As we all know K.Balachander was a trend-setter with controversial story themes in the late sixties and seventies. When KB commissioned Kannadhasan and MS Viswanathan into his team masterpieces were churned out in the likes of "Arangetram" "Aval Oru Thodarkathai" "Aboorva Raagangal" "Moondru Mudichu" "Avargal" "Pattina Previsam" "Nizhal Nijamagirathu" "Thappu Thaalangal" "Ninaithale Inikkum" "Nool Veli" "Varumayin Niram Sigappu" etc. Ever noticed that in each of these films the theme songs will tell the story of the whole film in a nutshell? That is Kannadhasan's speciality according to KB's specifications. While directing the film "Pattina Previsam" MSV came out with a unique tune which KB was instantly impressed. He requested MSV to use his good offices to persuade Kannadhasan to pen a suitable song for this unique tune. Until the late fifties it was the music directors who called the shots when composing songs. The song writers were at the mercy of the former. But Kannadhasan changed all that. When the order was reversed Kannadhasan stuck to it vehemently. Knowing Kannadhasan's principle and temperament MSV cautiously approached him by throwing a challenge to him to equate his tune with a suitable lyric. Kannadhasan, after the initial berating, asked MSV to play the tune on his harmonium. Whilst MSV's fingers were busy with the hamromium keys Kannadhasan completed the whole song in just 15 minutes. The song is "Vaa Nila Nilaa Alle" where every line ends with the syllable "laa". KB, known for everything novel was immensely impressed. When the song was completed at the recording studio Kannadhasan jokingly said that he forgot to include three imprtant "laas" in the song - they were "mother-in"la"w, "father-in-"la"w and "daughter-in-"la"w!
Many of Insights are the Extracts from Mahendraraj's Pages
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