C. R. Subburaman

His ancestors were from the Krishna district of present-day Andhra Pradesh and due to this, his family spoke Telugu well. During his short lifespan of about 36 years and cinema life of 10 years, he made lasting fame with films like Devadasu, Ratnamala, Chenchu Lakshmi, Balaraju, Laila Majnu and others.

• Name — C. R. Subbaraman • Born — 18 May 1916 • Origin — Chintamani, Tinnevely District, Madras Presidency, British India (now Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India) • Died — 27 June 1952 • Place of death — Madras, Madras State (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu) India • Instrument — keyboard/harmonium/piano • Occupation — Film score composer, Music Director, Film Producer • Years Active — 1943 to 1952

Little is known about the music teachers of Subbaraman. Initially he had learned music from a Nadhaswaram player in Kumbakonam. He was a remarkable learner: whatever he practised during the morning he was able to deliver in the evening. He was well versed in harmonium at the age of 14. At the age of 16 under the recommendation of G. Ramanathan's brother Sundara Bagavathar, Subbaraman joined His Master's Voice as a Harmonist. His Master's Voice was a gramophone production and distribution company, under which there was a permanent orchestra led by R. Chinnaiah. S. Rajeswara Rao also was with His Master's Voice. At that time, Ramasamy Iyer and Subbaraman were residing in Mylapore. Accompanied by his father, he would walk all the way to learn piano from a piano teacher in Triplicane (Thiruvallikkeni). Owing to his talent and passion towards music, he became the assistant music director in His Master's Voice very quickly. Subbaraman would sing keerthanas in the nights after work. He would be accompanied by a young violinist who had been a temporary worker in His Master's Voice. Sensing the talent, Subbaraman had not only recommended the young chap to be hired permanently in His Master's Voice but also appointed him as his assistant. The talented young violinist was no other than T. K. Ramamoorthy.

When His Master's Voice was offered to compose music for cinema under the banner Tamil Nadu Talkies for the Telugu film Chenchu Lakshmi (1943), R. Chinnaiah had the opportunity as the music director.

He became one of the partners along with lyricist Samudrala Sr., director/kuchipudi dancer Vedantam Raghavayya and producer D.L. Narayana and started Vinoda Pictures in 1950. They had produced Strisahasam, Shanti and Devadasu/Devadas. Subbaraman had composed 6 to 7 songs for Devadasu/Devadas when he died suddenly. Then, M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy completed the balance three songs. Subbaraman had been instrumental in introducing Ghantasala to Tamil film by the movie Paithiyakaran (1947) and also made debut of M. L. Vasanthakumari in Raja Mukthi (1948). Subbaraman also gave lessons to P. Leela and a chance to sing under his compositions, which made her very famous. He was a trendsetter in music composition during his heyday. All of the films with music composed by him have been highly successful. He had composed more for Telugu films than Tamil films. He died at the very young age of 36 after a long battle with illnesses. The rest works were done by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy duo.

• Year — Film — Language — Director — Banner — Co-Music Director • 1943 — Chenchu Lakshmi — Telugu — S. Soundararajan — Tamil Nadu Talkies — R. Chinnaiah & S. Rajeswara Rao • 1946 — Lavangi — Tamil — Y. V. Rao — Sri Jagadish Pictures — H. R. Padmanabha Sastry • 1947 — Udayanan Vasavadatta — Tamil — T. R. Raghunath — Uma Pictures • 1947 — Paithiyakkaran — Tamil — Krishnan–Panju — N. S. K. Films — M. S. Gnanamani • 1948 — Ratnamala — Telugu — P. S. Ramakrishna Rao — Bharani Pictures — Ghantasala • 1948 — Balaraju — Telugu — Ghantasala Balaramaiah — Prathiba Films — Ghantasala & Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao • 1948 — Abhimanyu — Tamil — M. Somasundaram & A. Kasilingam — Jupiter Pictures — S. M. Subbaiah Naidu • 1948 — Raja Mukthi — Tamil — Raja Chandrasekhar — Narendra Pictures • 1948 — Mohini — Tamil — Lanka Sathiyam — Jupiter Pictures — S. M. Subbaiah Naidu • 1949 — Kanniyin Kaadhali — Tamil — K. Ramnoth — Jupiter Pictures — S. M. Subbaiah Naidu • 1949 — Laila Majnu — Tamil — P. S. Ramakrishna Rao — Bharani Pictures • 1949 — Laila Majnu — Telugu — P. S. Ramakrishna Rao — Bharani Pictures • 1949 — Mangayarkarasi — Tamil — Jiten Banerjee — Bhagya Pictures — G. Ramanathan & Kunnakudi Venkatarama Iyer • 1949 — Nallathambi — Tamil — Krishnan–Panju — Uma Pictures & N. S. K. Films • 1949 — Pavalakkodi — Tamil — S. M. Sriramulu Naidu — Pakshiraja Studios • 1949 — Ratnakumar — Tamil — Krishnan–Panju — Murugan Talkies — G. Ramanathan • 1949 — Velaikkaari — Tamil — A. S. A. Sami — Jupiter Pictures — S. M. Subbaiah Naidu • 1950 — Sri Lakshmamma Katha — Telugu — Ghantasala Balaramaiah — Pratibha Productions • 1950 — Lakshmamma — Tamil — Ghantasala Balaramaiah — Pratibha Productions • 1950 — Macha Rekai — Tamil — P. Pullaiah — Sukumar Productions Limited • 1950 — Parijatham — Tamil — K. S. Gopalakrishnan — Lavanya Pictures — S. V. Venkatraman • 1950 — Swapna Sundari — Telugu — Ghantasala Balaramaiah — Pratibha Productions — Ghantasala • 1950 — Swapna Sundari — Tamil — Ghantasala Balaramaiah — Pratibha Productions — Ghantasala • 1950 — Vijayakumari — Tamil — A. S. A. Sami — Jupiter Pictures • 1951 — Manamagal — Tamil — N. S. Krishnan — N. S. K. Films • 1951 — Pelli Kuthuru — Telugu — T. S. Balaiah, Lalitha, Padmini, S. V. Sahasranamam — N. S. K. Films • 1951 — Marmayogi — Tamil — K. Ramnoth — Jupiter Pictures — S. M. Subbaiah Naidu • 1951 — Navvithe Navaratnalu — Telugu — S. Soundararajan — Tamil Nadu Talkies • 1951 — Rupavathi — Telugu — K. Prabhakar Rao — Swathi Films • 1951 — Sthree Sahasam — Tamil — Vedantam Raghavayya — Vinodha Pictures • 1951 — Stree Sahasam — Telugu — Vedantam Raghavayya — Vinodha Pictures • 1951 — Vanasundari — Tamil — T. R. Raghunath — Krishna Pictures — S. V. Venkatraman • 1952 — Daasi — Telugu — C. V. Ranganatha Das — Rajyam Pictures — S. Dakshinamurthi • 1952 — Dharma Devatha — Telugu — P. Pullaiah — Ragini Films • 1952 — Dharma Devathai — Tamil — P. Pullaiah — Ragini Films • 1952 — Kaadhal — Tamil — P. S. Ramakrishna Rao — Bharani Pictures • 1952 — Prema — Telugu — P. S. Ramakrishna Rao — Bharani Pictures • 1952 — Santhi — Telugu — Vedantam Raghavayya — Vinoda Pictures • 1952 — Rani — Hindi — L. V. Prasad — Jupiter Pictures — D. C. Dutt • 1952 — Rani — Tamil — L. V. Prasad — Jupiter Pictures — D. C. Dutt • 1953 — Velaikari Magal — Tamil — C. V. Ranganatha Das — Rajyam Pictures — S. Dakshinamurthi • 1953 — Ammalakkalu — Telugu — D. Yoganand — Krishna Pictures — Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy • 1953 — Marumagal — Tamil — D. Yoganand — Krishna Pictures — Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy • 1953 — Bratuku Teruvu — Telugu — P. S. Ramakrishna Rao — Bhaskar Productions — Ghantasala • 1953 — Chandirani — Tamil — P. Bhanumathi — Bharani Pictures — M. S. Viswanathan • 1953 — Chandirani — Telugu — P. Bhanumathi — Bharani Pictures — M. S. Viswanathan • 1953 — Chandirani — Hindi — P. Bhanumathi — Bharani Pictures — M. S. Viswanathan • 1953 — Devadasu — Telugu — Vedantam Raghavayya — Vinodha Pictures — Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy • 1953 — Devadas — Tamil — Vedantam Raghavayya — Vinoda Pictures — Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy

• Year — Film — Language — Song — Co-singer — Music • 1948 — Mohini — Tamil — Vasantha Maalai Neram — T. V. Rathnam — S. M. Subbaiah Naidu & C. R. Subburaman • 1950 — Sri Lakshmamma Katha — Telugu — Annem Punnem Yerugani — C. R. Subburaman • 1950 — Parijatham — Tamil — Ezhai En Meethu Paaraa — C. R. Subburaman • Mathiyaa Vithiyaa — T. V. Rathnam • 1951 — Manamagal — Tamil — Iru Kaadhalar Magizhndhe — M. L. Vasanthakumari — C. R. Subburaman • 1951 — Pelli Kuthuru — Telugu — Kanne Chilaka Yegiripodhu — M. L. Vasanthakumari — C. R. Subburaman • Papulao Kadu Papi Anevadu — M. L. Vasanthakumari • Virajajula Valapu Vayyari — M. L. Vasanthakumari • 1952 — Rani — Tamil — Maamalar Thoovida — Jikki — C. R. Subburaman & D. C. Dutt • Poraadum Vanmai — S. Balachander & Jikki • Ulle Onnu Veliye Onnu — Thiruchi Loganathan & P. Susheela • Samarasam Nilaiperum — P. Bhanumathi • 1952 — Dharma Devathai — Tamil — Vaaraayi Thaaraayi Neeye Raani — Jikki — C. R. Subburaman • Vaaraamale Irundhiduvaano — K. Rani • 1953 — Marumagal — Tamil — Laali Suba Laali — P. A. Periyanayaki — C. R. Subburaman • 1953 — Chandirani — Tamil — Anbaai Dhesamenggum Ondraai Koodi — P. Susheela — C. R. Subburaman

When R. Chinnaiah suddenly fell ill after completion of 1 or 2 songs the task was taken up by S. Rajeswara Rao. Due to some unavoidable reasons Rajeswara Rao was not able to complete the songs and the opportunity was given to Subbaraman. Subbaraman completed the rest of the songs with the assistance of Samudrala Sr. He had boldly introduced some changes in the music field of those days by introducing Latin American music along with carnatic music and won accolades of the viewers. Chenchu Lakshmi was a success which hoisted Subbaraman as a music director for cinema. At the same time R. Chinnaiah died, and Subbaraman took over the responsibilities to lead the His Master's Voice orchestra. His compositions were well received in the market. He had won praises from higher authorities of His Master's Voice which were based in Kolkata, an Englishman who had written to Subbaraman congratulating him for the magnificent sales which had resulted from the remarkable music composition. But due to the inconsistent salary, Subbaraman had to leave His Master's Voice to look for a permanent remuneration.

M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (MKT) had been listening and was pleased with the music. He invited Subbaraman to compose music for his next venture, 'Uthayanan' (1945). It was a dream of the music directors of that era that to compose music from MKT's songs. Subbaraman had worked day and night profusely to have put out the best tunes. MKT came to the recording theatre, was briefed about the tunes, and was prepared to sing when the recording was interrupted by his Mamundi Achari and MKT needed to leave. MKT was arrested later in the evening for the murder of Lakshmikanthan. Uthayanan has been temporarily halted. But when MKT was sentenced to jail, the producer proceeded to make the movie with G. N. Balasubramaniam. Subbaraman was replaced by C. S. Jayaraman. The next movie chance came in 1947 where he started to work with Bharani Pictures which belongs to P. Bhanumathi for Ratnamala with Ghantasala. Initially he composed for all the films produced by Bharani then onwards till his death. From Laila Majnu, Prema till Chandirani. For his last three hits Marumagal, Devadas and Chandi Rani released in 1953 he managed to compose all the songs well in advance, but died during the composition of background music to be completed by his assistants M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy. In 1948, he started composing for Prathiba Pictures which belongs to Ghantasala Balaramayya beginning with Balaraju, Swapna Sundari and Sri Lakshmamma Katha. In 1948 also, Subbaraman composed music for Raja Mukthi of M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar starrer. Subbaraman also worked with N. S. Krishnan in Paithiyakkaran (1947), Nallathambi (1949) and Manamagal (1951). When Jupiter Pictures moved to Madras, it was S. M. Subbaiah Naidu recommended his talented assistant M. S. Viswanathan to Subbaraman to be taken as his assistant which Subbaraman had accepted. He worked with singers like Ghantalasa, A. M. Rajah, Thiruchi Loganathan, V. N. Sundharam, T. A. Mothi, M. L. Vasanthakumari, P. A. Periyanayaki, P. Leela, T. V. Rathnam, R. Balasaraswathi Devi, A. P. Komala, K. Jamuna Rani, K. Rani, P. Susheela and K. V. Janaki. The singing actors M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, P. U. Chinnappa, C. S. R. Anjaneyulu, U. R. Jeevarathinam, T. R. Mahalingam, T. R. Rajakumari, K. R. Ramasamy, V. Nagayya, P. Bhanumathi, N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Madhuram and S. Varalakshmi also sang memorable songs under his compositions.

Under Vinoda Pictures • Year — Film — Language — Cast — Co-Music Director • 1951 — Stree Sahasam — Tamil — A. Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi • 1951 — Stree Sahasam — Telugu — A. Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi • 1952 — Santhi — Telugu • 1953 — Devadasu — Telugu — A. Nageswara Rao, Savithri, Lalitha — M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy • 1953 — Devadas — Tamil — A. Nageswara Rao, Savithri, Lalitha — M. S. Viswanathan & T. K. Ramamoorthy