Poovai Senguttuvan: The Life and Legacy of a True Poet in Tamil Cinema

R RangarajIn 2011, when Poovai Senguttuvan was set to launch his book ‘Vaazhviyal Unmaigal’ (Truths of life), he asked Ilaiyaraaja for a foreword. Within 20 minutes, the composer wrote three pages about their bond, calling him a rare true poet and a rarer human being in the film world.

“A true poet’s life itself is literature.

He need not write to create it. Poovai Senguttuvan is such a poet,” Ilaiyaraaja wrote.

On Sept 5, at the age of 90, Senguttuvan died a poor but proud man in Chennai, never compromising on his principles, remaining steadfast in his values. Known to be reticent in the film world, he avoided lobbying for opportunities. He wrote songs for five chief ministers but never sought favours from them.Born Murugavel Gandhi in Keezhppoongudi, Sivaganga district, he renamed himself Senguttuvan after being inspired by Karunanidhi’s play ‘Cheran Senguttuvan’, adding his village name Poovai.His father, Ramiah Ambalam, a powerful thevar landlord, ruled the village with absolute authority. Reminiscent of the epics, it is said he rode a horse to abduct Lakshmi Ammal, already given in marriage by her parents, and brought her to his bungalow.

When the case reached court, his mother declared she would live only with Ramiah Ambalam.As a youngster, Senguttuvan was drawn to Dravidian ideology while village elders backed Congress. In mischief, he once dropped a Vinayaka idol into a pond, and on another occasion, protested the slaughter of lambs at an Ayyanar temple. Both times, enraged villagers took him to the panchayat, and both times his powerful uncles, who virtually controlled the panchayat, saved him.

Years later, he wrote the film song ‘Yaarai vanangida vendum, Pillaiyaarai vanangida vendum’ (Whom should one bow before, Pillaiyar) — perhaps making amends.In his youth, Senguttuvan and his friends started a DMK unit in their village. Responding to the call of Periyar and C N Annadurai, he joined the 1953 anti-Hindi agitation by smearing tar on Hindi letters at Nattarasankottai railway station. The station master turned out to be a Periyar follower, and dressed in a black shirt, joined the agitators (It is ironic that Senguttuvan, inspired by Dravidian ideology and by Annadurai, Bharatidasan and Karunanidhi, and who disliked writing ‘bhakthi’ songs, is remembered most for devotional hits such as ‘Tiruparankundrathil nee sirithaal’ and ‘Yedu thandhaanadi thillaiyile’).School did not interest Senguttuvan, and he slipped away to Chennai with money that he stole from his mother, hoping to write for films. He ran a cycle hire shop in Kodambakkam but quickly lost most of the bicycles as they were not returned by clients. He learned about life in Chennai the hard way, and that it could be a cruel city. Despite running out of money and starving for days, he continued to visit film studios, seeking opportunities.Musician T A Kalyanam Iyer of Columbia Records once asked Senguttuvan to write 15 short plays, which he did, but never got a response. Frustrated, Senguttuvan was about to burn his writings until a man came to his house with `200 — remuneration from Kalyanam for eight plays that had been recorded. Senguttuvan decided to stick to writing for films.A big honour came his way when DMK founder Annadurai presided over two plays scripted by him — ‘Thambi Thavari Vittaan’ and ‘Naan Petra Parisu’ — and praised his work.The turning point in Senguttuvan’s life came when his friend Koovaikoothan recommended him to write for a play by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. Though opposed to devotional songs, he agreed when Kunnakudi asked for one on Lord Muruga. Remembering his childhood cries of “Muruga Muruga” at Tiruparankundram and their echo, he penned ‘Tiruparankundrathil nee sirithaal’, which became a hit. Taught to the Soolamangalam Sisters, the song later captivated director A P Nagarajan, poet Kannadasan and producer A L Srinivasan when performed at the Film Chamber in Chennai.Kannadasan and A P Nagarajan decided to use Senguttuvan’s song in ‘Kandhan Karunai’ (1967), with music director K V Mahadevan agreeing to it. The film won Mahadevan the first National Award for Best Music, though Senguttuvan and Kunnakudi were not credited. Insiders knew the truth, when a section of the audience at a theatre praised the song as Kannadasan’s, Senguttuvan felt no need to correct them, and it was enough that his work matched his idol’s.At the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore, Senguttuvan was inspired by the folded hands of devotees which resembled Muruga’s spear and penned ‘Vanangidum kaigalin vadivaththai parthaal’, later used in the film ‘Karpooram’ (1967). He also wrote ‘Naan ungal veettu pillai’ for Pudhiya Bhoomi (1968), which MGR relished as it reflected his ideology, especially the line ‘Idhayam enbadhu rojaavaanaal, ninaive narumanam aagum’ (If the heart is a flower, memories provide the fragrance).Producer Chinnappa Devar once sent for Senguttuvan, surprised that MGR and Kannadasan had recommended him. He wrote ‘Vanakkam en vanakkam’ for ‘Kaadhal Vaaganam’ (1968) for Devar. On another occasion, MGR wanted him to write a song for his 1969 film ‘Adimai Penn’, and explained the song situation himself and asked him to hand over the lyrics to producer Ramdas. Senguttuvan wrote five songs that night and handed them to Ramdas the next morning.

Ramdas later admitted to Senguttuvan that he had misplaced them. When MGR accused Senguttuvan of not delivering, and left in a huff, not waiting to hear the poet’s explanation that he had delivered as promised, the cold-shouldered poet never explained what had happened and chose never to approach MGR again.When his mother died, Senguttuvan could not reach in time and poured his grief into the song ‘Thaayir sirandha koilum illai’ (in the 1972 film ‘Agathiyar’), one of his best.

Though he resisted devotional songs, Muruga kept returning to his life, inspiring hundreds of lyrics. Ironically, Poovai Senguttuvan, who disliked writing bhakti songs, came to be remembered as Murugavel Senguttuvan.Behind the lines

Senguttuvan & Raaja, how the ‘twain did meet Senguttuvan and Ilaiyaraaja shared a deep bond that began in their struggling days in Chennai, where Senguttuvan wrote songs and Ilaiyaraaja composed for plays to survive poverty. After the success of ‘Annakili’, Ilaiyaraaja reached great heights while Senguttuvan kept his distance, unsure of how the composer would receive him. Years later, they reunited to create the title song for the TV serial ‘Abarna Kadhaigal’, when Ilaiyaraaja surprised him with a ring. Ilaiyaraaja often acknowledged that his first composition was for a song written by Senguttuvan. In 2010, when Senguttuvan brought out a Tirukkural album, Ilaiyaraaja released it and gifted him a Navaratna ringParty songsHe wrote songs for five chief ministers — C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa and M K Stalin. For Annadurai, his song ‘Arignar Anna aatchi dhaanidhu’ was played after speeches; for Karunanidhi, the song ‘Karunaiyum nidhiyum onray serndhaal karunanidhi aagum’ was used at party meetings; for MGR, ‘Naan ungal veettu pillai’ from the 1968 film ‘Pudhiya Bhoomi’ became a hit; and for Jayalalithaa, it was ‘Tiruparankundrathil nee sirithaal’ from ‘Kandhan Karunai’ (1967).

He wrote songs for Stalin’s propaganda plays such as ‘Naalai Namadhae’.(The writer is a Chennai-based journalist)