CHENNAI: Describing the demise of legendary music director MS Viswanathan as an irreparable loss to Tamil film industry as well as for the world of music, Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday lamented that successive governments at the Centre have ignored her repeated requests to confer him with the Padma award.
“I have been recommending Padma award for MS Viswanathan for a long time since 1991. But the successive governments at the Centre, which have not done anything in favour of the State government, turned a deaf ear to my repeated requests too”, the Chief Minister said in her condolence message.
Stating that Viswanathan was a recipient of many awards including Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Kalaimamani’ award, Jayalalithaa said Tamil Isai Sangam had honoured him with ‘Isai Perarignar’ award in 2003. Kerala government had conferred the ‘Best Music Director’ award on Viswanathan. “In 2012, I had honoured him with Thirai Isai Chakravarthi award. On that day, Viswanathan and his troupe sang the melodious song ‘Pullaankuzhal kodutha moongilgalae’ and the music rendered by Viswanathan still lingers in my ears”, she added.
The AIADMK supremo also recalled that she had rendered many songs under his music composition which include ‘O Mary Dilrupa’ in ‘Suryakanthi’ and ‘Chithira Mandapathil’ in ‘Anbaithedi’ and ‘Ulagam Oru Naal’ in ‘Thirumaangalyam’. Above all, she said Viswanathan’s fame would remain forever for composition of Thamizh Thaai Vaazhthu - ‘Neeerarum Kadaludutha’. She said the music career of MSV in film industry had started with MGR-starrer ‘Jenovah’.
Along with TK Ramamurthy, he had composed music for more than 700 films. Later, he alone had composed music for more than 500 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi and ruled the film industry for over five decades. “MSV is adept in playing Harmonium, Piano and Key Board. Moreover, he had rendered more than 500 songs in films. He had acted with the younger generation,” she added. Conveying her heartfelt condolences to the family of Viswanathan, Jayalalithaa said “let his soul rest under holy feet of the Almighty.”