M. D. Parthasarathy (21 September 1910 – August 1963) was an Indian music composer and actor, who worked mainly in Tamil cinema.

Musician

Parthasarathy was a "Sangeetha Bhushanam" of

Annamalai University , logo = CampusmapofAU.jpg , image = Annamalai University logo.png , image_size = 225px , motto = "With Courage and Faith" , established = , type ...

. During his period at this university veterans like Ponniah Pillai (of the Thanjavur quartet family) and violinist and

Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangeeta Kalanidhi (Tamil: சங்கீத கலாநிதி, Sanskrit : संगीत-कला-निधि) (''sangeetha'' = music, ''kala'' = art, ''nidhi'' = treasure or ocean) is the title awarded yearly to ...

T.S. Sabesa Iyer taught there. After completing his course in the early 1930s, Parthasarathy went to Chennai (Madras then). It was the time the

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

talkie began to flourish. Most of the Talkies were produced with stories from the mythological epics. The actors came from the stage and from the Carnatic music world. Parthasarathy who was well trained in Carnatic music found a place easily in talkies.

Actor

Prominent stage actor and writer Vadivel Naicker spotted Parthasarathy when he was acting in a play of the amateur group of the veteran stage drama producer

Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar Pammal Vijayarangam Sambandham Mudaliar (1873–1964), who has been described as "the founding father of modern Tamil theatre", was a playwright, director, producer and actor of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth centuries. He was a recipi ...

. This led to Parthasarathy playing roles in films like ''Sakkubai'' (1934), ''Draupadi Vastrapaharanam'' (1934) and ''Srinivasa Kalyanam'' (this is the first Tamil film to be wholly made in Madras). But he is said to have come into his own with his interpretation of Hanuman in the film ''Garuda Garva Bhangam'' (1936). 1936)

Radio stint

Just when his cinematic career seemed to have hit a dead-end, Parthasarathy found work with Tiruchirappalli, Tiruchi Radio as a staff artiste. He is said to have been very popular as an actor in

radio plays Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...

. Later, after leaving the film industry for good, Parthasarathy joined AIR Bangalore

Music director

After a few years in radio, the film world beckoned him again. It was S. S. Vasan calling him to be in-house music director for the Gemini banner which would become a household name in a few years.

Death

Parthasarathy died in August 1963 due to cancer.

Filmography

As actor

* ''Sakkubai'' (1934) * ''Srinivasa Kalyanam'' (1934) * ''Garuda Garvabhangham'' (1936) * ''Sethu Bandhanam'' (1937) * ''Dharmapuri Rahasiyam'' (alias ''Rajadrohi'')

As music composer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parthasarathy, M. D. 1910 births 1963 deaths Tamil film score composers Male actors in Tamil cinema