Hindustani raag and hit songs

MSV based a number of film songs on the rare Bilaskhan-i-Todi.

Saroja Devi in 'Panathottam.'

(This is the concluding article of the two-part story on MSV and his favourite Hindustani raag, Bilaskhan-i-Todi. )

A hit song of 1963, ‘Pesuvadhu Kiliya Pennarasi Mozhiya….’ in the successful MGR-B. Saroja Devi starrer, ‘Panathottam,’ was composed in the rare Hindustani music raag, Bilaskhan-i-Todi, by legends M.S. Viswanathan-T K. Ramamurthy. The lyrics were penned by Kannadasan. Another 1963 film, ‘Paar Magalae Paar,’ had a duet by two male singers, (P.B. Sreenivos and T.M. Soundararajan ), ‘Aval Parandhu Ponaalae, Ennai Marandhu Ponaalae….’ also penned by Kannadasan. This emotion-packed song is once again based on the same raag. It expresses the feelings of the lover (R. Muthuraman) and the father (Sivaji Ganesan), who are grieving over the girl/daughter (C.R. Vijayakumari), who has run away and is believed to have committed suicide.

In 1964 came another hit song in Bilaskhan-i Todi by Viswanathan-Ramamurthy, ‘Engey Nimmadhee…’ (a classic), from ‘Puthiya Paravai’ starring Sivaji Ganesan and Sowcar Janaki. An adaptation of a hit English film, ‘Chase A Crooked Shadow,’ all the seven songs in the Tamil thriller, such as ‘Chittu Kuruvi’ (P. Suseela), ‘Aha Mella…’ (T.M. Soundararajan), ‘Unnai Ondru Kaetpaen’ (P. Susheela) and ‘Paartha Gnabagam Illayo’ (P. Suseela) were by MSV- TKR. The film was a success at the box office.