Susarla Dakshinamurthi

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Susarla Dakshinamurthi or S. Dakshinamurthi was an Indian film music director, playback singer, producer and an eminent carnatic musician, known for his works in South Indian film industry. He has worked for 135 films in different South Indian languages. He is noted for his works in the films Laila Majnu, Samsaram and Narthanasala.

Biography

Early life

He was born on 11 November 1921 in Pedakallepalli, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India to Susarla Krishnabrahma Sastry, who was a musician and teacher and Smt Annapurnamma. His paternal grandfather was Susarla Dakshinamurthi Sastri,^[1] a classical Carnatic music pioneer. During the childhood, his home used to feed many students from far away places who came to learn Music under his grandfather. He was a child prodigy, who at the age of 9 played the violin with great finesse accompanying all the singers during the 9 day Navarathri Celebration at Machilipatnam.

He has worked as Harmonium player in His Master's Voice in 1938. He has worked in different stations of All India Radio as A-grade artist in the late 1930s. He was invited to New Delhi station as Director for South Indian music.

Film career

He had moved to the Madras film industry and worked as an assistant to Music Director, C. R. Subburaman. He made Lata Mangeshkar sing the ever popular song "Nidurapora Thammuda", in his movie Santhanam.

Samsaram (1950) movie is a musical hit film with ever popular song Samsaram Samsaram by Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao and A. M. Rajah in Telugu and Tamil languages respectively.

Ilavelpu (1956) is the next major hit film by L. V. Prasad. The famous song Challani Raja O Chandamama by Raghunath Panigrahi.^[2] He sang Challani Punnami Vennelalone casting Relangi Venkataramaiah in the film.

His score for Narthanasala (1963) songs particularly Evari Kosam Ee Mandhahasam, Naravara Kuruvara (S.Janaki),Janani Siva Kaamini (P. Susheela), Salalitha Raga Sudharasa Saaram (singer: Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna) and Sakhiya Vivarinchave are forever memorable.^[3]

He had produced two films Mohini Rukmangada (1960) and Rama Sundari (1962) under the banner of Anuradha Movies and lost heavily.

Later life and death

He developed Diabetes Mellitus and lost vision in one eye in 1972 and the other in 1987, both due to retinal detachment caused by high blood sugar. N. T. Rama Rao was so fond of his music that he called him to work for the Srimad Virata Parvam (1983) and Shrimad Potuluri Veerabrahmendra Charitra (1984). Both were musical hits those days.

Dakshina Murthy died at his residence in Chennai on 9 Feb 2012. He expressed difficulty in breathing when an ambulance was called in. That was only 5 minutes before his death when he said that he did not want to be taken to the hospital. Just as he had wanted he died at 9.30pm when the ambulance reached at 9.35pm.^[4]

Notable filmography

1. Narada Naradi (1946) (music director)
2. Laila Majnu (1949) (playback singer)
3. Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha (1950) (playback singer and music director)
4. Samsaram (1950) (music director)
5. Shri Lakshmamma Katha (1950) (playback singer and music director)
6. Sarvadhikari (1951) (playback singer and music director)
7. Yaar paiyan (music director)
8. Santanam (1955) (playback singer and music director)
9. Ilavelpu (1956) (playback singer and music director)
10. Veera Kankanam (1957) (music director)
11. Annapurna (1959) (music director)
12. Krishna Leelalu (1959) (music director)
13. Narthanasala (1963)
14. Shrimad Virata Parvam (1983)
15. Shrimad Virat Veerabrahmendra Swami Charitra (1984)

References

External links

• Susarla Dakshinamurthi at the Internet Movie Database
• A Tribute to the Two Namesakes of Tamil Film Music