Thousands bid farewell to M.S. Viswanathan

Chennai, July 15: Scores of people flocked the Besant Nagar crematorium here on Wednesday to bid farewell to southern composer M.S. Viswanathan (MSV) who died on Tuesday. MSV, as he was fondly known in the Tamil film fraternity, had over 750 films to his credit in an illustrious career spanning over four decades. He was 87, and passed away due to geriatric problems. On Tuesday, his body was shifted to his residence from the hospital for fans and well-wishers to pay their final respects. On Wednesday, thousands of MSV's fans and members of the film fraternity joined the procession from his residence to the crematorium. Viswanathan's sons and other family members were present. Musicians Shankar and James Vasanth, filmmaker P. Vasu, actors Kamal Haasan, Mohan and Sachu and MDMK leader Vaiko were among those who paid their last respects at the crematorium. As a mark of respect to the legendary composer, the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) cancelled all film-related activities on Wednesday.