It has been three decades since Mohan Sithara made a melodious debut as a composer in Malayalam cinema. The song Raree rareeram raro… , sung separately by G. Venugopal and Chithra, for the film Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare , was a hit.
He went on to create several chart-toppers, such as Unnee vavavo… ( Santhwanam ), Neermizhipeeliyil… ( Vachanam ), Sukhamanee nilavu… ( Nammal ) and Alilakkkanna ninte… ( Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum ).
On September 12, he would be honoured by Vatakara Sangeetha Koottayma, a Vatakara-based organisation, as he completes 30 years in cinema. The programme will be held at the Town Hall, Vatakara, and it will feature a live music show that will present a selection of hits composed by Mohan.
“I am looking forward to the programme,” says Mohan.
“I am particularly glad to be part of it, as it has been organised by a good friend of C.H. Mohammed, whose lyrics I have composed for a non-film album.”
He adds he had not imagined that he would have such a long career in cinema when he began his career with Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare . “My friend, director T.K. Rajeev Kumar was the one who helped me get that break,” he recalls.
“I still remember how hard I worked on the tune of Raree rareeram… ; the first tune I tried was rejected.”
When he used the rejected tune a couple of years later for another song, it became a hit though.
The song was Thalolam thane… ( Kudumbapuranam ), a melodious lullaby sung by Chithra.
“I have known Chithra long before I became a composer,” he says. “Her growth has amazed me; she had not seemed extraordinary when I saw her singing at shows or recording tracks, for singers like S. Janaki and P. Susheela, at Tharangini Studio in Thiruvananthapuram.”
Mohan used to play violin and conduct orchestra at Tharangini for composers like M.G. Radhakrishnan, Shyam and Dakshinamoorthy.
“I feel I am fortunate that I could become a composer,” he says. “I am happy that I could collaborate with poets like O.N.V. Kurup and Yusufali Kechery in my career; they wrote meaningful lyrics, which made my songs last longer.”
P.K. Ajith Kumar
Composer Mohan Sithara, who is completing three decades in Malayalam cinema, is to be honoured at Vatakara on September 12.
