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K. D. Santhanam

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K. D. Santhanam
Born
India
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Actor, writer and lyricist

K. D. Santhanam was an Indian actor, writer and lyricist who worked mainly in Tamil films.[1][2]

Career

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He was a teacher at Madurai Sri Mangala Bala Gana Sabha training young boys in dramatics. He was known as a strict disciplinarian. He punished erring boys beating them with a cane, sometimes chasing the running boys. One of his students became a renowned actor later who acknowledged to his friends that it was due to the discipline of his tutor he was able to reach heights. The actor is Sivaji Ganesan. Later Santhanam has done minor character roles in which Sivaji Ganesan featured as the hero. This information has been recorded by writer Aroordas in his biography.

As an actor

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He is a character artiste and has featured in more than 100 films.

In Pasamalar, he featured as Rajaratnam, a village senior who arranges the marriage of Sivaji Ganesan with M. N. Rajam.

"Ahaa Enna Porutham" is a hit song from the film Ragasiya Police 115. In between the verses one can hear a commanding voice asking "Ange ennamma saththam?" (What is the noise there?). The voice is of Santhanam, who featured as Dhanapal Muthaliar (a filmmaker), father of Neela (Jayalalithaa) in the film.

He featured as the father of M. G. Ramachandran in the film Aasai Mugam.

As a Lyricist

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During the 1950s, Tamil Cinema had a number of classic lyricists who enriched the films with their variety of songs. Udumalai Narayana Kavi and Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram wrote leftist oriented songs. A. Maruthakasi specialised in agricultural songs. Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam wrote melodious songs. Kannadasan wrote on life and philosophy. Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass wrote songs that appealed to the common man. Santhanam made his mark by writing songs with rhythmic flow known in Tamil as Santham.

A classic example of his "santham" song is "Thamizh Maalai Thanai Chooduvaal" from the film Ambikapathy. The sequence is: a poet takes up a challenge thrown by the King to sing 100 songs without referring to earthly pleasures, in order to win his daughter, the princess. Practically, in a film, it is impossible to sing 100 songs at a stretch. Santhanam wrote five songs for this scene. It was shown on screen using the running notation method. The fifth song becomes the 99th song. The poet gets excited. He sings the last five lines of the last verse in one breath. The word flow was such that it made the audience spellbound. This song is said to be the stamp song of Santhanam.

Music director Ilaiyaraaja once said that he got the inspiration for his song "Vaa Vennilla" from the film Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu (1986) was a song written by Santhanam – "Vaan Meedhile Inba Thaen Maari Peyudhe" from the film Chandirani (1953).

His dance song "Laalu Laalu", written for the film Vijayakumari (1950) was rendered by Vyjayanthimala and became popular.[3]

There are many noteworthy songs written by K. D. Santhanam.

Filmography

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Actor and Lyricist

Year Film Lyricist Actor Notes
1948 Gnana Soundari checkY 1 Song
1948 Vedhala Ulagam checkY
1949 Kanniyin Kaadhali checkY 2 Songs
1950 Parijatham checkY
1950 Vijayakumari checkY
1951 Kaithi checkY
1951 Mohana Sundaram checkY
1951 Sudharshan checkY
1952 Chinna Durai checkY
1952 Kaadhal checkY
1952 Velaikaran checkY
1953 Velaikari Magal checkY
1953 Azhagi checkY
1953 Chandirani checkY
1953 Devadas checkY
1953 Marumagal checkY
1954 Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachari checkY checkY
1955 Gomathiyin Kaadhalan checkY checkY as Sinnavely Zamindar
1955 Menaka checkY
1955 Mudhal Thethi checkY checkY
1957 Ambikapathy checkY checkY as Sadayappa Vallal
1957 Chakravarthi Thirumagal checkY
1957 Manamagan Thevai checkY as Ponnambalam
1958 Pathi Bakthi checkY as Nallasivam Pillai
1958 Engal Kudumbam Perisu checkY
1959 Thaai Magalukku Kattiya Thaali checkY
1960 Aadavantha Deivam checkY as Singaram Pillai
1960 Aalukkoru Veedu checkY
1960 Kadavulin Kuzhandhai checkY
1960 Kairasi checkY
1960 Kavalai Illaadha Manithan checkY as Paramasivam
1960 Vijayapuri Veeran checkY
1961 Kumara Raja checkY
1961 Nallavan Vazhvan checkY
1961 Palum Pazhamum checkY as Paramasivam
1961 Pasamalar checkY as Paramasivam
1962 Aadi Perukku checkY checkY as the publisher
1962 Senthamarai checkY
1963 Ezhai Pangalan checkY
1963 Kaanchi Thalaivan checkY
1964 Pasamum Nesamum checkY
1965 Aasai Mugam checkY as Siva Shankaran Pillai
1965 Kalangarai Vilakkam checkY as Neela's father
1968 Poovum Pottum checkY
1968 Ragasiya Police 115 checkY as Dhanapal Muthaliar
1969 Akka Thangai checkY as Judge (Guest appearance)
1969 Vaa Raja Vaa checkY as the elder sculptor
1970 Thirumalai Thenkumari checkY as Chokkalingam, Tamil Professor
1971 Kankatchi checkY
1971 Kulama Gunama checkY
1972 Agathiyar checkY
1972 Sange Muzhangu checkY as Judge in the final scene
1973 Karaikkal Ammaiyar checkY checkY as Wealthy Leprosy patient
1973 Rajaraja Cholan checkY checkY as the chief sculptor
1973 Thirumalai Deivam checkY
Ilaya Thalaimurai
1977 Sri Krishna Leela checkY

Script writer

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  1. Chinna Durai (1952)[4]

References

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  • Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers.
  • G. Neelamegam. Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 1 (in Tamil). Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition December 2014.
  • G. Neelamegam. Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 2 (in Tamil). Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition November 2016.
  1. ^ Guy, Randor (9 June 2012). "Vazhkai 1949". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  2. ^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen. Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1998. pp. 321, 346 & 367.
  3. ^ Guy, Randor (5 November 2009). "Blast from the past: Vijayakumari (1950)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. ^ Guy, Randor (23 October 2011). "Chinnadurai 1955". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2017. - name written as K. T. Santhanam

Bibliography

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