne ikkaala maatram)- KVM
Aadhi mudhalaanava- A.P. Komala & N.L. Ganasaraswathi
Ko ko ko kokkarakko, kozhiyinna kozhi thaan- A.M. Appadurai
Pombalaithaan endru ennavendaam- A.P. Komala
Ilam kandrupole illam thullugindren- Jikki
Vaazhiya senthamizh thaaye- KVM
Agara mudhala (Ega uruvaam marundhu)- K.R. Lakshmi
Peru sollum peru sollum- KVM & Kasturi
Kannodu kannaai ragasiyam pesi- KVM & P. Leela
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The lyrics for the songs were by M.P. Sivan. Madhilakathuveedu Paramasivan Nair’s (M. P. Sivan) love for Tamil and theater made him leave his native Palaghat and join the famed Madurai Bala Gana Sabha. His proficiency in the language and his mastery over the Harmonium gradually earned him a revered position as a writer, lyricist, music composer and teacher in that celebrated institution. His foray into Tamil film music was short-lived- he wrote lyrics for a few films in the 50s, and a few devotional songs.

One of the reasons that Madana Mohini remains a piece of Tamil film music history, is that it was with this album that Thiruvanandapuram Kesavapillai Pugazhendhi joined KVM’s ensemble, and all of KVM’s subsequent films’ titles, till the very end, proclaimed: “Isai: KVM; Udhavi: TKP’’. An enduring and endearing association that, perhaps, has no parallel anywhere. And the credit for introducing TKP to KVM goes to M.P. Sivan. He was TKP’s Guru in Madurai Bala Gana Sabha, and the teacher and student shared a rare rapport. And when Sivan got an opportunity to write the lyrics (and the dialogues as well) for Madana Mohini, he pulled in TKP, who had been working with C.N. Pandurangan for a short while. Sivan’s warm recommendation, and TKP’s unquestioned talents, of course, fetched TKP a permanent place in KVM’s troupe.
* * * *
The other justification, for Madana Mohini’s place of pride among the landmark albums of Tamil cinema is KVM singing (for the first time) 4 of its songs. A journalist friend once told me that P. Leela, while reminiscing on Madana Mohini, said that KVM was a reluctant singer- it was because the singer who was to have rendered the songs failed to turn up for the recording, that KVM was coaxed into rendering them himself. P. Leela added that it was her fortune to have bagged an opportunity of a lifetime of singing a duet with KVM.

With a lovely Shanmugapriya opening, the song seems a scintillating precursor to S.V.Venkataraman’s Nenjil kudiyirukkum. We realize what we have missed…with a voice that seems to be a perfect blend of V.N. Sundram’s classy, carefully honed tone and Tiruchi Loganathan’s resonant, rich timbre, KVM could have been a much sought after singer, had he willed. To our misfortune, he deemed it more appropriate to restrict himself to composing music.
However, the few songs that he did sing remain with us, as a wistful window to the enchantment that could have been---the poignant resignation to the quirky twists of fate that cloaks his ‘Enne ikaalam maatram’ (Madana Mohini), the rollicking ride that KVM, along with Ratnamala, takes us for, crooning ‘ Lovukku lovukku love, Kissukku kissukku kiss! ’ (Naalvar), the joyous repartees that embellish KVM and K. Rani’s ‘abaraatham roobai aimbadhu’ (Naalvar), the ruminating, philosophical mien that KVM adopts, when, accompanied by A. Aandal, he sermonizes, ‘Vaazhvin kadamaiyai marandhu nee vaazhathe’ (KVM’s brugha-laden viruthams in this song are singularly spellbinding essays; from the film Nalla Kaalam). And as far as I can recall, KVM did sing for another MD- the forgotten M.S. Gnanamani was the composer who was picked for this rare favor- in the film Ulagam (1953/Society Pictures) for which Gnanamani composed 15 songs, KVM and N.L. Ganasaraswathi sang a delightful duet ‘kaadhalinaal ulagame inbamadhE’.
* * * *

June 21st marked the annual summer solstice: the longest day in the year. Solstice, from Latin, means when ‘the sun stands still’ (sol- sun, sistit-stands). In the annals of Tamil film music too, June 21st marks a solemn memory—for it was on that day 15 years back that Tamil film music seemed to stand still, mourning an irredeemable loss, that of the beloved doyen, 'Thirai Isai Thilagam' Krishnankoyil Venkatachalam Mahadevan.

However, the magic of his music will still continue to cast its spell on generations of listeners, and will continue to be cherished with reverence.