Musical plays of Tamil Nadu have become very popular right from the eighteenth century. Most of the narratives were built on the mythological plays. In the year 1771, was presented the Ramanatakam by Arunachalakkavirayar (Tamil). There happens to be more than 500 compositions composed as Tipatai, Tarn and Viruttam. Though known as Natakam, this seems to have not been staged. Compositions were meant to be rendered set in fine tunes. Taking Ramanatakam as model Ramachandra Kavirayar produced Bharata Vilasam (1870) and Aranga Pillai brought forth Harischandra Vilasam (1867). M. Narasimha Iyer composed the musical play Harischandrepakhyana Nataka alankaram alias Keertanai (1868). Nandanar Charitra Keertanaikal by Gopala Krishna Bharathi is the best known (1810-95). This work had earned immortal fame and is based on the story of Tirunalaippovar in Periyapuranam of Sekkilar. He has made use of classical ragas and folk melodies.
Nandanar is a popular stage play. The compositions of Gopalakrishna Bharathi have been immortalized by musician actors like S.G. Kittappa, S.V. Subbiah Bhagavatar, M.M. Dandapani Desikar, K.B. Sundarambal and many others. Mention should be made of many such plays - Markkandeyar Vilasam, Mei Harischandra Natakam, Pururavachakravarti Natakam, Uttara Ramayan Natakam etc. While staging the plays the Kattiyakkaran pays homage to the audience and introduces the characters as they enter the stage for the first time. This is an indicator that the plays enter a new phase making room for action and music. Avatara Vilasam by Velayuta Mudaliyar is a typical musical play that affirms such transition. Songs are in the form of dialogues though most of them are arguments in a series of debates.
Indian drama, in due course, became a popular source of entertainment. The field attracted many enlightened English educated elite. Pammal Vijayaranga Sambandha Mudaliar, a well known judge rendered Yesman service and earned the title `Father of Modern Tamil Drama`. Sankara Doss Swamikal is one such forerunner of Tamil theatre (1867 to 1922). He served the cause for over half a century. He wrote and staged nearly forty plays. Most of his plays were Puranic and few of them were adaptations of earlier literature. He has also translated some well-known English plays. He makes use of folk-traditions and deftly introduces them in his plays without affecting literary taste built in them. He introduces musical compositions with pallavi, anupallavi, and charanam. He pumps in fresh tempo and vigour, and people from all strata of society praise his productions.
He composed for well known mythological plays like Valli Tirumanam, Lanka Dahanam, Pavalakkodi, Sathi Sulochana, Sathyavan Savithri and Tamil Classic-based dramas like Kovalan Kannaki. Manohara is another well known production of Swamikal. He adopted techniques of Annamalai Reddiar`s Kavadi Cinthu and English note melodies. Some of his compositions formed the repertoire of well known Harikata exponents of Tamil Nadu. Well known stage actors like the T.K. Shanmugam brothers had their training under Swamikal as members of the Tatva Meena Lochani Troupe. Swamikal produced the drama Abimanya Sundari for highlighting the musical talents of the Brothers. Swamikal also authored patriotic songs.
With the entry of P. Sambanda Mudaliar, Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, V.C. Gopalarathnam and others into the arena, the pattern of stage plays underwent a radical change. Prose came to dominate music, poetry taking the back seat. With the advent of the National Movement, music gained an impetus since it proved to be an effective medium of transmission of national sentiments. Sadavathanam Krishnaswami Pavalar produced Kadarin Verri (Triumph of Khadi in 1922). A composition used in the play is as follows:
Madurai Bhaskara Doss is another name that is remembered in the context. The musical content of a play had Viruttam (verse not set to metre) and composition (set to metre). Compositions were classified as daru and sinthu. Torrakkavi was based on folk tradition, the objective being to carry the message to the masses. Viswanatha Doss, born as a member of a family of a barber, gained immortal fame by singing national songs on drama stages. Some of the well-known compositions he handled are Kokkuparakkuthati Pappa, Kadhar Kappal Kodi Tonute, Kakka Kakka Kataiketta Kakka and Bhagadur Bagavat Singam.
C. Kanniah, owner of the Sri Krishna Vinodha Sabha invited Hussein Baksh of Lahore to set tunes for songs used in his dramas. Baksh set tunes to the compositions of Ekai Sive Shanmugam Pillai. Kanniah attached much importance to music. It is reported that celebrated classical musicians (Carnatic Music) like Kanchipuram Nayana Pillai, Madurai Ponnuswami Pillai, T.N. Rajarathnam Tiruppambaram Swaminatha Pillai, Malaikkottai Govindaswami Pillai, Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai, Marungapuri Gopala Krishna Iyer and others used to attend Kanniah Company dramas. There seems to have been a harmonious blend of Hindustani Classical Music in Modern India and systems of Raagas in Carnatic Music on the dramatic stage.
