K.P. Udayabhanu, who passed away on January 5, was one of the first to provide a “Malayali” flavour to Malayalam film music. Till then several Malayalam film songs were imitations of tunes of Hindi film songs, many rendered by non-Malayali singers with heavy accents.
After his debut in Nayaru Pidicha Pulival with the song ‘Enthinithra Panchasara’, under the baton of K. Raghavan Master in 1958, Udayabhanu rendered many songs that contributed to the shaping of a Malayali identity for our film music. Although his voice had the depth and expressiveness to carry any kind of tune, composers branded him as a specialist in conveying melancholy.
‘Anuraga Nadakathin’ ( Ninamaninja Kaalppaadukal ), ‘Chudu Kanneeral’ ( Laila Majnu ) and ‘Vellinakshathrame’ ( Ramanan ) were some of his songs that conveyed the anguish of the protagonists. But he was equally at ease, rendering a variety of songs in various shades of emotion.
‘Pon Vala Illengilum’ ( Kuttikkuppayam ), ‘Thamara Thumbee’ ( Puthiya Akasham Puthiya Bhoomi ), ‘Tharame Tharame’ ( Laila Majnu ), ‘Kanana Chaayayil’ ( Ramanan ), ‘Pennayi Pirannengil’ ( Ammaye Kaanan ) and ‘Evide Ninno’ ( Kalanju Kittiya Thankam ) are some of his immortal melodies.
Although his career as a playback singer did not flourish as expected, he immersed himself in his job as a composer in All India Radio, scoring hundreds of sweet non-film melodies that are sung in music competitions even now.
He also composed for a few films, notably Samasya (1976), which included the evergreen ‘Kili Chilachu’.
In 1985 he launched the ‘Old is Gold’ troupe, which, over the past three decades, has performed in thousands of shows all over the world, taking listeners down memory lane by singing old melodies. Kamukara Purushothaman, P. Leela and C.O. Anto had been active members in this troupe, which, even after their death, continues to perform with young singers rendering those old melodies.
Born in an aristocratic family, Udayabhanu spent his early years in Singapore and the rest of his childhood in Palakkad where he began learning Carnatic music at a young age. This gave him the base for his singing and composing excellence in later years.
He was supposed to sing the melody ‘Alliyambal’ in Rosy in 1963 and had commenced the recording, but could not get it right, since he was unwell. He himself graciously suggested K.J. Yesudas’ name to the composer Job. Yesudas, who was then in the studio, was reluctant, but Udayabhanu persuaded him to sing. And the rest is history.
He had done this after having experienced the frustration of being promised some songs in another film by composer Baburaj and having those snatched away since the producer insisted on using another singer.
Udayabhanu was not one to brood over lost chances. A streak of positivism saw him through all his professional and personal setbacks.
Singer G. Venugopal who had worked with him in AIR remembers his musical prowess as well as his craze for colourful clothes and good food.
“A diabetic, he was fond of jalebis and used to eat them without a care! He made amends by taking his tea without sugar,” recalls Venugopal.
Colourful attire His colourful shirts and headgear with a lot of conspicuous designs probably symbolised his positive attitude towards life, which won him lots of friends in the music circle.
This was evident at the inauguration of the Udayabhanu Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram in 2008, when all the big names in our film music took part, including Yesudas who talked about his “long-standing and warm relationship with Bhanu”.
Yesudas soulfully rendered ‘Kili Chilachu’ there in front of a beaming Udayabhanu.
Udayabhanu was active in ‘Old is Gold’ stage programmes till the age of 75 and used to spread his positive energy among singers and musicians, recollect some of his colleagues in that troupe.
He was not singing just his own songs, but also his favourite Rafi and Mukesh songs.
One still remembers his soulful rendition of Mukesh’s ‘Saranga Teri…’ in a Mukesh Nite organised in Thiruvananthapuram in 2003 by the Kamukara Foundation.
He received various awards such as the Sangeet Natak Academy award and the Padma Shri, but was magnanimous enough to state that some senior musicians deserved to be honoured with the Padma Shri before him.
That kind of candour and broadmindedness could have come only from a man who had realised that triumph and disaster are both impostors, which should be faced with equanimity.
