MS Vishwanathan: Music maestro’s masterpieces

Legendary music director, MS Vishwanathan, who had been critically ill for the past few days, bid adieu to the world on July 14, 2015. The maestro had been admitted to the hospital on June 27, 2015, after he complained of difficulty in breathing. However, despite being monitored around the clock, his condition worsened. The legend passed away at 4:15 am on July 14, 2015, as reported by a hospital source. Fondly called MSV by the Tamil film fraternity, the renowned composer has a legacy of melodious compositions that will surely inspire many. We compile a list of the genius’ masterpieces that keep us humming…

- Aarti Iyengar

‘Malarnthum malaratha’ from the film, Pasamalar
Bhimsingh’s classic, Pasamalar,has many instances that can move the audience to tears but the songs add depth to the meaning of the film. The movie is about the love between a brother and sister. MSV’s song, ‘Malarnthum malaratha’ complements the theme of the film and aptly sums up all that the characters are going through. Though emotional, the music of the song has an instant connect and goes with the flow of the film.

‘Aval paranda ponale’ from the film, Paar Magale Paar
Paar Magale Paar is a beautiful movie that emphasises the importance of an individual over the family. It explains why an individual shouldn’t be judged on the basis of the family that he belongs to. The song, ‘Aval paranda ponale,’ is played when one of the main characters of the movie is declared to be dead. The song is a lament of the dead person’s lover and brother. Such was the impact of the song that it moved the audience to tears.

‘Mayakkama kalakkama’ from the film, Sumaithangi
C. V. Sridhar’s classic, Sumaithangi is a part of the classic movies of Tamil cinema. MS Vishwanathan partnered with TK Ramamoorthy for the album of the film and the result was stunning. The song, ‘Mayakkama kalakkama,’ that has been composed by the maestros is sure to move the listener. Again a ballad, the heart-mind conflict that humans are inflicted with while making a decision.

‘Deivame deivame’ from the film, Deiva Magan
Deiva Magan’s song ‘Deivame deivame’ is a joyous song sung by TM Soundarajan. This song is played when, in a turn of events, Sivaji Ganesan finds out about his family from whom he had been separated at birth. Deiva Magan was the first Indian movie to be submitted to contest for the prestigious Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The song ‘Deivame deivame’ gained tremendous popularity.

‘Vidai kodu engal...’ from the film, Kannathil Muttamittal
National Award-winning feature film, Kannathil Muttamittal has received several accolades. The music director of the film AR Rahman collaborated with MSV to create the masterpiece, ‘Vidai kodu engal...’ The film is the story of a girl who has been adopted at birth and finds out about it when she turns nine. She, along with her parents, embarks on a journey to Sri Lanka in search of her birth mother. The movie’s song tracks have been tremendously appreciated.