Susarla Dakshinamurthi
Susarla Dakshinamurthi Jr. (1921-2012) was an Indian film music director, playback singer, record producer, Carnatic musician, multi-instrumentalist, and an eminent violinist known for his works in South Indian film industry, Hindi cinema, Sri Lankan cinema, and Hollywood. Dakshinamurthi is the grandson of Sr. Susarla Dakshinamurthi who belongs to the student clan of saint Tyagaraja. He is known for his compositions in works such as "Narada Naradi" (1946) (music director), "Laila Majnu" (1949) (playback singer), "Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha" (1950) (playback singer and music director), "Samsaram" (1950) (music director), "Shri Lakshmamma Katha" (1950) (playback singer and music director ), "Sarvadhikari" (1951) (playback singer and music director), "Yaar Paiyan" (music director), "Santhanam" (1955) (playback singer and music director), "Jungle Moon Men" (1955), (re-recordist and background score), "Ilavelpu" (1956) (playback singer and music director), "Veera Kankanam" (1957) (music director), "Annapurna" (1959) (music director), "Krishna Leelalu" (1959) (music director), "Narthanasala" (1963), which won the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film, "Shrimad Virata Parvam " (1983), "Shrimad Virat Veerabrahmendra Swami Charitra" (1984). Biography. Early life. He was born on 11 November 1921 in Pedakallepalli, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India to Krishnabrahma Sastry, who was a musician and teacher and Smt Annapurnamma . He graduated with an arts degree in classical music, and became a proportional violinist at the age of nine. He subsequently worked as Harmonium player for the label His Master's Voice in 1938. He then worked for All India Radio as A-grade artist in the late 1930s, and became the Director for South Indian region. Film career. He then moved to cinema and conducted music alongside 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 and A. M. Rajah in Telugu and Tamil languages respectively. He then ventured into Hollywood, and became a re-recordist, and conductor for works such as Jungle Moon Men" (1955), and several others by columbia pictures. Dakshinamurthy has produced hits tracks such as "Challani Raja O Chandamama" written by Raghunath Panigrahi. He sang "Challani Punnami Vennelalone" casting Relangi 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. Later he worked on musical hits  such as "Srimad Virata Parvam" (1983) and "Shrimad Potuluri Veerabrahmendra Charitra" (1984). He then ventured into film production and has produced "Mohini Rukmangada" (1960) and "Rama Sundari" (1962) under Anuradha Movies. Later life and death. Murthi developed Diabetic retinopathy and lost vision in one eye in 1972 and the other in 1987. Murthi 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.