S. M. Subbaiah Naidu

Subburayulu Munuswami Subbaiah Naidu (a.k.a. SMS) (15 March 1914, Kadayanallur, British India – 26 May 1979) was an Indian composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was one of the oldest music directors. He worked as an in-house music composer for Central Studios and Pakshiraja Studios and well associated with S. M. Sriramulu Naidu. SMS also worked with many films under Jupiter Pictures banner and a favorite of M. G. Ramachandran.

Early life He was born on 15 March 1914 into a Balija family in Kadayanallur (now a Municipality in Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu). Having had an unhappy childhood, he ran away from home with dreams of finding his fortune in Singapore, but ended up working in drama troupes such as those of Jagannatha Aiyer and Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai. Finding himself drawn more to music than acting, SMS learned music from masters such as Rajagopala Iyengar and Subramaniya Bagavathar. When the company's play Baktha Ramadas was made into a movie, SMS worked on the music for the movie as well.

Career life He is fondly known as "Sangeethayya" in the south Indian film industries. He somehow had never changed his trend of composing much from the beginning days. He is well versed in the Indian music but never showed interest in Western tunes and music.

SMS worked jointly with other composers on a few movies in the early 1940s. He then composed music for the first movie in which MGR played the hero Rajakumaari in 1947. All through the 1950s, SMS continued to compose memorable songs in the movies that came his way. Films such as Ezhai Padum Padu (1950), Kanchana (1952) and Malaikkallan (1954) helped him to consolidate his place among the front-ranking composers of the decade. There were also Thirumanam, Maragadham, Nadodi Mannan and the magnificent classic Konjum Salangai.

While he was composing music for Rajakumaari at Central Studious, SMS made the acquaintance of the hero MGR. This laid the basis for a lifelong friendship between the two, which was further strengthened during the making of Marma Yogi and Malaikkallan. When MGR turned producer and director with Nadodi Mannan, he invited SMS to compose the songs, along with N.S. Balakrishnan who had composed 2 songs. Later, when the fortunes of SMS were on the decline in the 1960s, MGR secured for his friend a few opportunities such as Thaayin Madiyil, Aasai Mugam and Thalaivan.

As the 1960s progressed, SMS engaged in a few projects towards the end of the 1960s such as Naam Moovar, Raja Veetu Pillai, Uyir Mel Aasai, Sabash Thambi, Panakkara Pillai, Naalum Therindhavan, Chakkaram and Mannippu.

In the 1970s, opportunities were few and far between Snegithi, Vairakiyam, Therottam and Thanga Gopuram.

His contribution is invaluable. Not only he is a composer, but also very good conductor, orchestrator, and what not. He is considered as O. P. Nayyar of South India. His tunes were very catchy and his songs instant hits. He has made J. P. Chandrababu a great singer in the song Kunguma Poove Konjum Puraave. He would leave no stone unturned to bring the best of his singers. Till date, the best of S. Janaki is Singaara Velane Deva which was composed by him. He innovated the concept of voice with Nadaswaram.

He worked with singers like C. S. Jayaraman, T. M. Soundararajan, Ghantalasa, A. M. Rajah, Thiruchi Loganathan, Seerkazhi Govindarajan, V. N. Sundharam, T. A. Mothi, P. B. Sreenivas, S. C. Krishnan, A. L. Raghavan, M. L. Vasanthakumari, P. A. Periyanayaki, P. Leela, Jikki, P. Susheela, T. V. Rathnam, K. V. Janaki, A. P. Komala, K. Jamuna Rani, Radha Jayalakshmi, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, S. Janaki and L. R. Eswari.

The singing actors P. U. Chinnappa, C. Honnappa Bhagavathar, N. C. Vasanthakokilam, U. R. Jeevarathinam, T. R. Rajakumari, K. R. Ramasamy, V. Nagayya, N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Madhuram, P. Bhanumathi, S. Varalakshmi and J. P. Chandrababu also sang memorable songs under his compositions.

Trivia In 1947, SMS was the first music composer in Tamil film industry who had introduced playback singing for Rajakumari. Thiruchi Loganathan sang "Kasinimel Nangal", a playback song for M. N. Nambiar. It is notable that it is MGR's first movie as a hero. In 1948 under SMS's composition, Kannadasan wrote his first song "Kalangathiru Manamey Un Kanavellan Nanavagum Oru Dinamey" for Kanniyin Kathali sung by K. V. Janaki. The film was released in 1949. His all-purpose assistant, M. S. Viswanathan at Jupiter Pictures later became the musician of Tamil films. As his assistant, M. S. Viswanathan practised composing tunes when SMS was not around. When MGR was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. S. Viswanathan had organised a programme to honour his "master" SMS. SMS was a very close friend of MGR. He featured in a role as a doctor in Malaikkallan that won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. He had composed a few songs for Thirudadhe and was working on setting the tune for a duet when producer AL. Srinivasan made him listen to a song En Aruge Nee Irundhaal sung by P. B. Sreenivas & P. Susheela. The song had been composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy for an earlier project and had remained unused. AL. Srinivasan suggested that the song be included in the movie. Seeing that it was by his protégé M. S. Viswanathan, SMS readily agreed, and thus the song featured with the credit once again going to SMS. M. S. Viswanathan and Kannadasan, who have acknowledged many a time the crucial role played by SMS in shaping their career, organized a grand function to celebrate the 60th birthday of the master composer. In the function graced by MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, a cash award was presented to SMS as a token of his contribution to Tamil cinema. M. S. Viswanathan brought the childless SMS and his wife to his house and attended to their every need with solicitude until each of their end.

Works Some compositions of S. M. Subbaiah Naidu, include Thirudaathe Paappaa from Thirudadhe by T. M. Soundararajan Yauvanamae Aahaa Yauvanamae by M. L. Vasanthakumari from Ezhai Padum Padu O Kiliye Aasai Kiliye by P. A. Periyanayaki from Ezhai Padum Padu Ethanai Kaalanthaan from Malaikkallan by T. M. Soundararajan Thoongaathe Thambi from Nadodi Mannan by T. M. Soundararajan Singaara Velane Deva from Konjum Salangai by S. Janaki Nee Engey En Ninaivugalangey from Mannippu by T. M. Soundararajan Kuyilosayai Vellum form Mannippu by P. Suseela & A. P. Komala Maalai Mayangukindra Neram from Maragadham by Radha Jayalakshmi Kannukkulle Unnai Paaru from Maragadham by T. M. Soundararajan & Radha Jayalakshmi Annaiyai Pol Oru Dheivamillai from Annaiyin Aanai by T. M. Soundararajan Kanavin Maya Logathile from Annaiyin Aanai by T. M. Soundararajan & P. Suseela Ethanai Selvangal Vandhaalume from Thaayin Madiyil by T. M. Soundararajan Sabash Thambi Un kolgaiyai Potrukiren from Sabash Thambi by T. M. Soundararajan Kannil Vanthu Minnal Pol from Nadodi Mannan by T. M. Soundararajan & Jikki Ina Mina Dika from Athisaya Penn by P. Suseela Neeya Illai Naana from Aasai Mugam by T. M. Soundararajan & P. Suseela

Filmography Year Film Language Director Banner Co-Music Directors 1946 Sri Murugan Tamil M. Somasundaram Jupiter Pictures S. V. Venkatraman 1947 Kundalakesi Tamil Bomman D. Irani K. S. S. Pictures G. Ramanathan 1947 Rajakumari Tamil A. S. A. Sami Jupiter Pictures 1947 Kanjan Tamil Kovai C. Aiyamuthu & T. R. Gopu Jupiter Pictures 1948 Abhimanyu Tamil M. Somasundaram & A. Kasilingam Jupiter Pictures C. R. Subburaman 1948 Mohini Tamil Lanka Sathiyam Jupiter Pictures C. R. Subburaman 1949 Velaikaari Tamil A. S. A. Sami Jupiter Pictures C. R. Subburaman 1949 Kanniyin Kaadhali Tamil K. Ramnoth Jupiter Pictures C. R. Subburaman 1950 Krishna Vijayam Tamil M. Somasundaram Jupiter Pictures C. S. Jayaraman 1950 Digambara Samiyar Tamil T. R. Sundaram Modern Theatres G. Ramanathan 1950 Ezhai Padum Padu Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1950 Beedala Paatlu Telugu S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios G. Aswathama 1951 Marma Yogi Tamil K. Ramnoth Jupiter Pictures C. R. Subburaman 1951 Rakthabandham Malayalam M. R. Vittal S. N. Ranganathan 1952 Kanchana Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1952 Kanchana Telugu S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1952 Kanchana Malayalam S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1953 Ponni Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1953 Oka Thalli Pillalu Telugu S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1954 Malaikkallan Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1954 Aggi Ramudu Telugu S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1956 Vaazhvile Oru Naal Tamil A. Kasilingam Mercury Films C. N. Pandurangan & T. G. Lingappa 1957 Bettada Kalla Kannada S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1957 Surasena Sinhala S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1957 Taskaraveeran Malayalam S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios C. Ramchandra 1958 Aalai Kandu Mayangathe Tamil 1958 Annaiyin Aanai Tamil Ch. Narayana Murthy Paragon Pictures 1958 Nadodi Mannan Tamil M. G. Ramachandran Emgeeyar Pictures N. S. Balakrishnan 1958 Thirumanam Tamil A. Bhim Singh Valampuri Pictures Limited T. G. Lingappa 1959 Athisaya Penn Tamil M. V. Raman Raman Productions 1959 Maragadham Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1959 Nalla Theerpu Tamil T. Prakash Rao Sri Productions 1960 Manasichina Maguva Telugu A. Bhim Singh Valampuri Pictures Limited 1960 Vimala Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1961 Thalli Ichina Agnya Telugu Ch. Narayana Murthy Paragon Pictures 1961 Thirudadhe Tamil P. Neelakantan A.L.S. Productions 1961 Sabarimala Ayyappan Malayalam S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1961 Sabarimala Ayyappan Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1962 Konjum Salangai Tamil M. V. Raman Raman Productions 1962 Muripinche Muvvalu Telugu M. V. Raman Raman Productions 1963 Aayiram Kalathu Payir Tamil T. S. Durairaj T.S.D. Pictures 1963 Kalyaniyin Kanavan Tamil S. M. Sriramulu Naidu Pakshiraja Studios 1963 Thalli Koduku Telugu T. Prakash Rao Shree Productions 1964 Thaayin Madiyil Tamil Adurthi Subba Rao Annai Films 1965 Aasai Mugam Tamil P. Pullaiah Mohan Productions 1966 Naam Moovar Tamil C. P. Jambulingham Balan Pictures 1967 Pandhayam Tamil A. Kasilingam M. K. Movies 1967 Mugguru Mithrulu Telugu C. P. Jambulingham Balan Pictures Baburao 1967 Raja Veetu Pillai Tamil Dada Mirasi Mohan Productions 1967 Sabash Thambi Tamil C. P. Jambulingham Balan Pictures 1967 Sundaramurthi Nayanar Tamil K. Somu Kandhasami Productions 1967 Uyir Mel Aasai Tamil C. P. Jambulingham Ayappan Productions 1968 Chakkaram Tamil A. Kasilingam Annai Films 1968 Debbaku Debba Telugu P. Pullaiah Mohan Productions 1968 Muthu Chippi Tamil M. Krishnan Mohan Productions 1968 Naalum Therindhavan Tamil C. P. Jambulingham Sri Balajee Combines 1968 Panakkara Pillai Tamil C. P. Jambulingham Annai Films 1968 Poolapilla Telugu Dada Mirasi Mohan Productions Rajaram 1969 Aindhu Laksham Tamil G. Ramakrishnan Sudha Movies 1969 Mannippu Tamil M. Krishnan Mohan Productions 1969 Pennai Vazha Vidungal Tamil R. Devarajan Vijaya Chithra Films 1970 Thalaivan Tamil P. A. Thomas & Singhu Muthu Thomas Pictures 1970 Snegithi Tamil G. Ramakrishnan Sudha Movies 1970 Vairakiyam Tamil A. Kasilingam Annai Films 1971 Gudachari 003 Telugu C. P. Jambulingham Balan Pictures Pamarthi 1971 Ilangeswaran Tamil V. T. Arasu Shasti Films 1971 Thanga Gopuram Tamil M. S. Solaimalai Mohan Pictures 1971 Therottam Tamil V. T. Arasu Shasti Films 1972 Bathilukku Bathil Tamil C. P. Jambulingham Balan Combines 1972 Jakkamma Tamil M. Karnan Vijaya Chitra Films 1974 Monagallu Mosagallu Telugu M. Karnan Vijaya Chitra Films 1975 Hotel Sorgam Tamil G. Ramakrishnan Sudha Movies 1976 Kula Gouravam Tamil Peketi Sivaram Balan Movies 1978 Kaviraja Kalamegam Tamil G. R. Nathan T.N.R. Productions