‘Thanga sariga sela engum palapalakka… thanga sariga sela engum palapalakka thanga…sarigasela…’
Savitri’s body language and the singer’s nonchalant ‘attitude’ make it an outstanding piece of composition unparalleled in concept and execution. The TMS-Susheela song transports the on-screen chemistry of the lead pair, which made this a delightful segment of ‘Navaratiri.’ How did Susheela handle the music-speech alternation? “It was not easy,” agrees the veteran. KVM had introduced a Kerala touch, which made the number a unique folk piece. But drama, bhava might be a more musical term, has been the hallmark of Susheela’s singing. An entire story is played out in ‘Oru Naal Iravu Pagal Pol Nilavu,’ every emotional nuance captured by minute vocal inflection.
Did that not demand absolute mastery over language? “I was told the meaning of the song and the situation. And I practised.” As simple as that? The stupendous achievement sits lightly on the singer, who gives credit to all those composers, who wielded the baton.
“Her best was tapped by G. Ramanathan,” supplies her ardent fan, who incidentally was one of the Susheela ‘fanatics’ club that set the Guinness ball rolling. Rajeswara Rao, father of light music, Adi Narayana Rao, Pendyala, Devarajan Master and Dakshinamurthi Swamy made sure that her vocal prowess, especially the silken brigas and effortless sangatis, was thoroughly utilised. In their peak days, any of them would wait for even two weeks to get Susheela’s time.
Yes, she took lessons to improve her Tamil but how could it be so perfect sans the trace of an accent? It was indeed a tribute to her impeccable diction that she was chosen to sing ‘Thamizhukkum Amudenru’ and ‘Sangae Muzhangu.’ “Don’t forget Bharatiar’s ‘Suttum Vizhichudar’…” she gently reminds you. But that is the case with her Malayalam songs too, it is pointed out.
Internalisation, a word bandied about these days, must have happened every time Susheela sang.
There is a song for every mood so much so that she has become an extension of one’s psyche. It is enough to delve into her incredible repertoire to come up with the melody that suits you at that moment.
‘Vasanta kaalam varumo’ belongs to the catgory where the voice glides with minimal orchestra to haunt the listener forever. Voice and lyric do the magic to create intimacy in ‘Naan Pesa Ninaippadellam.’
What offset best this nightingale’s inimitable range? The voice complemented the piano (‘Enna Enna Varthaigalo’) and sang in symphony with the flute but outstanding was its outing with the veena. ‘Deviyar Iruvar,’ ‘Idhaya Veenai,’ ‘Kalaimagal Kaiporulae’… the fingers that raced over the frets couldn’t have been more nimble than the honey-soaked cords, surely? “Phoning to congratulate me, Vanisri recalled the Vasantha Maaligai song,” informs Susheela, who draws attention to ‘Engo Pirandavaram’ as a classical delight composed by S. Balachander.
The ‘ghost makers’ of today would love to have something on the lines of ‘Naane Varuvaen’ or ‘Nenjam Marappadillai.’ Has any other voice communicated the eerie so well?
The same voice, which belted out ‘Mangalamelam Pongi Muzhanga,’ deceptively straight and sweet but pitched on a high scale and which is on a roll in ‘Sevvanthi Poo Mudicha Chinnakka,’ brimming with fun. The stately ‘Thanga Ratham’ in Balamurali’s company is another gem.
Mischief bubbles in ‘Getti melam’ and ‘Boomboom Maatukkaran.’ For high philosophy ‘Kaalamagal Kann Tirappal,’ a Kannadasan masterpiece, and for a touch of flamboyance, ‘Nilavu Vandu Paadumo?’
The jaunty ‘Nenjathilae Nee Netru Vandai’ effortlessly meets the challenge of the whistle. Romance almost bordering on the erotic is ‘Ennadan Ragasiyamo’ and ‘Malargal Nanaindana.’ The nasal twang effectively comes to the fore in ‘Adikkira Kaidan Anaikkum.’
There is mockery in ‘Kalyanam Aanavarae,’ tears in ‘Sondamillai Bandamillai’ and challenge in ‘Ayiram Penmai Malarattumae.’
Did she do anything special to change her voice to suit different heroines? “No,” laughs Susheela. “I didn’t even know for whom the song was being recorded. When I attended the press show I would know,” she adds.
Veteran composers, a career across several languages, spanning six decades and three generations… Guinness is just one more milestone in Susheela’s incredible journey. But we thank the Guinness for giving an excuse to shine the spotlight on this Diva because it is nice to sing paeans to a voice that has kept company through a life time.
Collective prayer
The year was 1985. MGR, the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, was ill and taken to the U.S. for treatment. Lakhs of fans prayed fervently for his recovery and one song went viral. It was ‘Iraiva Un Maaligaiyil’ that Susheela had sung in ‘Oli Vilakku,’ a 1968 MGR-Jayalalithaa starrer. The record was played morning to dusk across the State as a collective prayer for their matinee idol, the last charanam summing up their angst. This happened until he returned. Is there a yardstick to define this kind of quality and reach?
Website dedicated
Her fans gathered all her songs and created a website. Psusheela.org was launched by MSV on her birthday, November 13, in 2003. Through a Trust that she has formed, the melody queen is quietly supporting musicians in need of help.
