padmanabha
12th September 2006, 10:26 AM
[tscii:f6cacd63df]Only Indian Film songs have songs, for every situation. Its influence has become so great that these days films run just for the songs.
The credit of introducing film songs goes to Papanasam Sivan, whose 116th birth anniversary falls on 26th of September.
Papanasam Sivan-a flash back
Born to Ramathirth Iyer and Yogambal at Polakkam in Tanjavoor, Ramayya (his maiden name) spent better part of his days in Thiruvananthapuram. With the demise of his father Sivan’s family migrated to this city in 1897, as the then reigning Maharaja was a great patron. He joined the Sanskrit School Fort, Thiruvananthapuram. (The school still functions and it is just five minutes walk from my residence).
In those days Neelakanta Sivan Samba Bhagavathr and Parameswara Bhagavathar were the popular court musicians. They identified Sivan’s talent and nurtured it.
Sivan always trotted, leaving his mother alone. HE went to Trichy and Papanasam. There he composed many hymns on Lord Siva and the people christened him Papanasam Sivan.
Cinema began to talk in Tamil with Kalidas (1931) directed by H M Nagi Reddy and produced by Ardeshir Irani-the maker of Alam Ara the first Indian Talkie.
Seeking greener pastures Sivan reached Chennai and composed music for stage plays. He taught music to all the six children of Advocate Sundaram Iyer. The youngest is none other than Veenai S Balachander.
V Santharam sought help of film buffs to make a movie in Tamil based on the story of Sairendri. This film released in 1931 is the first color film in India. Film aspirants like Muthuswami Iyer, A.k Sekhar, K Ramanath, G K Seshagiri, ADV. Sundaram Iyer and family decidedto meet Santharam at his residence at Kolhapur. Sivan accompanied them.
Thus he ventured into a new field. He wrote the lyrics and composed them for the films Seethakalyanam and Pavalakodi at Kolhapur. Pavalakodi had 50 songs!!
Sivan became very popular. Naveena Sarangadhara (1936) Chintamani and Ambikapathi(1937) were screened for more than a year.
Old timers still remember the following numbers.
Radhae unakku kopam akathadi, Natakame ulakam, Manmada leelaei vendrar undo, Krishna mukunda murarae, Dheena karunakarane nataraja and Ma ramanan uma ramanan.
His secrete of success was that he chose the right ragas to suit thesinger’s musicial qualities. Remember those were the days when play back singing was unknown.
Sivan tried his hand in acting as well. Bhakta kuchela(1936) Thyagabhoomi(1939) and kubera kuchela(1943).
In spite of being a busy bee in the tinsel world, he never ignored classical music his first love. Naan oru vilayattu bommaya(navarasa Canada), Saravana bhava ennum(shanmugha priya), nekhuruki(abhogi) are a few of his master pieces.
Karaikkal ammaaiyar, Sree rama charita geetham are the two immortal works of Sivan. The later s a compilation of 24 songs in 24 ragas and is considered equivalent to the 24000 slokas in Valmiki Ramayana.
D K Pattammal, Madurai Mani Iyer, M S Subbalekshmi, D K Jayaram, learned music under him for a brief period.
Sivan was closely associated with Dr. Rukmini Devi Arundale, and Kalkshetra. He composed many songs for dance drama presented by Rukmini. In 1973, he was made a fellow of the Kendra Sangita Nataka Academy and was conferred Padma Bhooshan. He passed away on first of October in the same year. (536 words)
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The credit of introducing film songs goes to Papanasam Sivan, whose 116th birth anniversary falls on 26th of September.
Papanasam Sivan-a flash back
Born to Ramathirth Iyer and Yogambal at Polakkam in Tanjavoor, Ramayya (his maiden name) spent better part of his days in Thiruvananthapuram. With the demise of his father Sivan’s family migrated to this city in 1897, as the then reigning Maharaja was a great patron. He joined the Sanskrit School Fort, Thiruvananthapuram. (The school still functions and it is just five minutes walk from my residence).
In those days Neelakanta Sivan Samba Bhagavathr and Parameswara Bhagavathar were the popular court musicians. They identified Sivan’s talent and nurtured it.
Sivan always trotted, leaving his mother alone. HE went to Trichy and Papanasam. There he composed many hymns on Lord Siva and the people christened him Papanasam Sivan.
Cinema began to talk in Tamil with Kalidas (1931) directed by H M Nagi Reddy and produced by Ardeshir Irani-the maker of Alam Ara the first Indian Talkie.
Seeking greener pastures Sivan reached Chennai and composed music for stage plays. He taught music to all the six children of Advocate Sundaram Iyer. The youngest is none other than Veenai S Balachander.
V Santharam sought help of film buffs to make a movie in Tamil based on the story of Sairendri. This film released in 1931 is the first color film in India. Film aspirants like Muthuswami Iyer, A.k Sekhar, K Ramanath, G K Seshagiri, ADV. Sundaram Iyer and family decidedto meet Santharam at his residence at Kolhapur. Sivan accompanied them.
Thus he ventured into a new field. He wrote the lyrics and composed them for the films Seethakalyanam and Pavalakodi at Kolhapur. Pavalakodi had 50 songs!!
Sivan became very popular. Naveena Sarangadhara (1936) Chintamani and Ambikapathi(1937) were screened for more than a year.
Old timers still remember the following numbers.
Radhae unakku kopam akathadi, Natakame ulakam, Manmada leelaei vendrar undo, Krishna mukunda murarae, Dheena karunakarane nataraja and Ma ramanan uma ramanan.
His secrete of success was that he chose the right ragas to suit thesinger’s musicial qualities. Remember those were the days when play back singing was unknown.
Sivan tried his hand in acting as well. Bhakta kuchela(1936) Thyagabhoomi(1939) and kubera kuchela(1943).
In spite of being a busy bee in the tinsel world, he never ignored classical music his first love. Naan oru vilayattu bommaya(navarasa Canada), Saravana bhava ennum(shanmugha priya), nekhuruki(abhogi) are a few of his master pieces.
Karaikkal ammaaiyar, Sree rama charita geetham are the two immortal works of Sivan. The later s a compilation of 24 songs in 24 ragas and is considered equivalent to the 24000 slokas in Valmiki Ramayana.
D K Pattammal, Madurai Mani Iyer, M S Subbalekshmi, D K Jayaram, learned music under him for a brief period.
Sivan was closely associated with Dr. Rukmini Devi Arundale, and Kalkshetra. He composed many songs for dance drama presented by Rukmini. In 1973, he was made a fellow of the Kendra Sangita Nataka Academy and was conferred Padma Bhooshan. He passed away on first of October in the same year. (536 words)
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