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T. Govindarajulu Lingappa (died 2005) was a noted music director who had scored music for Tamil, Kannada and Telugu movies. He is the son of T. Govindarajulu Naidu who is also a famous film music director who had a very old beginning in the Tamil film industry.

T.G. Lingappa is the second son had learned music from his father T. Govindarajulu Naidu. His family stayed in Thiruchi. This is where M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (MKT) used to sing in their house and T. Govindarajulu Naidu introduced MKT to his children. T. Govindarajulu is a harmonium player in special dramas, but was also known as the one who taught music for K. B. Sundarambal. He also sold musical instruments and gramaphone in Thiruchi, but the businees was not doing very well. T.G. Lingappa had learned to play several musical instruments. In 1940, T. Govindarajulu Naidu took his family to Madras to look for greener pasture there.

At the age of 14, Lingappa tried to act in the film Kamathenu which was produced by Visvanathan. Instead Visvanathan had asked Lingappa to sing and to remain with him for sometime to given chance. He stayed a few months and when it is not fruitful and then moved on. Since he is able to play musical instuuments, he then joined the Mayoora Film Orchestra and played harmonium, mandoline and guitar. This orchestra used to play music for films and gramaphone. It sis to be noted that Lingappa played instruments for Ashok Kumar in 1941 and he was earning salary of Rs30 monthly .

In the same year Lingappa approached Gemini Studios to try his luck. C. Ramchandra was working there with other older artistes. But Lingappa was rejected due to his young age. Not giving up, Lingappa proceeded to Salem to try his chance in Modern Theatres when music director T. A. Kalyanam invited him. There Lingappa met T. R. Papa and K. V. Mahadevan. It was the time during the 1940s where everyone was circumambulating all available studios for opportunities.

In 1945, Lingappa returned to Madras and worked under R. Sudarsanam in the Pragathy Studios and he played instruments in the film Sri Valli (1945). Lingappa went to Karakkudi to play musical instruments when AVM Productions made Naam Iruvar (1947). In 1948, he returned to Madras and worked under C. R. Subburaman. All these experience under different renowned music directors had sparked an idea to be a freelance musician. He went on to purchase modern instruments from abraoad, especially London where he bought the electric guitar. Lingappa is well capable of playing the guitar. Music directors G. Ramanathan, S. V. Venkatraman and K. V. Mahadevan had used Lingappa for several of their songs. From then on Lingappa was playing many instruments under all the leading music directors.

T. R. Mahalingam had produced his first fim Macha Regai (1950) where the music was done by C. R. Subburaman. His manager was B. Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu (B. R. Panthulu). Since C. R. Subburaman died suddenly, T. R. Mahalingam who had known Lingappa from earlier and became closer in the film Naam Iruvar, gave Lingappa chance to compose music for his second production Mohanasundaram (1951). There are more than ten songs in Mohanasundaram. It was also that J. P. Chandrababu sang first Hello My dear Darling, Hello My rose charming. The success of the songs are due to T. R. Mahalingam and Lingappa both knew carnatic music, cooperated and discussed the tunes together. After that T.R. Mahalingam used Lingappa in his other movies like Chinnadurai and Vilayaattu Bommai.

B. R. Pantulu separated from T. R. Mahalingam and started Padmini Pictures for which banner Lingappa composed most number of films in Tamil. The first film of B. R. Bantulu was Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachaari (1954), a Sivaji Ganesan starrer directed by P. Neelakantan. There are excellent songs in the film. The Bharathidasan song Vennilaavum Vaanum Pol was first sung by M. M. Dandapani Desikar in the stages. Lingappa obtained his permission to use the same song in Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachaari with some modifications and after the approval of the tune by Baradidasan, Radha Jayalakshmi sang the song. V. N. Sundaram sang the comedy song Kaviyin Kanavil Vaazhum Oviyame in which he combines light music with carnatic tune. J. P. Chandrababu sang for Sivaji Jolly Life Jolly Life. This film and songs became hit. B. R. Bantulu again booked Lingappa for Sivaji Ganesan starrer Mudhal Thethi (1955).

Vaazhviley Oru Naal (1956) produced by Vengatasamy who is the husband of U. R. Jeevarathnam. In this movie Lingappa there is a duet Thendrale Varaayo Inba Sugam Tharayo by T. M. Soundararajan and U. R. Jeevarathnam.

Thangamalai Ragasiyam (1958) is another film that lifted P. Suseela to great heights. The song is Amuthai Pozhiyum Nilave. The same film was taken in Hindi and this song was retained with Hindi words. Again it became a success in the Hindi circles.

It is said by Lingappa himself that there are at least two songs that he composed, but came to be used by other music directors. One is Kunguma Poove which J.P. Chandrababu learnt under Lingappa and sang for S. M. Subbaiah Naidu in Maragatham (1959). The other is the song Putham Puthu Meni by Balamurali Krishna and P. Suseela in Subathinam.

He then went on to compose in Kannada movies. After a break he came back to compose in Muradan Muthu of Padmini Pictures. That was the last film where B. R. Pantulu used Sivaji Ganesan.

courtesy:
http://www.imoviehall.com/T.G.-Lingappa.html

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