P.Susheela's songs in K.Balachandar Movies

K.Balachander   is a Indian film director who mostly directed films in the south Indian film industry. He is well known for the distinct themes, strong female oriented subjects, stories that reflect interpersonal relations and tragic ends in his movies. In a career that is spread over 45 years, he has contributed to nearly 100 feature films either as a screenwriter or director, thus becoming one of the most prolific film-makers in the country. Known among his colleagues as a tough task master, he is credited with having introduced and nurtured numerous actors, notably Kamal Hassan, Rajinikanth, Saritha, Prakash Raj and Vivek.   Apart from directing , he also produces movies and teleserials under his banner ”Kavithalaya”. He is also a recipient of many awards like Dada saheb phalke award etc.

                                       Balachander’s movies are music centered too , where songs and scenes are interwoven. All the songs in his movies  reflect the situation making a profound impact in the minds of the audience.

                                     In this article we are going to analyze such songs sung by our melody queen P.Susheela for the movies directed by K.Balachander. It is estimated that she could have rendered more than 100+songs under his direction.

                                     The foremost song that comes in our minds from his super hit movie “Marocharithra” (a tragic love story between a telugu speaking girl and tamil boy –both from different caste and culture- how they try to overcome these barriers ,but finally end up killing themselves is the theme) is “ Ye theega puvvunu” from PS while kamala Hasan renders some dialogues. In this song, the situation is such that both the hero and the heroine doesn’t know each other’s language, yet try to express their feelings to each other. This is a pretty hard task for the singer because the emotion has to conveyed in amild manner because she can’t understand him. What an amazing job PS did!! Wonderful singing ,excellent composition by M.S.Viswanathan and beautiful acting by Saritha and Kamal.

                                        Another beautiful classic from Idhi katha kadhu (avargal in tamil ) is “Sarigamalu- galagalalu” from PS-SPB. This song was created as a duet for Jayasudha – Sarathbabu in the movie. Sarathbabu is a flute player while jayasudha is a dancer and so we find flute as the main instrument and also dance based lyric  in this number. Even though it is a tough composition, PS rendered it with ease and perfection.PS didn’t sing in the tamil version of the movie.

                                     Balachander’s “Yedir neechal”revolves around  the life of a young orphan(Nagesh) who does menial jobs  for a  few families who live as tenants in a building. How his life takes a turn and he becomes rich is the story. Among the group who support him,  one family consists of a  Brahmin Iyer couple (Sowcar and Srikanth) where the lady is more materialistic and keeps nagging her husband for more and more riches. A notable song from this movie “Aduthathu ambujathai” sung by PS + TMS (MD: V.Kumar) is picturised between these couple in a humorous  way. The song involves the  singers to sing in a particular Iyer accent spoken by a few Brahmins and it involves the female singer to express various emotions like nagging complaining,pacifying, fighting etc.  If that notes   are not in  right proportions, the song wouldn’t be a  success.  This song is  a testimony of PS amma’s expressions! Simply superb with right amount of sarcasm and accent in her tone to make  the song a super success !! One more beautiful duet from this movie “thamarai kanamgal” by PS+PBS

                                           Thaneer Thaneer(Daham Daham) is one more of K.Balachander’s masterpieces. The story moves around a group of people in a village who are experiencing drought for a long time and trying to survive under those harsh conditions.One of the characters is that of a young mother played by Saritha who tries to keep up the people’s spirits in the village. One notable pathos from this movie is “Kannana poomagane”(MD:MSV)(Thataku bommarinta in telugu) in which the suffering of the people is conveyed in the form of a lullaby. PS ‘s voice sets the melancholy mood for the situation and is apt for the situation.

                                         One more beautiful song which has a tinge of folk added to it is “Aavaram poovu” (MD: Narasimhan) picturised on Saritha and Rajesh from the movie “Achamillai achamillai”(Ye yendaka godugu in telugu). This is also one of Balachander’s fantastic movies where the hero has negative shades in his character(plays the role of a politician) and becomes the antagonist and the heroine ( a village belle) kills him to save the people etc. This song rendered by PS is very soothing and beautifully picturised .

Varumaiyin niram siggappu(Akali Rajyam in telugu) is one more great movie from the legendary director.

PS (MD:MSV) sang one qawwali type number  “Ranga rangayya(in tamil) “ and Gussa rangaiah (in telugu) for sridevi in this movie.  A totally different type of song rendered by Ps with much clarity and beauty.

“Kokillamma”is  a story  based on  a handicapped woman(deaf+dumb) played brilliantly by Saritha, how she is exploited by the society and the plight of such people are superbly exposed by the director.

In this movie all songs are by PS. One excellent number is “Komma meedha kokillamma”  which has shades of wisdom/or a riddle type of song in it.MSV is the MD .

                                                     “Kaviyathalaivi” is one of the best movies under Balachander during his early years. It is a female centered  movie where Sowcar plays a dual role of mother and daughter. It is hard to pick a particular song from the movie. Some notable songs by PS are “Kaiyodu kai serkum”, “En vaanathil” ,”Nalam ketka”, “Kavithayil edhudiya”. One of the best in this movie is “Oru naal eravu pagal pol” by PS. PS at her very best and basically one is left with tears after listening to this number.  The beauty of this song is PS sings for both the daughter and mother character in the song! What a challenge for the singer! Such expressions and crystal clear rendition!!!!!!!! Amazing !

                                                     “Major Chandrakanth” is one more great movie by Balachander during his early years and also for Jayalalitha.  One superb number is “Oru naal yaaro” by PS and beautifully and naturally picturized by K.B . Some unforgettable scenes in this song include NAgesh rattling with spoons and trying to conduct music for the song.

                            “Server Sundaram”(dubbed in the same name in telugu” has some extraordinary numbers by PS.  “Silai yedhuthal” by PS, Poga poga theriyum a beautiful duet by PS+TMS,”Paatondru” by PS,LRE pcturised on K.R.Vijaya  is awesome.

                             One more beautiful number under PS,K.B combination  is “unnai vazhthi paadugiren” from the movie “nootrukku nooru”. It is a song coupled with new year celebrations and remembrances of the past. Beautifully rendered by PS under V.Kumar’s music direction.

                              “iru kodugal” is a sad family drama(hero marrying twice) under K.B’s direction. Gemini ganesan, sowcar and jayanthi played the lead roles.  One good number “Punnagai mannan, puvizhi” from this movie  has both the heroines vying with each other for the hero  or rather trying to establish their own identity.  Excellent rendition by PS for Sowcar and Jamuna rani for Jayanthi  add to the mood of this song.

One latest number which PS sang for K.B under A.R.Rahman’s direction is the song “Mettu Podu” by PS+SPB. PS does justice to the song even though it was a small bit.

Let’s have a glance at some more mellifluous numbers:

                  Paapi kondala venuka –PS from movie AAdavallu meeku joharlu MD:KVM, songs from thamarai nenjam, neer kumizh, ninaithalle innikum(one song by PS).

                 When one listens to the songs under  PS-K.B combination , one can truly appreciate the importance of music in films whether it is rendering, or composing or picturisation, everything at its very best.

Coutresy : SriVidya (United States)

Here is the list. ( 112 songs - click and listen)

Year		Language	Movie	Song	Music
1964		Tamil	sarvar sundaram	pOga pOga theriyum	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Tamil	sarvar sundaram	silayeduthaal oru	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Tamil	sarvar sundaram	paattontru tharuvaar	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Tamil	sarvar sundaram	thathai nenjam sithathile	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Telugu	server sundaram	pootha poche hridayam	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Telugu	server sundaram	mohini ilapye velisene	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Telugu	server sundaram	kati katile oke	M.S. Viswanathan
1964		Telugu	server sundaram	kanne dendham	M.S. Viswanathan
1965		Tamil	neerkkumizhi	neeril neendhidum	V. Kumar
1965		Tamil	neerkkumizhi	kanni nadhiyOram	V. Kumar
1965		Tamil	naanal	enna than paaduvadhu	V. Kumar
1965		Tamil	naanal	vinnukku melaadai paruva	V. Kumar
1966		Tamil	major chandrakanth	kaana kann kodi vendum	V. Kumar
1966		Tamil	major chandrakanth	naane pani nilavu	V. Kumar
1966		Tamil	major chandrakanth	oru naal yaaro enna paadal	V. Kumar
1966		Tamil	major chandrakanth	netru nE chinna pappa	V. Kumar
1966		Tamil	naan avanillai	Naan chinnanjiru pillai	M.S. Viswanathan
1967		Tamil	anubhavi raja anubhavi	maan endru pennukkoru	M.S. Viswanathan
1967		Tamil	anubhavi raja anubhavi	anubhavi raaja anubhavi	M.S. Viswanathan
1967		Telugu	kaala chakram (edhir neechal dub)	chitti bavaiah	Veluri krishna murthy
1967		Telugu	kaala chakram (edhir neechal dub)	sakhuni	Veluri krishna murthy
1967		Telugu	kaala chakram (edhir neechal dub)	maa inta	Veluri krishna murthy
1968		Telugu	bhale kodallu	vade vadante vade	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Telugu	bhale kodallu	aasthi mooredu	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Telugu	bhale kodallu	challane jallu	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	bhama vijayam	ninaithal sirippu varum	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	bhama vijayam	varavu ettaNaa selavu	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	bhama vijayam	aanimuthu vaangi vanthen	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	iru kodugal	navraathriyil kolu (punnagai mannan)	V. Kumar
1968		Tamil	thaamarai nenjam	vaanai maranthu	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	thaamarai nenjam	thithikkum paal eduthu	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	thaamarai nenjam	Alayam enbadhu Vedagum	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	thaamarai nenjam	adi pOdi paithiyakkAri	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	ethir neechal	aduthathu ambujatha	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	ethir neechal	thamarai kannagal	M.S. Viswanathan
1968		Tamil	ethir neechal	sethi ketto	M.S. Viswanathan
1969		Tamil	naangu suvargal	ninaithaal naan vaanam sendru	M.S. Viswanathan
1969		Tamil	poova thalaya	paaladai meni panivaadai kaatril	R. Govardanam
1969		Telugu	satthekalapusattaiah	Nanu yevaro choosiri	M.S. Viswanathan
1969		Telugu	satthekalapusattaiah	padaharella vayase	M.S. Viswanathan
1970		Tamil	kaaviya thalaivi	en vaanathil ayiram	M.S. Viswanathan
1970		Tamil	kaaviya thalaivi	kaiyodu kai serkkum	M.S. Viswanathan
1970		Tamil	kaaviya thalaivi	kavidhaiyil ezhudhiya	M.S. Viswanathan
1970		Tamil	kaaviya thalaivi	peN paartha maapillaikku	M.S. Viswanathan
1970		Tamil	kaaviya thalaivi	oru naal iravu pagal pOl	M.S. Viswanathan
1970		Tamil	navagraham	Unnai thotta kaatru vanthu	V. Kumar
1971		Tamil	pathampasali	oorellam paaku vaithu	V. Kumar
1970		Tamil	pathampasali	kalloorip penne nilladi gavanam	V. Kumar
1970		Tamil	pathampasali	Anna entoru nallavaram	V. Kumar
1970		Tamil	ethiroli	rajavum vanthiduvar	K.V. Mahadevan
1971		Telugu	bomma borusa	ollu jillendunnadhi	R. Govardhan
1971		Tamil	nootrukku nooru	naan unnai vaazhthi padugiren	V. Kumar
1972		Tamil	kanna nalama	naan ketten(bit)	M.S. Viswanathan
1972		Tamil	kanna nalama	naan kEtten avan (sad)	M.S. Viswanathan
1972		Tamil	kanna nalama	naan kEtten avan	M.S. Viswanathan
1972		Tamil	kanna nalama	petredutha ullam	M.S. Viswanathan
1972		Telugu	lokam maarali	Cheluvaa raavo	M.S. Viswanathan
1973		Tamil	arangetram	Andavanin thOtathile azhagu	V. Kumar
1973		Tamil	arangetram	aandavanin thOtathile-sad	V. Kumar
1973		Tamil	arangetram	Aramba kaalathil athu irukkum	V. Kumar
1973		Tamil	arangetram	moothaval nee koduthai	V. Kumar
1973		Tamil	sollaththan ninikkiren	pallavi ontru mannan kEtka	M.S. Viswanathan
1973		Tamil	velli vizha	kai niraya chozhi	V. Kumar
1973		Tamil	velli vizha	naan satham pottu thaan	V. Kumar
1973		Tamil	velli vizha	Oru naaL varuvaaL	V. Kumar
1974		Tamil	aval oru thodar kadhai	Adumadi thottil ini	M.S. Viswanathan
1974		Telugu	manmadha leelalu	kushalamena kurradana	M.S. Viswanathan
1976		Telugu	anthuleni katha	voogutundi neeinta	M.S. Viswanathan
1976		Tamil	manmadha leelai	sugam thaana sollu	M.S. Viswanathan
1976		Tamil	moontru mudichu	naan oru kadhanayagi	M.S. Viswanathan
1978		Telugu	marocharithra	Yeh theegha poovunu	M.S. Viswanathan
1979		Telugu	andamaina anubhavam	Hello nesthem	M.S. Viswanathan
1979		Telugu	idhi katha kadhu	Jola paata padi	M.S. Viswanathan
1979		Telugu	idhi katha kadhu	sarigamalu galagalalu	M.S. Viswanathan
1979		Tamil	ninaithale inikkum	yaadum oore yaavarum	M.S. Viswanathan
1980		Telugu	akali rajyam	Gussa rangaiah konjam	M.S. Viswanathan
1980		Malayalam	thirakal ezhuthiya kavitha	ariyaatha pushpavum	M.S. viswanathan
1980		Tamil	varumayin niram sivappu	rangaa rangayya enge	M.S. Viswanathan
1981		Telugu	aadavallu meeku joharlu	kaalani mantalle	K.V. Mahadevan
1981		Telugu	aadavallu meeku joharlu	moju mudhirindi	K.V. Mahadevan
1981		Telugu	aadavallu meeku joharlu	paapi konda venuka	K.V. Mahadevan
1981		Telugu	aadavallu meeku joharlu	sagam Kaali Poyanu	K.V. Mahadevan
1981		Telugu	aadavallu meeku joharlu	repu maapu	K.V. Mahadevan
1981		Tamil	enga oor kannagi	idha thaan romba	M.S. Viswanathan
1981		Telugu	tholi kodi koosindhi	yepudo yedho choosi	M.S. Viswanathan
1982		Tamil	agni satchi	adiye kannamma amaithi	M.S. Viswanathan
1982		Tamil	agni satchi	vanakkam muthal variyai	M.S. Viswanathan
1982		Kannada	Eradu rekegalu	navarathri sanjayalli	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Telugu	daham daham (thanner thanneer)	manasaina maradalinee	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Telugu	daham daham (thanner thanneer)	thattaku bommarinta	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Tamil	ival oru thamizhachi	neeyo manikuyil muzhakkam	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Tamil	ival oru thamizhachi	podee pogattum podee	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Telugu	kokilamma	Komma meedha kokilamma	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Telugu	kokilamma	Ponee pothe ponee	M.S. Viswanathan
1983		Telugu	kokilamma	Neelo valapula sughandan	M.S. Viswanathan
1984		Tamil	achamillai achamillai	odugira thanniyile (megatha)	V.S. Narasimman
1984		Tamil	achamillai achamillai	aavaram poovu arezhu naala	V.S. Narasimman
1984		Kannada	mugila mallige	oppide kannu	V.S.Narasimman
1984		Kannada	mugila mallige	prathithina hosa kavitheyu	V.S.Narasimman
1984		Kannada	mugila mallige	saku saku hoge	V.S.Narasimman
1985		Tamil	kalyaana agathigal	kaanal alaigalile	V.S. Narasimman
1985		Tamil	kalyaana agathigal	Kalyana agathigal naangal	V.S. Narasimman
1985		Tamil	kalyaana agathigal	manasukkul udkaarnthu	V.S. Narasimman
1985		Tamil	kalyaana agathigal	vara vendum penne	V.S. Narasimman
1985		Telugu	sindhu bhairavi	Nenoka sindhu katuka	Ilayaraja
1986		Telugu	radhamma kapuram (agni satchi-dub)	andindi uttaram	M.S. Viswanathan
1986		Telugu	radhamma kapuram (agni satchi-dub)	challani radhamma	M.S. Viswanathan
1986		Telugu	radhamma kapuram (agni satchi-dub)	naa kadupu pantaki	M.S. Viswanathan
1986		Kannada	sundara swapnagalu	hrudayavu swara helide	Vijayabhaskar
1987		Telugu	nandhini	Krishna ravela meera pilichine	Ilayaraja
1987		Telugu	nandhini	enthi enthi	Ilayaraja
1994		Tamil	duet	Mettu podu, mettu podu	A.R. Rahman