Besides his innate goodness in helping others, Mahalingam felt a glow of pride in being a typical senior student of the Government Arts College when he pursued his B.A in Political science between the years 1991 and 1994. The recently-departed playback singer, during his college days, wished his juniors to call him ‘Anna’ if they were younger than him even by a year or so. Though this writer was one such junior to him, Mahalingam would coolly beckon him ‘De Thambi’. That was the way any senior student of the institution would demonstrate his superiority over the new first-year students. But this trend of Mahalingam soon disappeared the moment he became his bosom friend. Thereafter the travels of the singer and the writer were routine to a number of intercollegiate competitions that brought laurels to the 168-year old heritage institution in music and poetry.
Besides his innate goodness in helping others, Mahalingam felt a glow of pride in being a typical senior student of the Government Arts College when he pursued his B.A in Political science between the years 1991 and 1994. The recently-departed playback singer, during his college days, wished his juniors to call him ‘Anna’ if they were younger than him even by a year or so. Though this writer was one such junior to him, Mahalingam would coolly beckon him ‘De Thambi’. That was the way any senior student of the institution would demonstrate his superiority over the new first-year students. But this trend of Mahalingam soon disappeared the moment he became his bosom friend. Thereafter the travels of the singer and the writer were routine to a number of intercollegiate competitions that brought laurels to the 168-year old heritage institution in music and poetry.
The light music team of the Government Arts College was invincible, as its members were professional singers and musicians even in their student days. Hands down they would hold the audience spellbound at the popular yesteryear intercollegiate competitions. The team included the two eminent stage singers the late Rasheed and the recently-departed Mahalingam and Shyam the keyboardist and Elango, the drum player.
While Rasheed is ever remembered for his singing the ever-memorable melody ‘Chinna Puraa Ondru’ with his emotion-packed sweet voice, Mahalingam is known for his performing ‘Sangeetha Megam’ from the 1985 Tamil movie Udaya Geetham.
It was an intercollegiate light music competition at P.S.G College of Arts and Science as part of the institute’s cultural extravaganza CASCALL – 1994. Elango now announces the arrival of Sangeetha Megam with his majestic drum roll. As Mahalingam completes the Pallavi, the B.G.M follows. Someone, perhaps a female singer hums in her beautiful voice laala laala laa, laala laala laa exactly as the playback queen S.Janaki does it in the lyric. However, the light music team of the Government Arts College had no female singers. But applause rents the air once the passionate audiences discover the female voice is from the all-rounder Rashid, who is now seen seated playing the drums.
While Rashid was a singer as well as an instruments player, Mahalingam adhered to singing alone. Like any other artiste, Maha, as he is called, lived on the admirations from his fans every moment of his life. He would do any innovation to enthrall his fans.
On a day at the grounds of the Government Arts College, Maha, to the surprise of everyone, performed the entire Machchana Paaththeengala song in the exact voice of S.Janaki from the 1976 Tamil film Annakili, in which, the later music maestro Ilayaraja made his debut.
Soon after their college studies, Rasheed and Maha bagged their first prize - each a Kawasaki 4S Champion motorbike at the state level Paatukku paattu competition conducted by Sun T.V. But with their passion for music, they sold the two, brand new motorbikes and with the money, founded a light music troupe Sangamam Orchestra, which is run till date by Elango, the drummer and teacher of western music, who is certified by the Trinity College, London.
Besides being a stage singer, Maha performed as a playback singer in a handful of Tamil movies too including Porkodi Paththaam Vaguppu.
With his passion for the songs of SPB and Malaysia Vasudevan, Maha sang his first song on the dais when he was studying class III. Since his native hamlet Vellachi Kulam on Tamil Nadu – Kerala borders in Coimbatore district lacked even a radio, hit songs of those days were heard only on wedding occasions which were mostly conducted at homes. The festivities would be marked by songs played on record players and broadcast through blaring horn loudspeakers.
On one such occasion, the song Annakili Unnai Theduthe in Ilayaraja’s first film Annakili left its mark on Maha for its melodic tune and rural theme.
Maha once shared that he could not forget a wedding occasion where he was given a chance to sing for the first time in the mic. Enthralled by his voice, people present at the wedding asked him to continue with more songs.
But singing different songs throughout that night he had almost forgotten that he would have to write his exam at school the following day. He realized it only after his mother came with a cane to thrash and send him to school.
His perseverance in grasping the opportunity to sing in a movie had left many painful memories behind him.
After his first song was recorded for a film in Chennai, he was informed that a baby boy was born to his wife. He boarded a train to Coimbatore the following week, but all to see his little son dead.
Maha loved singing and lived singing because he knew nothing other than singing.