Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan (19 September 1925 – 9 March 1988), or MBS, was a South Indian

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the d ...

who worked mainly in the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

and Tamil film industries. He was born to an orthodox Tamil Brahmin family on 19 September 1925 in Chittoor,

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. He had his schooling at P.S. High School,

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. During his college days at

Madras Presidency College Presidency College is an art, commerce, and science college in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. On 16 October 1840, this school was established as the Madras Preparatory School before being repurposed as a high school, and then a gra ...

, he was attracted to communist ideals and joined the Madras Students Organisation. His acquaintance with Nemai Ghosh, a Bengali director, paved his entry into films. His first film song was written to the words of noted Tamil lyricist,

Jayakanthan D. Jayakanthan (24 April 1934 – 8 April 2015), popularly known as JK, was an Indian writer, journalist, orator, filmmaker, critic and activist. Born in Cuddalore, he dropped out of school at the age of 9 and went to Madras, where he join ...

, for the Tamil film ''

Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar ''Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar'' () is a 1960 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Nemai Ghosh. The film stars K. Vijayan and S. V. Subbaiah. The film had musical score by M. B. Sreenivasan. The film won the National Film Award for Best F ...

''. He played a major part in the formation of Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA). He formed the Madras Youth Choir in 1971, which sings Indian choral music, based at Chennai. They released a twin cd ''Pallupaduvome by Charsur'' and proposed to release a children's CD ''Poo Vaenuma'' that was composed by MBS. He also acted in a Tamil movie, ''

Agraharathil Kazhutai ''Agraharathil Kazhutai'' () is a 1977 Indian Tamil-language satirical film directed by John Abraham and written by Venkat Swaminathan. Inspired by Robert Bresson's French film ''Au Hasard Balthazar'' (1966), the film stars M. B. Sreenivasan a ...

''. He was married to Zahida Kitchlew, a Kashmiri Muslim, who was the daughter of the freedom fighter Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew. They had a son named Kabir. None of them are still alive. M. B. Sreenivasan died suddenly of a heart attack while conducting a choir in the

Lakshadweep Lakshadweep (), also known as Laccadives (), is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian sea, located off the Malabar Coast. The name ''Lakshadweep'' means "one lakh islands" in Sanskrit, though the Lac ...

islands on 9 March 1988. His body was later taken to his homeland, and was cremated there. Zahida, his wife, outlived him for 14 years, dying on 23 October 2002. Kabir, who suffered from advanced

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

, died on 4 April 2009.

Major work: Malayalam film music

MBS produced many hits in Malayalam films. His style of music involved only minimal orchestration and were noted for their simple lucidity. He is the one who introduced the legendary singer

K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (born 10 January 1940) is an Indian playback singer and musician who sings Indian classical, devotional and film songs. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of Indian Music and also as a ...

to film industry. ;Malayalam *''

Pokkuveyil ''Pokkuveyil'' ( Twilight) is a 1982 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by G. Aravindan and produced by General Pictures' Raveendranathan Nair. The film stars Balachandran Chullikkad, Kalpana and S. Satish Kumar. Aravindan recorded its ...

'' *'' Yavanika'' *''

Oolkatal ''Oolkatal'' or ''Ulkadal'' () is a 1979 Malayalam-language musical- romantic drama film directed by K. G. George and starring Venu Nagavally and Sobha. The film, considered to be the first campus film in Malayalam, was adapted from the novel ...

'' *'' Idavazhiyile Poocha Minda Poocha'' *''

Manivathoorile Aayiram Sivarathrikal ''Manivathoorile Aayiram Sivarathrikal'' (English: The 1000 Sivarathries of Manivathoor) is 1987 Malayalam film, starring Mammootty and directed by Fazil. It was the last film of the eminent music director M. B. Sreenivasan, who died less than ...

'' *''

Chillu ''Chillu'' () is a 1982 Cinema of India, Indian Malayalam language, Malayalam film, directed by Lenin Rajendran. The film stars Rony Vincent, Shanthi Krishna, Venu Nagavally, Sukumari, Jagathy Sreekumar, Adoor Bhasi and Nedumudi Venu in the lea ...

'' *''

Puthiya Akasam Puthiya Bhoomi ''Puthiya Akasam Puthiya Bhoomi'' () is a 1962 Malayalam-language film, directed by M. S. Mani, starring Sathyan and Vinodini. It is based on Thoppil Bhasi's play of the same name that was first staged in 1959. The film received a certificate ...

'' *'' Kadalpalam'' *''

Vimochanasamaram ''Vimochanasamaram'' is a 1971 Indian Malayalam film, directed by Mohan Gandhiraman. The film stars Sathyan, Sheela, Maya and T. R. Omana in the lead roles. The film had musical score by M. B. Sreenivasan. Cast * Sathyan *Sheela *Maya *T. R. O ...

'' *''

Nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

'' *'' Kanyakumari'' *''

Siva Thandavum ''Siva Thandavam'' is a 1977 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by N. Sankaran Nair. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jayasudha, M. G. Soman and Kaviyoor Ponnamma in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. B. Sreenivasan. Kamal Haasan ...

'' *'' Oppol'' *''

Valarthumrugangal ''Valarthumrugangal'' () is a 1981 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by Hariharan. The film stars Ratheesh, Sukumaran, Madhavi and Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair. The film has musical score by MB Sreenivasan. Cast *Ratheesh as Chandran * ...

'' *'' Bandhanam'' *''

Oru Kochu Swapnam ''Oru Kochu Swapnam'' () is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed and shot by Vipin Das and written by Joseph Madappally. The film stars Mohanlal, Ilavarasi, Nedumudi Venu, Seema, and Unnimary. The film score was composed ...

'' *'' Onappudava'' *''

Panchavadi Palam ''Panchavadi Palam'' () is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language political satire film written and directed by K. G. George, based on the story ''Palam Apakadathil'' (1981) written by Veloor Krishnankutty. It stars Bharat Gopy, Nedumudi Venu, Sre ...

'' *''

Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback ''Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback'' () is a 1983 Malayalam-language film by K. G. George. The film was controversial because of the protagonist's similarities to the actress Shoba, whose suicide was highly publicized. In his biography, even thou ...

'' *'' Swathi Thirunal'' *''

Kannum Karalum ''Kannum Karalum'' () is a 1962 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan, produced by A. K. Balasubramaniam under the banner of ''Saravanabhava Pictures''. The film stars Sathyan, Ambika Sukumaran and Kamal Haasan, while ...

'' ;Tamil *''

'' (1960) *''

Dhakam ''Dhakam'' () is an Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Babu Nanthankode in his debut. He co-wrote the story with T. Vaiyadurai, who handled the cinematography. The film stars R. Muthuraman and Nanditha Bose. Filmed in 1972, it ...

'' (1974) *'' Edupaar Kai Pillai'' (1975) *'' Puthu Vellam'' (1975) Song by TMS Music MBSreenivasan -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwnw3CXUmx0 *''

Madana Maligai Kama ( sa, काम, ), also known as Kamadeva and Manmatha, is the Hindu god of love and desire, often portrayed alongside his consort, Rati. The Atharva Veda regards Kamadeva as the wielder of the creative power of the universe, also descri ...

'' (1975) *'' Agraharathil Kazhuthai'' (1975) *''

Nijangal Nijangal ( ta, நிஜங்கள்) (English: Truths) is a 2011-2014 216-part Singaporean Tamil Drama, on MediaCorp Vasantham Vasantham is a Singaporean free-to-air television channel owned by Mediacorp. The network is focused towards the ...

'' (1983) *''

Marupakkam ''Marupakkam'' ( en, The Other Side, italic=yes) is a 1991 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. An adaptation of the Tamil novella ''Uchi Veyyil'' by Indira P ...

'' (1989)

Awards

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...

: * 1973 - Best Music Director - ''

Nirmalyam ''Nirmalyam'' ( ml, നിര്‍മ്മാല്യം, ) is a 1973 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring P. J. Antony, Sumithra and Ravi Menon. P. J. Antony won the National Film Awar ...

'' * 1978 - Best Music Director - '' Bandhanam'' * 1979 - Best Music Director - ''

Idavazhiyile Poocha Mindappoocha ''Edavazhiyile Poocha Minda Poocha'' () is a 1979 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by K. C. Joy. The film stars Ambika, Srividya, M. G. Soman and Madhu. The film has musica ...

'', ''

Ulkkadal ''Oolkatal'' or ''Ulkadal'' () is a 1979 Malayalam-language musical-romantic drama film directed by K. G. George and starring Venu Nagavally and Sobha. The film, considered to be the first campus film in Malayalam, was adapted from the novel of ...

'' * 1981 - Best Music Director - ''Different Films'' * 1987 - Kerala State Film Award – Special Jury Award - '' Swathi Thirunal''

External links

*
Weaver of melodies
from ''The Hindu''
Madras Youth Choir website

MB Sreenivasan website

MB Sreenivasan at MSI
1928 births 1988 deaths Tamil film score composers Malayalam film score composers Indian male composers Kerala State Film Award winners 20th-century Indian composers People from Chittoor district Film musicians from Andhra Pradesh Tamil musicians Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners Male film score composers Presidency College, Chennai alumni 20th-century male musicians {{India-film-bio-stub

Major work: Malayalam film music

Awards

See also

External links