A great duet by SPB/PS from "Achamillai Achamillai"

Inventions are discovered everyday

“Just turn the Antenna towards me, another thirty degree, OK wait, just another ten degree towards south, OK now its good, so if you want Roopavaghini this will be the direction, fix it and put this stone under, if you want Doordharshan, then change into previous position, OK” I instructed this RAMAN EFFECT to my friend two decades back, I don’t know about that great CV Raman’s effect, apart from Noble prize, what that “Srirangathan” got, but, because of my RAMAN effect, many people of my street enjoyed both the Srilanka’s Roopavaaghini, and our inimitable(?!) DD. I got the reward in the very next day of my invention. My strict teacher asked me to stand outside of the class for late coming, and seeing my reddish eyes, asked furiously by tapping the bamboo in her palm, “Balu, what movie did you watch yesterday’s night?”, by looking her cane, slightly howling, rubbing my palms for the incoming strokes and with quivering, I replied “Achamillai Achamillai”!!

Actually, I have many nostalgia of Doordharshan, may it that single song of CHITRAMALA (always Devi Sridevi from Vazhve Maayam), may it once in a half-yearly the Sunday’s regional movie, and may it mid-night's yearly once Tamizh movie, I have many flashbacks, which I can’t forget forever. I happened to see this movie “Achamillai Achamillai” in the mid-night slot. (Actually DD used to announce to telecast 10.40 PM, but it always goes beyond 12 mid night). Those days, I love only Kamal and Rajni movie, so at that time I didn’t like this movie (actually i can't understnad at that time), but later on KB’s movies “Unnal Mudium Thambi”, and “Manadil Ourudhi Vendum”, influenced my teenage and changed my life style.

But I love all the songs from KB’s movies, which always the box office hits, all the songs in this movie “Achamillai Achamillai” also nice numbers. An anonymity that still eludes me that how can TFM forgot a music director of Narasimman’s Caliber. He was an excellent music director in the 80’s and melody was his cup of tea. And I can’t think of anyone except Raaja who can handle the violin and Guitar in a nice way as of VSN did. Based on my limited lexicon of music, I can strongly say this song “Aavarampoovu” from the movie “Achamillai Achamillai” is a bucolic melodious all about. It’s a simple composition, but the way the composer handled is quite amazing, especially the starting “early morning” effect along with Sushila’s humming (refresh “Boopalam Isiakum” by Raaja) and that bit before first stanza ( Refresh “Poongkadhave” from Nizhalgal) and the finishing with the same starting effort are the pick of this song.

P Sushila and SP.Balasubramaniam rendered this song like cuckoo. One can feel the same effect of this song in their duet from the movie “Eenipadigal”, “Enunga mappilai”. I’m great fan of S.Janaki, but in my view for lullaby and rustic folk songs, I think PS is the best choice. Even Raaja aware of this, and always used to give lullaby songs to PS. Here also, the selection of singers for this song is ultimate by VSN. In this song, “En Nooni Mooku”, a nostril snippet, “Enunga”, “thavipachu” the rustic renders, and in nutshell PS is at her best in this song. More importantly, in this song, VSN’s MUSIC never irritates the Singers’ voices and also the listeners’ ears.

What S Bala like about SP Bala is his full involvement in all the songs he sings and to the above all his improvisation. Who said SPB cant able to sing rustic songs, call that stupid, let him to listen this song, listen SPB’s “Aavarampoovu”, “Vethuirukku” and “Kelichele”. I Love SPB’s laughing while singing “Nooni mooku Enamma” (Just refresh SPB’s own composition “Unnai Kanda pinbudhan”, in that “Saandhupotteduthu Mookin”) and SPB’s rendering of “Verrodudhan manasa parichale”, and his usual elastic effect in pronouncing the word “Melam”, in all, I want to say “Men May come, Men may go, but SPB….”

In Delhi, the complex where I stay, there is a very naughty boy . Last week, his mother asked him as she noticed that he was doing something with the TV, “Munna Kiya Kar raghe ho” (What are you doing?), that little boy replied “Kuch nahi maa, aaj raath ko ZEE-cinima pe “Parneetha” movie hai, isleye ooavaali Band ko tune kar ragha hu” (Tonight in ZEE-cinima, there will be movie of “Parneetha”, so I’m tuning to that Band)

I smiled and refreshed my nostalgia,

“Inventions are discovered everyday by someone”

Fact File:
SPB is VSN’s favorite singer and had many memorable hits under his baton. Even in VSN’s renaissance release of PASAMALARGAL SPB sang 3 beautiful songs.

Rajni praised VSN’s re-recording for the movie “YAAR”, in Yaar also VSN used SPB effectively, in this movie SPB sang two different styles of songs, one romantic playful train duet song for youthful Arjun, and one climax devotional song for aged Somayajulu.

In this film “Achamillai Achamillai”, more than “Aavarampoovu” song I love my lovable Idiot, SPB’s “Kaiyala Kaasu” song, What a song, dear singers, this is a way to sing an antipoetry song in an intoxicated mood, listen to that song, and come to singing field.

This film was supposed by Sivakumar, and then KB approached Rajesh. In my view, both Sivakumar and Rajesh(his smile) deserved more than what they are having now”

Quiz:
Some what difficult, this song “Aavarampoovu” from “Achamillai Achamillai” got another version again sung by SPB, but not with PS. Identify the female singer who sang that another version along with SPB.

Clue: Don’t think of Tamizh female singers; don’t think of North Indian famous Ashaji and Lathaji.

With Love

S.Balasubramanian
www.prodigyhub.org

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Rajesh and Saritha acted in this wonderful movie 'Achamillai Achamillai' (No Fear!) (1984) directed by K.Balachander. Saritha's acting was awesome, as usual, matched by Rajesh's performance. The movie had a very strong story line and screen play.



There are some good numbers in this movie, specifically a great duet by SPB & P.Suseela. PS starts the song with her honey-soaked voice. Her sweet humming as a prelude brings the charm to the whole song. The interludes with Violin, Flute and Guitar are simply superb. For a very long time, I believed that Maestro composed the music for this film; but it was V. Narasimhan, the popular Violinist, who was the Music Director for this movie. Well. VN was the lead violinist who played the solo violin in Maestro's "How to Name it?" album! :)


It was in the eighties, there were two popular bands playing Western Music in Chennai viz., Madras Philharmonic and Choral Society Orchestra (MPCS) and The Madras Chamber Orchestra (MCO. VN was leading MCO and conducted many programmes till 1985. Music Industry went thro' a tough time those years and MCO was dismantled as a result.

Again in 1993, a team of professionals including V R Shekar (cellist), B J Chandran (viola), K Murali (violin), V.S. Narasimhan started The Madras String Quartet to give life with the Western Classical Music again in South India. I hope the group is still in tact and continuing!

Let's hear this great duet from Achamillai Achamillai.

-Sundar
Also visit : http://myspb.blogspot.com for the Tamil Version and Lyrics!