A Tribute to the Two Namesakes of Tamil Film Music. {V.Dakshinamoorthy /S. Dakshinamurthy.}

       Venkateshwara Dakshnamoorthy and Susarla Dakshnaurthy are names that are not only celebrated with high esteem in the film world of South Indian languages but are also mistaken for each other by the music album makers  of the websites, on account of they being namesakes. Both these music composers could be called close contemporaries and both of them crossed ninety years of age, though theTelugu music genius died a year earlier. The death of the nonagenarian V.Dakshinamoorthy on 2^nd August 2013, would make the Malayalam music field more grief stricken than others.

     For lovers of music the initial V.  means venerable.So immaculate was  V.Dakshinamoorthy’s  capacity for composing music that he could pass on the integrated layers of dignity and dynamism of notes with poise and purity.This Alappuzha born  soul of music ruled Malayalam cinema for decades, ending up with his last Malayalam film Mizhikal Saakshi. He had been a voluminous composer of music for Malayalam films. But this article restricts its space to a couple of Tamil films for which his music added a status of dignity and sobriety.

    Small is always beautiful. ‘Less is more’ is a pregnant poetic maxim. The Tamil movies ‘Nanda En Nila and ‘Oru Othaappoo Kan Simittugiradthu’  speak of what a great stuff that V.Dakshina- moorthy’s music is made of. The two glorious songs ‘Aandavanilla Uladamedhu, Aasaigalilla Idhayamedhu’ in the high sounding voice of TMS and‘Nalla Manam Vaazhga  Naadu Poetra Vaazhga'mellifluously delivered by the ever soothing voice of  K.J.Yesudas  are enough to perpetuate the memory of that noble soul .

      S.Dakshinamurthy, whose contribution to Telugu and Tamil film music was considered to be  significant, is more familiar for the Tamil audience, because of the fabulous songs he composed for  most popular films like Valaiyapathi, Yaar Payyan, Mangayar Thilagam,and Alibaabaavum Naarpadhu Thirudargalum..The lovely lullaby ‘Neelavanna Kanna Vaadaa ‘sung by Balasaraswathi  in Mangayar Thilagam, the sorrowful melody ‘Suyanalam Peridha’ {Yaarpayyan} vibrantly presented by Ghantasaala  and all the exotic songs from ‘Albaabaavum Naarpadhu Thirudaigalum’, particularly the  mesmerizing duet’ Maasilaa Unmai Kaadhale’ of A.M Raja and P.Banumathi as well as the other solo numbers of P.Banumathi will continue to enthrall us, as long as music is closer to human ears.

   These two contemporary musicians preserved the quality of traditional music and made their contribution  to Indian cinema competitively remarkable.Their space in Tamil Cinema was comparatively much less than that of others.However in terms of quality and musical immortality they seem to hold a very strong position. Especially,the Carnatic  music base and devotional intensity of V.Dakshinamoorthy, would make his  loss carry a bigger impact, because of the fact that he lived long and made himself ever relevant and needed to the Malayalam film industry.This article is a tribute to both the music composers  and a special homage to  Venerable Dhakshinamoorthy.

                      ===================0=====================