Hardly a month – make that a week – goes by without some song or the other written by lyricist BK Harinarayanan, making waves on the Malayalam music charts. If breezy Paadunnu Priya Raagangal... ( Ezra ) that made us dream of love, hope and new beginnings, was, arguably, the first musical hit of the year in Mollywood, the poignant lines of Hridayavaathil ... ( C/o Saira Banu ) led many to shed a tear for the protagonist mother and son. This week it’s Harinarayanan’s lyrics for Puthenpanam , Sakhavu , The Great Father and Georgettante Pooram that are trending and it’s only a matter of time before those that he wrote for CIA , Adventures of Omanakuttan , Rakshadikari Baiju (Oppu) , Tiyaan and so on capture the imagination of music buffs.
“I didn’t set out to be so prolific; it just happened that way,” says Harinarayanan, over the phone from Kunnamkulam in Thrissur where he lives. “All the lyricists in Malayalam cinema write a lot and I do too,” he adds, as if it’s really nothing to cheer about that he has written some 150 songs in a career spanning seven years! He began his innings in Mollywood with the songs for Prithviraj-starrer The Thriller (2010) and now several of his works are considered modern classics of playback music.
Harinarayanan says his affinity for words was honed by practising the art of aksharaslokam (sloka chanting). “I hail from a rather orthodox family [of Vedic priests] and my cheriyachans (father’s younger brothers) taught me the slokas when I was about four years old or so. I used to sing along with them. That’s some 1,500 slokas, all of which I knew by heart, if not the meaning. Somehow all those words, phrases and ideas stayed with me and they form the foundation of my lyrics,” says the soft-spoken youngster. He started off by writing poetry for Malayalam literary magazines, particularly Bhasaposhini , before lyrics (first for music album Ponnurumaal ) and cinema came calling. It was Jayakumar, Harinarayanan’s friend and an assistant director to B. Unnikrishnan, who introduced him to the filmmaker, who in turn gave him a break into filmdom. “Writing poetry and lyrics are as different as say writing a novel and an article. Poetry is mine alone; just me, my thoughts and ideas let loose on paper. Lyrics on the other hand are a collaborative effort where I try to write lines that stay true to the director’s vision of the story, the situation of the song, the tune, the character and so on. Today, 90 per cent of the time, a song is written after the tune is composed, so already it will be a blend of the ideas of the director and music director. Even if I’m writing lines first, something of their vision influences my words. It’s imperative to be on the same page as them,” says the lyricist. But does that mean a compromise on creativity? “You think about ‘compromise’ when you start thinking of the self. Lyrics are only a part of the larger picture and that it is only there to support the cinema. When that’s sorted out in your mind ‘compromise’ doesn’t even enter the picture. The challenge, however, is always to find something new to write, something good, something that will endure,” he explains.
Whether it’s writing contemporary lines, conversational lyrics or high poetry, each of which he handles with élan, Harinarayanan is known to wax lyrical using simple words. “The lyrics that always remain in our memory are the simple, easily understandable/singable ones. Think P. Bhaskaran’s immortal lines like Kayalarikathu ... and Nalikerathinte Naattil... . It doesn’t get more simple than that and that’s exactly the kind of images I like to convey through my lines,” he says.
He’s also not one to shy away from using modern vocabulary but says that tries not to take too many grammatical liberties when he writes songs. “Malayalam language itself has changed so much and we need to change with the times. That’s why you hear new age words such as kalippu, kattakalippu, chembu, colour, scene, adipoli, pwoli and so on in the songs and dialogues, while certain other words such as vanibham , which actually is a term for agriculture trade, is no longer used in that sense or is in fashion. Cinema is very much a part of the virtual space and as a lyricist you need tap into what’s trending,” he explains, before he signs off.
Hit list
Olanjalikuruvi ... ( 1983 )
Kattumooliyo ... ( Ohm Shanthi Oshaana )
Eeran Kaattin... ( Salala Mobiles )
Hemanthamen ... ( Kohinoor )
Ee Shishirakalam... ( Jacobinte Swargarajyam )
Chillu Ranthal... ( Kali )
Thennal Nilavinte... ( Oru Muthassi Gadha )
Kaadanium Kaalchilambe... ( Pulimurugan )
Minungum Minnaminunge ... ( Oppam )
Manogatham Bhavan... ( Anuraga Karikkin Vellam )
Fact file
Harinarayanan has written a Sanksrit song for Action Hero Biju
He’s got a degree in Chartered Accountancy and a PG Diploma in journalism but now is a full time lyricist
P Bhaskaran is his favourite of all the Malayalam lyricists
Also up for release Adam, Villain, Punyalanum Malakhayum, My Story...
