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{{Infobox person
| name = K. D. Santhanam
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| birth_place = India
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| nationality = Indian
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| occupation = Actor, Script Writer and Film lyricist
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'''K. D. Santhanam''' was an Indian stage and film actor, script writer and film lyricist who worked mainly in [[Tamil film]]s.<ref name=hindu>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/vazhkai-1949/article3509383.ece| title=Vazhkai 1949|work=[[The Hindu]]| date=9 June 2012| accessdate=14 December 2017|last=Guy|first=Randor|authorlink=Randor Guy | archiveurl=https://archive.is/20140827042951/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/vazhkai-1949/article3509383.ece| archivedate=27 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|authors=Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen|title=Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema|publisher=Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1998|pages=321, 346 & 367 |url=https://chasingcinema.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/text.pdf}}</ref>

== Career ==
He was a teacher at Madurai Sri Mangala Bala Gana Sabha training young boys in dramatics. He was known as a strict disciplinarian. He punished erring boys beating them with a cane, sometimes chasing the running boys. One of his students became a renowned actor later who acknowledged to his friends that it was due to the discipline of his tutor he was able to reach heights. The actor is [[Sivaji Ganesan]]. Later Santhanam has done minor character roles in which Sivaji Ganesan featured as the hero. This information has been recorded by writer [[Aaroor Dass|Aroordas]] in his biography.

=== As an actor ===
He is a character artiste and has featured in more than 100 films.

In ''[[Pasamalar]]'', he featured as Rajaratnam, a village senior who arranges the marriage of Sivaji Ganesan with [[M. N. Rajam]].

"Ahaa Enna Porutham" is a hit song from the film ''[[Ragasiya Police 115]]''. In between the verses one can hear a commanding voice asking "Ange ennamma saththam?" (What is the noise there?). The voice is of Santhanam, who featured as Dhanapal Muthaliar (a filmmaker), father of Neela ([[Jayalalithaa]]) in the film.

He featured as the father of [[M. G. Ramachandran]] in the film ''[[Aasai Mugam]]''.

=== As a Lyricist ===
During the 1950s, Tamil Cinema had a number of classic lyricists who enriched the films with their variety of songs. [[Udumalai Narayana Kavi]] and [[Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram]] wrote leftist oriented songs. [[A. Maruthakasi]] specialised in agricultural songs. [[Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam]] wrote melodious songs. [[Kannadasan]] wrote on life and philosophy. [[Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass]] wrote songs that appealed to the common man. Santhanam made his mark by writing songs with rhythmic flow known in Tamil as [[Ancient Tamil music#Tevaram|Santham]].

A classic example of his "santham" song is "Thamizh Maalai Thanai Chooduvaal" from the film ''[[Ambikapathy (1957 film)|Ambikapathy]]''. The sequence is: a poet takes up a challenge thrown by the King to sing 100 songs without referring to earthly pleasures, in order to win his daughter, the princess. Practically, in a film, it is impossible to sing 100 songs at a stretch. Santhanam wrote five songs for this scene. It was shown on screen using the running notation method. The fifth song becomes the 99th song. The poet gets excited. He sings the last five lines of the last verse in one breath. The word flow was such that it made the audience spellbound. This song is said to be the ''stamp song'' of Santhanam.

Music director [[Ilaiyaraaja]] once said that he got the inspiration for his song "Vaa Vennilla" from the film ''[[Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu]]'' (1986) was a song written by Santhanam – "Vaan Meedhile Inba Thaen Maari Peyudhe" from the film ''[[Chandirani]]'' (1953).

His dance song "Laalu Laalu", written for the film ''[[Vijayakumari (film)|Vijayakumari]]'' (1950) was rendered by [[Vyjayanthimala]] and became popular.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Blast-from-the-past-Vijayakumari-1950/article16890418.ece | title=Blast from the past: Vijayakumari (1950) | work=[[The Hindu]] | date=5 November 2009 | accessdate=15 December 2017|last=Guy|first=Randor|authorlink=Randor Guy | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328022057/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Blast-from-the-past-Vijayakumari-1950/article16890418.ece| archivedate=28 March 2017}}</ref>

There are many noteworthy songs written by K. D. Santhanam.

== Filmography ==
{{Expand list|date=December 2017}}
'''Actor and Lyricist'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Film !! Lyricist !! Actor !! Notes
|-
| 1948 || [[Gnana Soundari (Citadel film)|Gnana Soundari]] || {{Tick}} || || 1 Song
|-
| 1948 || [[Vedhala Ulagam]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1949 || [[Kanniyin Kaadhali]] || {{Tick}} || || 2 Songs
|-
| 1950 || [[Parijatham (1950 film)|Parijatham]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1950 || [[Vijayakumari (film)|Vijayakumari]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1951 || [[Kaithi (1951 film)|Kaithi]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1951 || [[Mohana Sundaram]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1951 || [[Sudharshan]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1952 || [[Chinna Durai (1952 film)|Chinna Durai]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1952 || [[Kaadhal (1952 film)|Kaadhal]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1952 || [[Velaikaran (1952 film)|Velaikaran]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1953 || [[Velaikari Magal]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1953 || [[Azhagi (1953 film)|Azhagi]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1953 || [[Chandirani]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1953 || [[Devadasu (1953 film)|Devadas]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1953 || [[Marumagal (1953 film)|Marumagal]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1954 || [[Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachari]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1955 || [[Gomathiyin Kaadhalan]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Sinnavely Zamindar}}
|-
| 1955 || [[Menaka (1955 film)|Menaka]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1955 || [[Mudhal Thethi]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1957 || [[Ambikapathy (1957 film)|Ambikapathy]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Sadayappa Vallal}}
|-
| 1957 || [[Chakravarthi Thirumagal]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1957 || [[Manamagan Thevai]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1958 || [[Pathi Bakthi]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Nallasivam Pillai}}
|-
| 1958 || [[School Master (1958 film)|Engal Kudumbam Perisu]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1959 || [[Thaai Magalukku Kattiya Thaali]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1960 || [[Aadavantha Deivam]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Singaram Pillai}}
|-
| 1960 || [[Aalukkoru Veedu]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1960 || [[Kadavulin Kuzhandhai]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1960 || [[Kairasi]] || || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1960 || [[Kavalai Illaadha Manithan]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Paramasivam}}
|-
| 1960 || [[Vijayapuri Veeran]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1961 || [[Kumara Raja]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1961 || [[Nallavan Vazhvan]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1961 || [[Palum Pazhamum]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Paramasivam}}
|-
| 1961 || [[Pasamalar]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Paramasivam}}
|-
| 1962 || [[Aadi Perukku (film)|Aadi Perukku]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{small|as the publisher}}
|-
| 1962 || [[Senthamarai (film)|Senthamarai]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1963 || [[Ezhai Pangalan]] || || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1963 || [[Kaanchi Thalaivan]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1964 || [[Pasamum Nesamum]] || || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1965 || [[Aasai Mugam]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Siva Shankaran Pillai}}
|-
| 1965 || [[Kalangarai Vilakkam]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Neela's father}}
|-
| 1968 || [[Poovum Pottum]] || || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1968 || [[Ragasiya Police 115]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Dhanapal Muthaliar}}
|-
| 1969 || [[Akka Thangai]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Judge (Guest appearance)}}
|-
| 1969 || [[Vaa Raja Vaa]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as the elder sculptor}}
|-
| 1970 || [[Thirumalai Thenkumari]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Chokkalingam, Tamil Professor}}
|-
| 1971 || Kankatchi || || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1971 || [[Kulama Gunama]] || || {{Tick}} ||
|-
| 1972 || [[Agathiyar]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| 1972 || [[Sange Muzhangu]] || || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Judge in the final scene}}
|-
| 1973 || [[Karaikkal Ammaiyar (1973 film)|Karaikkal Ammaiyar]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{small|as Wealthy Leprosy patient}}
|-
| 1973 || [[Rajaraja Cholan]] || {{Tick}} || {{Tick}} || {{small|as the chief sculptor}}
|-
| 1973 || [[Thirumalai Deivam]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|-
| || [[Ilaya Thalaimurai]] || || ||
|-
| 1977 || [[Sri Krishna Leela (1977 film)|Sri Krishna Leela]] || {{Tick}} || ||
|}

=== Script writer ===
#[[Chinna Durai (1952 film)]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/chinnadurai-1955/article2563344.ece|title=Chinnadurai 1955|work=[[The Hindu]] |date=23 October 2011| accessdate=14 December 2017|last=Guy|first=Randor|authorlink=Randor Guy | archiveurl=https://archive.is/20161028053722/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/chinnadurai-1955/article2563344.ece| archivedate=28 October 2016}} - name written as K. T. Santhanam</ref>

== References ==
*{{cite book|title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru|trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films|publisher=Sivakami Publishers|author=Film News Anandan|authorlink=Film News Anandan|date= 23 October 2004|location=Chennai|language=Tamil}}
*{{cite book|title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 1|author=G. Neelamegam|language=Tamil|publisher=Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition December 2014}}
*{{cite book|title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 2|author=G. Neelamegam|language=Tamil|publisher=Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition November 2016}}

{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{Cite web|url=http://krishronline.blogspot.in/2016/08/blog-post.html|title=Konjam Arattai Konjam Sharing|trans-title=Some Chat, Some Sharing|language=Tamil|author=Krish|accessdate=14 December 2017|archiveurl=https://archive.is/20171214012644/http://krishronline.blogspot.nl/2016/08/blog-post.html|archivedate=14 December 2017}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb title|8534070}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Male actors in Tamil cinema]]
[[Category:Indian lyricists]]
[[Category:Tamil film poets]]
[[Category:Possibly living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

K. D. Santhanam - Revision history

imported>TamilMirchi at 20:49, 17 September 2020