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Remembrance of songs past

NOSTALGIA: The cover of the book ‘Athmaganam’

A film song is not just a part of a film for the Malayali. Often, it is very much part of his own life.

That is why the beautiful song survives long after the film is forgotten. Imagine a song like “Manda mandam nidra vannen…” was carved, in pure gold, by B.A. Chidambaranath, P. Bhaskarand and Yesudas, for a film called ‘Chekutha nte Kotta.’ Can the film ‘Rajahamsam’ ever hope to claim the immortality of its song “Sanyasini…”?

Like many Malayalis, film music is a passion for V.R. Sudheesh, one of the noted Malayalam writers of fiction among the younger generation.

His passion finds expression in ‘Athmaganam,’ a delightful book about his reflections on and remembrances of his favourite Malayalam film songs and the people behind them.

The book is deeply personal. That is why it reads so well.

When Sudheesh writes about listening to “Sanyasini…,” one of the finest songs of separation penned ever in Malayalam (by Vayalar Rama Varma), while travelling on a bus after learning that he might never be able to unite with his lady love, we could empathise with him. When you are in love, and when you lose your love, such songs sound more meaningful than ever.

His remembrances about the singing girl next door, while growing up as a child in Koyilandi, would also make you nostalgic. The girl used to sing “Pathivayi pournami thorum…” (‘Adyakiranangal’), one of his favourite songs.

Sudheesh has succeeded in painting vividly the little incidents from his life connected to film songs. He recalls how he was made to sing “Karutha chakravala mathilukal…” (‘Aswamedham’) by his teacher and how she wept listening to it. He also reminds us how feminist Vayalar was in songs like that.

Unlike so many intellectuals, Sudheesh does not look down upon the poetry in our film songs; he rather admires the immortal lines written by the likes of Vayalar, P. Bhaskaran and ONV. He also admires the composers and the singers. Thus, ‘Athmaganam’ also becomes a fine tribute to the wide, varied and rich world of Malayalalam film music.

P. K. Ajith Kumar

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