Potpourri of titbits about cinema - Madurai Somu

Q: How did you get the opportunity to sing for films?

A: Both MGR and Sivaji Ganesan are my ardent fans. Both used to invite me to their house and would request me to sing. And, they would enjoy my rendition very much. It was because of Sivaji Ganesan that I got the opportunity to sing a few numbers in the film ‘Sampoorna Ramayanam’ for his character and also the song, “Veenai kodiyudaiya venthane …” for the Ravana character donned by T. K. Bhagavathy. Bhagavathy couldn’t adhere to my speed in his lip movement and so the director wanted to give the song to C. S. Jayaraman. But Sivaji Ganesan insisted that I should only sing that song. When Sivaji told me about this with hesitation, I told him that if that particular song of mine was removed, all my other songs should also be removed. And, they removed all my other songs too. After this bitter experience, I decided not to sing for films. Chinnappa Devar, who enjoyed a program of mine at Maruthamalai approached me through ‘Kunnakudi’ Vaidhyanathan and succeeded in his attempt to make me sing in his film ‘Deivam’. And, he made me act too in that film. After the release of this film, I got a plethora of offers, but I turned them down all.

Q: You are maintaining your body perfectly, are you doing regular exercise?

A: I’ve no time for exercise …I learnt wrestling at my young age from a coach at the playground of Kali Sadaiyan temple at Madurai. Since then, I had been looking after my health and body. I had even thought of becoming a wrestler. But fate had it that I should be a Carnatic musician!

When I requested him that he should sing film songs that were based on Carnatic music so that songs like ‘Maruthamalai maamaniyee…” could be heard by the cine-goers in his scintillating voice, he apologized telling that cinema wouldn’t suit him.

When he went to Thirukarukavur, the native hamlet of his wife Saroja, he fell seriously ill and died on 9-12-1989. His heirs include his four sons, Shanmugam, Hariharasudhan, Rajarajeswari and Ramasubramanian with nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Today, ‘Madurai’ S. Pavithra, one of his grand-daughters is giving stage programs following his style.