10 Facts about the Late M. S. Viswanathan Which Will Make You Revere Him Even More

On the day of his demise, TBI remembers the legendary M. S. Viswanathan with 10 facts about him, which showcase his musical and personal genius.

This morning, the country woke up to the sad news about the death of legendary South Indian music director and composer, M. S. Viswanathan. MSV, whose music has been enthralling the Kollywood industry since years, lost his life at the age of 88. Here are ten facts to remember and to portray him in all his brilliance.

1. He is popularly called Mellisai Mannar, which is Tamil for 'The King of Light Music'.

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2. MSV received the title of Thirai Isai Chakravarthy, meaning - 'The Emperor of Cine Music', by J Jayalalithaa, in 2012.

Source: Wikimedia

3. He always yearned to be a revered actor and singer.

4. He gave music (read - life) to over 1200 movies.

5. His most cherished professional partnership was the one he shared with violinist, T. K. Ramamoorthy.

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6. His was a story which embodied the phrase - "rags to riches". He was born into grave poverty, so much so that his mother tried to kill him and herself, when he was just a child. He was rescued by his grandfather.

7. He earned by selling refreshments at a movie theatre.

8. He learnt music from Neelakanda Bhagavathar and gave his first stage performance in Trivandrum at the young age of 13.

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9. Along with singing, he could also play the harmonium and other keyboard instruments extremely proficiently.

10. T. R. Papa, the composer and violinist, provided MSV with his breakthrough by arranging a job for him as an errand boy for S. V. Venkatraman’s musical troupe.

We hope that his soul rests in peace and we shall continue to revere him for times to come.

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