Reju Joseph’s ambition was to make it big as a playback singer. Right from the time he came into the limelight winning the Kerala University Youth Festival light music title six times in a row to making his playback debut in the film Meenathil Thalikettu (1998), Reju has virtually been slogging to keep his dream alive. In a fiercely competitive field, the going was not always easy. Despite coming up with some extremely popular hits like ‘Ozhukukayayi…’ ( Achanurangatha Veedu ) and ‘Kaattadi thanalum…’ ( Classmates ), Reju never really got his due. He now has decided to switch tracks turning music director with Sajin Lal’s Thank You Very Much .
Though composing was something Reju always loved to do this offer came rather unexpectedly. “I had met and talked to Sajin a couple of times. He called me and said that he was planning to do a film. He wanted me to suggest a few names of music directors, which I did. But Sajin came back to me saying that they did not fit into their budget and other reasons. Then out of the blue he asked me if I could compose the songs. I said I would try,” says Reju.
The creative process began almost immediately. Reju read the script and had long discussions with the director on the song situations. “There are four songs, penned by P.E. Usha, in the film. After a thorough discussion with the lyricist and director that included minor changes in the lines I began composing the tunes. The tracks were ready in one month. It includes melody, a typically new-gen fast, rhythmic number, and a lullaby. My training as assistant to music director Alex Paul certainly helped.”
Mridula Varier, Durga Viswanath, Radhika Sethumadhavan, Usha Raj and Reju are the singers. But will this switch of track affect his career as singer? “No. Why should it? I have been in this field for a little more than 15 years now. And I believe that I have put my heart and soul into every song that I have sung including the tracks that were later recorded by other singers. But I don’t think I have really got what I deserved. Music directors have bypassed my talents. There have been many disappointing moments but I hung on because music is my life.”
Long before making his playback debut, while in college, Reju had recorded a song written by P. Bhaskaran and set to music by G. Devarajan for the film Brahmastram . “I got this opportunity through the efforts of P.A. Backar. But when the film was released my voice was erased and it was rendered by another noted male singer. It was frustrating but did not deter me from pursuing my goal.”
Instead of dwelling on the negatives Reju revelled in the little bit of life that worked well. He diligently pursues his training in music. “I’m continuing by training under N.P. Ramaswamy and Ustad Fayas Khan. I began studying Carnatic classical vocal when I was in class seven at Tharangini School of Music. I was the youngest candidate to appear for the interview and get selected. I studied here for four years. I continued my studies under gurus Annapoorneswari and Perumbavoor G. Ravindranath and later from Cherthala Gopalan Nair, M.R. Madhusudhana Menon and Hindustani music from Pandit Ramesh Narayan.”
Reju says that the occasional call to croon in some film, the concerts and programmes for which he is invited inspire him to go on. “Being awarded Top Grade in Light Music from All India Radio and, more recently, getting inducted to the Malayalam audition board of AIR, have certainly enthused me.”
A lawyer, Reju has sacrificed his legal career for music. Now settled in Kochi he owns and manages a recording studio, Sarangi. His wife Manju runs a boutique, his son Jagan, an engineering student, essayed the younger version of Thilakan in the film Ustad Hotel , while his second son Joel, a student of class nine, of Rajagiri Public School, is a singer and plays the piano with élan.
