Two noted personalities from the film and music fields, who had worked with TMS, reveal certain facets of the legend. Actor and singer A.L. Raghavan is TMS’s contemporary. They joined Jupiter Pictures together in 1947. He says that TMS was perhaps the only one who had the potential to deliver a dialogue while singing and in a single breath. He cites ‘Andhanaal Nyaabaham Nenjilae Vandhadhey Nanbaney,’ ‘Yaarai Nambi Naan Porandaen,’ ‘Daevanae…’ and “Avala Sonnal? Irukkadu’ as examples.
On screen, the lip-sync by actors were often mistimed and they even failed to capture the emotion of the lines the way TMS expressed it. Many top stars allowed him to deliver their dialogue in between songs as he could replicate their voices and modulations.
Lyricist and script writer K.P. Arivanandham recalls the many songs penned by him, composed by MSV, which were made memorable by TMS. For ‘Navagraha Nayaki,’ KPA had written a song in praise of Lord Chandran. KPA remembers that TMS not only sang but gave a lively enactment of the lyric onscreen.
Scenes from Patinathaar, in which TMS played the lead, are etched in KPA’s mind. The scene where he sings ‘Oru Madamaadhum oru Vanum Aahee’ (from child birth to death) or the emotional song as he lights the funeral pyre of Patinathaar’s mother, in ‘Arunagirinathar’ when Lord Muruga saves him and engraves ‘Om’ on his tongue, he bursts into ‘Muthai Tharupathi Thirunagai.’ KPA says the acting and the emotional singing moved the audience.
(Inputs by S. Shivpprasadh)
