Better late than never, says Sreekumaran Thampi

Lyricist opens up about winning awards

April 01, 2018 08:20 am | Updated 08:20 am IST - KOZHIKODE

Sreekumaran Thampi has always spoken his mind. It, therefore, comes as no surprise when he says the J.C. Daniel Award should have been given to him long ago.

“Somehow my name wasn’t considered all these years, and there were times when I wondered if a person’s age, and not the contribution to cinema, was the criterion,” he told The Hindu on Thursday. “But, as they say, better late than never.”

‘Humbling’

He said what made him really happy about winning the award was that it made so many others happy. “My phone didn’t stop ringing after the announcement came on Wednesday,” he said. “It was a humbling experience.”

This honour has come to the veteran lyricist and director barely three weeks after M.K. Arjunan, with whom he has formed a melodious combination that gave Malayalam cinema several hit songs, won his maiden State Award for the best music director.

“The irony is that he has won first State Award after he has completed 50 years in cinema,” he said.

“I am so happy, though, that he has finally been recognised.”

Thampi wrote the songs that won the award. And one of them nearly fetched the award for the best singer too.

“Yes, I came to know of the controversy regarding singer Abhijith who has been blamed for sounding like Yesudas,” he said. “I don’t think it is right to deny somebody an award just because he resembles another singer.”

He said there was nothing wrong with getting influenced by a singer like Yesudas. “All artists get influenced and inspired by masters,” said Thampi.

“I was influenced by many great poets when I began to write. And Abjijith isn’t the only singer who reminds you of Yesudas. There are singers like Vijay Yesudas and Madhu Balakrishnan too.”

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