CHENNAI: Noted playback singer and actor Malaysia Vasudevan passed away in a private hospital in the city on Sunday following a lung complication. He was 67.
Vasudevan had been admitted to hospital last week, owing to a lung illness and had succumbed to it around 1 pm on Sunday. His body was taken to the Kodandapani Studio in Saligramam where people from the film fraternity paid their last homage. The last rites will be performed on Monday at the Porur crematorium. He is survived by wife Usha, and children Prashanthini, Yugendran (both singers) and Pavithra.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa said that the death of “the singer with a sweet voice” was a big loss to Tamil cinema. He was known best for being the voice behind several chartbusters of Rajnikanth. ‘Ennama Kannu’ (‘Mr Bharath’), ‘Vethalaiya potendi’ (‘Billa’), ‘Podhuvaaga en manasu thangam’ (‘Murattu Kaalai’),’ Aasai nooru vagai’ (‘Adutha Vaarisu’) and ‘Yejamaan kaaladi manneduthu’ (‘Yejaman’) were some songs that made him the preferred voice for the superstar.
In Tamil alone, he had sung more than 4,000 songs, apart from nearly 5,000 songs in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. He also acted in over 70 films like ‘Kaidhiyin Diary’ and ‘Punnagai Desam’. He had also written, produced and directed ‘Nee Sirithaal Deepavali’.
Born in 1944, Vasudevan came to Chennai from Malaysia in 1968 to act in a film made by a Malaysian film company. He then stayed back to nurture his dreams and got his break in 1972 for the film Delhi to Madras, in which he sang ‘Paal Vikkira Padma’.
An ardent fan of Sivaji Ganesan, his chance to sing in Sivaji’s films came in 1973 in ‘Bharathavilas’. By then, he had established friendship with his illustrious Teynampet neighbours - Gangai Amaran and Ilayaraja. He was part of their Paavalar Brothers troupe.
He performed with them and was used as a substitute for singer TM Sounderarajan. This led to his first big break in 1978 through the immensely popular song ‘Aatukutty muttaiyittu’ in ‘Pathinaaru Vayadhiniley’, by Ilayaraja.
He had sung for all leading composers, from MS Viswanathan and V Kumar to Ilayaraja, Deva and AR Rahman. Gangai Amaran said. “It was he who recommended my name for composer for ‘Malargalilay Aval Malligai. SP Balasubrahmaniyam, Vasudevan and I have always shared a special relationship,” he said.