M.S. Viswanathan, whose film compositions transcended every known category of music and refused to be pinned down to musical traditions, passed away here on Tuesday. He was 88 and is survived by four sons and three daughters. Forever a part of the Tamil psyche, MSV composed music for over 1,700 films and has worked with four CMs — NTR, MGR, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa. A look at the veteran's amazing musical journey over several decades:
MSV's musical journey
>He ruled with his music wand
MSV was brilliant in setting words to tune or setting tunes for words.
>MSV's love for the Bilaskhan-i Todi raag
Fascinated by the Hindustani raag, MSV composed 20 Tamil film songs in it, writes Randor Guy.
>The world danced to his music
Suganthy Krishnamachari remembers how MSV’s songs helped her during tough and happy times.
>A Charitra to rave about
It is not just for many of his evergreen songs, but also for the State song of the Government of Tamil Nadu the — Neerarum Kadalodutha — MSV will ever be part of the Tamil psyche.
>Celebrities pay last respects to MSV
In the Tamil film music world, no other composer was as diverse as MSV was and he had composed music for over 1,700 films in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada.
>Veteran musician M.S. Viswanathan passes away
M.S. Viswanathan, in spite of his relatively small body of work in Telugu films, had a matchless measure of class. The range of his scores in Telugu films is a statement of its own kind.