S. V. Venkatraman


Sozhavanthan Varadharajan Venkatraman , also known as SVV, was an Indian actor, singer, and music director, who was active in the Indian film industry from 1938 to the 1970s.
Venkatraman composed the music for Meera, starring M. S. Subbulakshmi. He also composed music for more than 200 Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films.

Early life

Sozhavanthan Varadharajan Venkatraman was born on 25 April 1911, to Varadharajan Iyer and Lakshmi Ammal. When he was three years old, his father died, and his uncle took responsibility for his upbringing. He displayed an aptitude for music from an early age, & his school education ended after the fourth standard.
To pursue his passion for music he went to Chintadripet, Madras. There the head of a drama troupe heard him singing, and offered Venkatraman a job as a stage artist/singer/musician. Venkatraman learnt to play the harmonium, but had no formal training in Carnatic music.
During his time in Madras, Venkatraman acted in five films. During a fight scene in one of the films he broke his left hand. While recuperating at Cubbon Park, Bangalore, A. V. Meiyappa Chettiar found Venkatraman and invited him back to Madras to work as the music director for Chettiar's next film, Nanda Kumar.

Career

Venkatraman composed music for many films, including Nanda Kumar, Tahsildar, Valmiki, Manonmani, Kannagi, Nandanar, Meera, Naga Panchami, Sri Murugan, Manohara, and Irumbu Thirai.
Venkatraman worked with actors such as C. N. Annadurai, M. G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha, and N. T. Rama Rao. Many popular composers, including M. S. Viswanathan, T. K. Ramamoorthy, and G. K. Venkatesh worked with him.
All leading playback singers of the time from P. U. Chinnappa Bhagavathar and G. N. Balasubramaniam to M. M. Dandapani Desikar and T. M. Soundararajan lent their voices to Venkatraman's tunes. Carnatic music legends D. K. Pattammal and M. L. Vasanthakumari also came under his baton. Venkatraman himself also proved his prowess as a singer in a few films. Venkatraman's last assignment was Sri Krishna Leela.
Venkatraman scored the music for the famous "Bhaja Govindam", sung by M. S. Subbulakshmi and worked on songs that she made famous, such as "Vadavaraiyai Mathakki", "Mudiondrum Moolangalum", and a few Mahakavi Bharathiyar songs. He set to tune the Narayaneeyam and the Guruvayur Suprabhatam, rendered by Trichur Ramachandran and Papanasam Sivan's Sree Rama Charitha Geetham and sung by Sirkazhi Govindarajan. He tuned Mahakavi Bharathiyar songs and tuned Karpagambal Andhadi for M. M. Dandapani Desikar. He was the composer for All India Radio's Serndhisai, Vadhya Vrindha, and many other music ventures. Music for the Voice of India by Mahatma Gandhi's son had been scored by him.
Venkatraman worked with singers like T. M. Soundararajan, A. M. Rajah, Seerkazhi Govindarajan, Thiruchi Loganathan, V. N. Sundaram, T. A. Mothi, M. L. Vasanthakumari, P. Leela, Jikki, T. V. Rathinam, A. P. Komala, Radha Jayalakshmi, K. Jamuna Rani, P. Suseela, K. Rani, S. Janaki, and L. R. Eswari.
The singing actors M. M. Dandapani Desikar, G. N. Balasubramaniam, M. S. Subbulakshmi, D. K. Pattammal, P. U. Chinnappa, C. Honnappa Bhagavathar, U. R. Jeevarathinam, N. C. Vasanthakokilam, T. R. Mahalingam, T. R. Rajakumari, Chittor V. Nagaiah, N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Madhuram, T. S. Durairaj, and J. P. Chandrababu all sang songs under his compositions.

Personal life

Venkatraman married Saraswathi at the age of 28 in 1939. The couple had four sons and four daughters.
Venkatraman died in his sleep on 7 April 1998, at his residence in Palavakkam.

Filmography

YearFilmLanguageCastBannerCo-Music Director
1938NandakumarTamilT. R. MahalingamPragati Pictures Ltd
1940BhookailasTeluguAVM ProductionsR. Sudharsanam
1940SakunthalaiTamilG. N. Balasubramaniam, M. S. SubbulakshmiRoyal TalkiesThuraiyur Rajagopala Sharma
1941Mani Maalai or Mainarin KaadhalTamilT. S. Durairaj, P. R. MangalamAL.RM & Company
1942KannagiTamilP. U. Chinnappa, P. Kannamba, U. R. Jeevarathinam, M. S. SarojaJupiter Pictures
1943Kubera KuchelaTamilP. U. Chinnappa, Papanasam Sivan, P. S. Govindan, T. R. RajakumariJupiter PicturesKunnakudi Venkatarama Iyer, N. S. Balakrishnan & T. R. Ramanathan
1944HarichandraTamilP. U. Chinnappa, P. KannambaSri Rajarajeswari Films
1944MahamayaTamilP. U. Chinnappa, P. KannambaJupiter PicturesKunnakudi Venkatarama Iyer
1945MeeraTamilChittor V. Nagaiah, M. S. SubbulakshmiChandraprabha Cinetone
1945ParanjothiTamilV. A. Chellappa, T. P. RajalakshmiShyamala Pictures
1946Sri MuruganTamilC. Honnappa Bhagavathar, M. G. Ramachandran, U. R. JeevarathinamJupiter PicturesS. M. Subbaiah Naidu
1946ValmikiTamilC. Honnappa Bhagavathar, U. R. Jeevarathinam, N. C. Vasanthakokilam, T. R. RajakumariCentral StudiosPapanasam Sivan
1947MeeraHindiM. S. SubbulakshmiChandraprabha Cinetone
1947ThiyagiTamilN. Krishna Moorthy, V. N. JanakiMoorthi ProductionsT. R. Ramanathan
1947Mahathma UdhangarTamilKothamangalam Seenu, Anjali DeviiSri Kamal Productions
1948Gnana SoundariTamilT. R. Mahalingam, M. V. RajammaCitadel Film Corporation
1948GokuladasiTamilN. Krishna Moorthy, M. V. RajammaNeptune Studios
1948Thirumazhisai AazhwarTamilM. M. Dandapani Desikar, M. S. DevasenaSri Kanna FilmsT. R. Ramanathan
1949Krishna BakthiTamilP. U. Chinnappa, T. R. Rajakumari, K. R. RamasamyKrishna Pictures
1949NavajeevanamTamilV. Nagaiah, P. Kannamba, Sriram, S. VaralakshmiRajarajeshwari Films
1950Laila MajnuTamilT. R. Mahalingam, M. V. RajammaBalaji Pictures
1950Ithaya GeethamTamilT. R. Mahalingam, T. R. RajakumariCitadel Film Corporation
1950PaarijathamTamilT. R. Mahalingam, M. V. Rajamma, B. S. SarojaLavanya PicturesC. R. Subburaman
1951VanasundariTamilP. U. Chinnappa, T. R. Rajakumari, T. S. Balaiah, S. VaralakshmiKrishna PicturesC. R. Subburaman
1951SoudaminiTeluguA. Nageswara Rao, S. Varalakshmi, C. S. R. Anjaneyulu, P. KannambaSri Raja Rajeswari Films
1951SaudaminiTamilA. Nageswara Rao, S. Varalakshmi, M. K. Radha, P. KannambaSri Raja Rajeswari Films
1951LavanyaTamilT. E. Varadhan, Surya PrabhaEastern Art Productions
1951SingariTamilT. R. Ramachandran, Lalitha, PadminiNational ProductionsT. A. Kalyanam & T. R. Ramanathan
1953PanakkaariTamilM. G. Ramachandran, V. Nagaiah, T. R. RajakumariUma Pictures
1953ManithanTamilT. K. Shanmugam, Krishna Kumari, Madhuri DeviJupiter Pictures
Lavanya Movies
1953KangalTamilSivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, S. V. Sahasranamam, MynavathiMotion Pictures TeamG. Ramanathan
1954ManoharaTamilSivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari, P. Kannamba, GirijaManohar PicturesT. R. Ramanathan
1954KarkottaiTamilKemparaj, Krishna Kumari, K. SarangkapaniKempraj ProductionsG. Ramanathan
1954ManoharHindiSivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari, P. Kannamba, GirijaManohar PicturesT. R. Ramanathan
1954ManoharaTeluguSivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari, P. Kannamba, GirijaManohar PicturesT. R. Ramanathan
1955Maaman MagalTamilGemini Ganesan, SavitriMani Productions
1955KoteeswaranTamilSivaji Ganesan, Padmini, S. Balachander, Sriram, RaginiSri Ganesh Movietone
1956Kannin ManigalTamilM. K. Radha, PadminiMaheswari Pictures
1956NannambikkaiTamilN. N. Kannappa, Pandari BaiFilm Center
1956Ondre KulamTamilR. S. Manohar, Madhuri DeviTriveni Pictures
1958Paanai Pidithaval BhaagyasaaliTamilK. Balaji, SavitriMaragatha PicturesS. Rajeswara Rao
1960Irumbu ThiraiTamilSivaji Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala, B. Saroja DeviGemini Studios
1961AkbarTamilPrithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Durga KhoteSterling Investment Corporation
1961Marutha Nattu VeeranTamilSivaji Ganesan, JamunaSri Ganesh Prasad Movies
1963ArivaaliTamilSivaji Ganesan, P. BhanumathiA.T.K. Productions
1971Kannan KarunaiTamilN. T. Rama Rao, K. R. Vijaya
1977Sri Krishna LeelaiTamilSivakumar, Sri VidhyaC.N.V. Movies