The Legendary M.S.Viswanathan who reshaped Tamil Film Music

M.S. Viswanathan, the composer of music for more than 800 films and dozens of independent albums was a musical genius who changed the course of Tamil film music. He did not know how to read or write music, but composed some of Tamil cinema’s best loved songs, embracing western influences without losing sight of a Cranatic base.

M.S. Viswanathan was born on 24 June 1928 to Malayalee parents in Palakkad, Kerala. His father died when Viswanathan was only three years old and his sister died within six months. He was then financially supported by his grandfather, Krishnan Nair.

As a child, Viswanathan worked without pay at a cinema theatre, selling refreshments just so that he could hear the songs from the films. He frequently played truant whilst at primary school to stand outside the home of a music teacher and eventually learnt how to play the harmonium by ear.

His natural talent for music soon saw him perform at his first concert at the age of 13.

He was initially interested in becoming an actor and landed a few stage roles in 1940, but then the offers dried up. Through a chance meeting with music composer T.R. Papa, Viswanathan became an errand boy for a music troupe. This led to him eventually being taken on as an assistant by music composer S.M. Subbiah Naidoo before joining C.R.Subramaniam’s troupe as a harmonium player. There he met and befriended violinists T.K. Ramamoorthy and T,G. Lingappa.

In 1952, when music composer C.R. Subburaman passed away, Viswanathan and Ramamoorthy got together to complete the background music for the film. Viswanathan then got the opportunity to score for a film titled Genova and the film’s lead star – M.G. Ramachandran – expressed reservations about allowing a young and inexperienced musician to work on the film. However, when MGR heard the songs tuned by MSV, he realised that he had discovered a musical genius.

The duao, Viswanathan-Ramoorthy becamse Tamil cinema’s most successful music duo and composed music for 100 films, totally revolutionising Tamil film music and introducing a higher degree of western instruments and western influences in the songs.

This song from Server Sundaram shows a young Viswanathan conducting his full orchestra for a song. The opening minutes of the song show a young T.M. Soundrarajan singing to a live band – which is the way songs were recorded in those days.

On 16 June 1963, they were each conferred with the title Mellisai Mannar by Sivaji Ganesan at a grand event.

Viswanathan  Ramamoorthy were the first to arrange a live concert featuring songs and singers from Tamil films. Until then, concerts were reserved for classical or devotional songs. Their music took Tamil music to a wider audience and to an era where the songs and music of the film was as important as the rest of the film.

In 1965, after the release of Aayirathil Oruvan, they decided to go separate ways but did so on the most amicable of terms, remaining close friends until their one-film reunion almost 30 years later with the Sathyaraj starrer, Engirundho Vandhaan.

In 1965, when Viswanathan began his career as a solo music composer, he increased the influence of western music styles, turning film songs into pop songs and transforming singers into stars. His fresh tunes, rich instrumentation and modern treatment never strayed from its Carnatic base.

Fiercely loyal to his craft, Viswanathan ignored producers’ suggestions to reuse tunes from other languages when a film was being remade into Tamil, insisting always on creating original tunes. Often – as in the case of the songs from Naallai namadhe, the songs from the remake outperformed the songs from the original.

MS Viswanathan shaped and grew the careers of many actors, singers and directors. He remained warm, humble, loving and compassionate and was fiercely loyal to those who helped him. Although he had suffered a major financial setback himself, he used all his means to take care of his original Guru, S.M. Subbiah Naidu when the latter fell ill and continued to financially support Naidu’s wife and family after his death.

When Viswanathan’s own financial woes worsened, he teamed up with Illaiyaraja in a memorable series of films that combined the talents of two geniuses, beginning their journey together with Mella Thiranthathu Kathavu.

Viswanathan was also an accomplished singer and sang many songs under his music and the music of others, including under the music of Illaiyaraja and A.R. Rahman.

On 27 June 2015, he was admitted to a Chennai hospital with breathing difficulties. He passed away on 14 July 2015 and was given a complete state funeral.