A.D. Madhavan, who died here on Thursday at the age of 73, was an author who penned scholarly books on music, especially the classical variety.
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, he had worked at institutions such as SAIL and KSIDC. After his retirement, he devoted his life to his biggest passion — music. Researching and writing on music was what he enjoyed most. He had exceptional knowledge on Carnatic music. His books such as Core of Karnatic Music and Sangeethashasthramrutham are ample proof of that.
Madhavan was fond of ghazals too. He wrote a book devoted to Ghazals, Chupke Chupke Raat Din , in which he translated to Malayalam some popular ghazals sung by Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, and Mehdi Hasan.
Another notable work was Yeh Shaam Ki Tanhaiyan , in which he translated the lyrics of 101 all-time great Hindi film songs. He also identified the Hindustani ragas those songs were based on. He founded and edited a scholarly journal on music, Samakalika Sangeetham . The biannual journal, in English and Malayalam, features articles by musicians and scholars. Even his failing health could not diminish his enthusiasm for art. Last month, he was busy organising a festival of classical dance and music for Navarasam, a cultural organisation he founded.