Black Tuesday for Tamizh and South Indian film music industry.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/veteran-music-composer-ms-viswanathan-dead/article7420180.ece?homepage=true

M.S.Viswanathan is another example, how anyone can rise from most humble beginnings to the zenith in his/her profession. He started as helper in the music troupe of S.M. Subbiah Naidu, noted music composer of 50s. During the spare time between assembling and storing of musical instruments, when the musicians had not arrived or after they had left, MSV from Kerala, would dabble in the various instruments, harmonium his most favorite. He soon became an expert and joining hands with another genius T.R.Ramamurthi and later alone he set about to bring the golden age in Tamizh film music. Many of his scores had earned the appreciation of great music composers of that age like Naushad and S.D.Burman.

One of his greatest hits Karnan, MSV is said to have composed the songs along with lyricist Kannadasan in just a day. In case the film producer mistook that they had not worked on their tunes, the duo stayed back in Bangalore for a whole week and returned to Chennai, with probably the greatest album of Tamizh film music.

For all the greatness and genius MSV exhibited in his work, he remained immune to the political upheavals in Tamil Nadu, created by film industry greats like C.N.Annadurai, MGR or Karunanidhi. He was also said to be ignorant of current events, that when Russia invaded Afghanistan, he asked what was India doing, thinking that it was another state inside India like Rajasthan. Such was his focus to his own profession.

Apart from being religious and his unshakable faith in God, he worshiped his mother, who protected him in his childhood days of poverty. Her own death in old age on a Diwali day and his narration of bringing her body back home from hospital amidst fireworks and crackers on streets, brought tears in my eyes.

MSV's life holds many lessons for those who want to lead a full life of success and happiness.

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