K. V. MahadevanTamil Playback Singer – Song Lyrics & Movies

A contemporary of M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy, starting his career in 1942 with Manonmani, Mahadevan scored music for over six hundred feature films, spanning four decades, and has garnered two National Film Awards, three Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, and a Filmfare Award South. He was also conferred the title of "Thirai Isai Thilagam" (Pride of Cine Music Directors) in Tamil cinema. His assistant Pukazhenthi is credited to have usually writing the score and arranging the orchestra, after Mahadevan composes a tune.

K. V. Mahadevan was born on 14 March 1918 to Venkadachalam Bhagavathar and Pichaiyammal in Krishnancoil, a locality in Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District. K. V. Mahadevan, also called by his honorific name Thirai Isai Thilagam (lit. pride of film music), composed music for more than 50 years, beginning from 1942 until 1993.

The Telugu film industry crowned him with the title "Swara Brahma" (lit. Creator/Father of musical notes). His song "mama mama mama" from the 1962 Telugu movie Manchi Manasulu became popular in those days, and as a result, the Telugu film industry began calling him affectionately as "Mama" since then.

His favorite music instrument is Nadaswaram similar to (Shehnai).

Music has no language barriers.

"Sisurvethi, pasurvethi, vethiganarasamphanihi" is a popular Sanskrit axiom which says that Music has the power to impress a child, animal, and the universe alike.

As we can read from Climax song of film Sankarabharanam (1980), "Tatva Saadhana ku Satya Shodhana ku Sangeethame Pranamu" (Music is a staircase for attaining Enlightenment and truth discovery)

"Swara Brahma" left no foot prints of his mother tongue when it comes to his scores in other languages.

Telugu language being inherited from Sanskrit, has its own nativity which composers of Telugu as their mother tongue and "North" (O. P. Nayyar), "West" (C. Ramchandra), (Shankar–Jaikishan), (Laxmikant–Pyarelal), (Chirrantan Bhatt), "East" (R. D. Burman), (Salil Chowdhury), (Ravindra Jain), (Bappi Lahiri) like composers could fulfill effortlessly.

"Swara Brahma" automatically had fallen into that groove as he was getting to know meaning of lyrics for every song before composing them. Assistant Puhalendi too exhibited similar characteristics as it was evident from interludes orchestration.

According to famous Director K. Raghavendra Rao opinion as expressed by him, Mama "Mahadevan" is "Saraswati Putra" and

K. Chakravarthy is "Ekalavya".

His 1977 film Adavi Ramudu was recorded as the highest grossing Telugu film of the 1970s.

Director K. Raghavendra Rao 's father K. S. Prakash Rao mostly worked with Pendyala Nageswara Rao between 1950&1974.

K. Chakravarthy too composed good music for music lover K. Raghavendra Rao previous movies Jyothi (1976) and Kalpana (1977).

But Production house Sathya Chitra earlier production Tahsildar Gari Ammayi music was scored by Mama.

Based on their faith, Sathya chitra insisted and retained "Mama" for N. T. Rama Rao movie Adavi Ramudu (1977).

Mama's composition "Krushi vunte Manushulu Rushulavutaaru" (Effort makes Humans Saints) stands testimony to all stake holders of this movie and to every one who believes in determination.

"Yuva Chitra Arts" banner Producer K. Murari being ardent fan of "Mama" stopped producing movies ever since "Mama" called it a day in his career.

Director Bapu (director), Producer S. Gopala Reddy, Director Kodi Ramakrishna and later in his career actor Mohan Babu loved working with "Mama".

It would be tough to guess between "Swara Brahma" and Director "K. Viswanath" as to, who was elemental in whose fame.

Combined effort returned laurels to art of Cinema. May be "Vidhaata talapuna prabhavinchinadi anaadi Jeevana Vedam".

Contemporary musician P. Bhanumathi criticized "Mama" about his score for movie Sankarabharanam (1980) as lighter version Carnatic music Raga's rendered by him. Later she even went on to sing a song "Shree Surya Narayanaa Melukoo" for "Mama" in his 1984 movie Mangammagari Manavadu.

His music assistant known as Puhalendi in Telugu film industry was with him like a life partner throughout his life, though scored few films on his own.

Mahadevan-Puhalendi Pukazhenthi as music director duo scored music for 1993 N. T. Rama Rao movie Srinatha Kavi Sarvabhowmudu directed by Bapu.

K.V.Mahadevan, at the time of his death, was survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters. The famous son being V. Mahadevan, whose debut role was that of a judge in the Tamil film Maasilamani.

K.V. Mahadevan died on 21 June 2001 in Chennai when he was 83.