D.K. Pattammal was brought into films as a playback singer by the lawyer-turned-filmmaker, K. Subramaniam, for his classic, ‘Thyaga Bhoomi’ (1939). The film had a sequence towards the end showing a group of freedom fighters marching in a procession, carrying the Indian National Congress party flag. The heroine joins the group. The song, heard in the background — ‘Desa Sevai Seyya Vareer..!’ written by ‘Kalki’ and tuned by Papanasam Sivan — was sung by D.K. Pattammal.
As 1947 arrived A.V. Meiyappan released his ‘Naam Iruvar’ in which there were two dance sequences choreographed by Vazhuvoor B. Ramaiah Pillai with scintillating dance by ‘Baby’ Kamala. The songs were ‘Aaduvome Pallu Paaduvome...’, and ‘Vetri Ettu Dhikkum...’ sung by D.K. Pattammal. Her silky, soothing style made them unforgettable.
Interestingly, D.K. Pattammal’s name was announced in the film before the song-dance sequence began. It was the first time such a thing had been done in South Indian cinema. Pattammal also sang two songs for ‘Mahatma Urangaar’ (1947), directed by G. Pattu Iyer, ‘Kaana Aaval Kondengumen Iru Vizhigal...’ and ‘Kunchitha Paadham, Ninainthu Urugum...’ ). The lyrics were by the Papanasam Brothers, Sivan and Rajagopala Iyer, and the music by S.V. Venkataraman and T.R. Ramanathan.
For a comedy
Pattammal sang for ‘Pizhaikkum Vazhi,’ a comedy produced by the noted comedian, T.S. Durairaj and directed by A. Mitradas. She sang two songs written by Madurai G. Sundara Vaathiyar and composed by G. Aswathamma. One of them was on India, its perennial rivers, culture, poets and so on. A sample... ‘Engal Naattukku Endha Naadu Eeedu.’ Pattammal’s other songs for AVM films were ‘Vedhala Ulagam’ (1948), ‘Vazhkai’ (1949) and ‘Rama Rajyam’ (1948). She sang two melodious songs both written by Bharati. One song was ‘Thoondir puzhvinaipol sudarvilakkinaipol ...’ and the other was ‘Theeradha vilayattu pillai…’ Pattammal’s effortless singing and the bewitching dancing by ‘Baby’ Kamala made the last scene an aesthetic one.
A.V. Meiyappan dubbed the super hit Hindi film, ‘Ram Rajya,’ in Tamil. In an innovative move he added a prelude to the film, the popular song sung by Pattammal describing the main events of the epic, ‘Ramayanam.’ Pattammal also sang (‘Bharatha samudayam vaazhgave...’) in AVM’s ‘Vazhkai’ (1949), which introduced Vyjayanthimala to the film field. It was a major hit. A.K. Chettiar’s movie on Mahatma Gandhi, had Pattammal singing ‘Aadu Raattey...’ In ‘Lavanya’ (1951), produced and directed by G.R. Lakshmanan, Pattammal sang two songs — ‘Pazham Bhaaratha nannaadu’ and ‘Thanga oru nizhal illaiye.’
Pattammal sang in Tamil and Sanskrit in Chittoor V. Nagaiah’s Telugu classic, ‘Thyagaiah,’ apart from a few forgotten films. She never sang love duets and hardly saw the films in which she sang. She moved away from films after she achieved success and fame in the Carnatic music world.
Text and photo from The Hindu Archives
