The eternal debate is whether lyrics can be dubbed as poetry? The voices have always been high-pitched and vociferous but the general consensus has been that lyrics can be poetic, poetry can be lyrical, but rarely does the twain meet. Poems, the debaters argue, rely solely on words, their sounds and meanings, mystery and space, the silence between the words. Lyrics can rely on the same forces to find its power but are also supported by the experience of music. And when it comes to writing for films or plays they need to fit into specific sequences and usually don’t work well if they are overly wordy, lofty, or abstract. Then very often the music tends to distract us from the meaning of the verse.
If there was one person in Malayalam in whose works the lines between poetry and lyrics blurred and melded seamlessly, it was ONV Kurup. Writing songs was an extension of poetry. This happened right from the time he began writing poems. ONV consciously embarked into this evocative world of words. All that he saw, all that he read, all that he experienced – folk lyrics, native styles, diction – all merged into his inner being. He wrote about Nature, the world and emotions. ONV was the eternal Romantic, but his feelings were contemporary, in touch with social reality.
Analysing the huge volume of ONV’s songs can be a daunting task. But a perfunctory examination would reveal that his lyrics or songs had the literary merit to deserve the rarefied title of poetry. His songs were sheer poetry; he has been the soul and brain behind many memorable songs in Malayalam.
Songs like ‘Chaitram chaayam chalichu…’ and ‘Oruvattam koodi’ (both from Chillu ), ‘Ente kadinjool pranayakathayile…’( Ulkkadal ), ‘Oru dalam mathram…’ ( Jalakam ), ‘Arikil nee undayirunnengil…’( Nee Ethra Dhanya ), or ‘Vaathil pazhuthilooden munnil…’ ( Edanazhiyil Oru Kaalocha ) are perhaps just a few of those film songs that match some of his best poems.
Unlike his poetry, ONV’s lyrics lend themselves to easy singing. Here he seemed to imagine someone singing his words thereby making them musical, tailored perfectly to tune.
Although poets lean inward, engage in solitary composition, ONV always seemed to have a desire to have his verse set to tune. For instance, in one of his early poems ‘Arivalum Rakkuyilum’, published on May 21, 1951, in the weekly Janadhipathyam , published by Vayalar Rama Varma, ONV instructs readers to sing this poem in the tune of the popular Hindi film song ‘Chodh gaya balam…’ ( Barsaat, 1949).
Perhaps ONV could not read music or have formal training, but certainly he had a sensitive ear. And this learning to play by ear was at the heart of everything he wrote for films. When ONV wrote the first eight ghazals for Umbayi he insisted that three of them be composed in Miya Ki Malhar, Kedar and Yaman ragas. “‘The rest of them can be tuned to your liking’, he had said. And the choice of ragas matched the lines he wrote for them so well,” Umbayi recalls.
ONV had his favourite singers and songs; K.L. Saigal and Mohammed Rafi were among them. It was this keen ear for music that enabled ONV to infuse flesh and blood to Salil Chowdhary’s pre-set tunes in songs such as ‘Sagarame shantamaka ee…’ ( Madanolsavam ) or ‘Rakuyile urangu…’ ( Ee Gaanam Marakkumo ).
ONV’s endless repertoire was formed through his memories, images, life experiences and extensive reading. The gooseberry tree, the well with its ‘sweet water’, all of which was part of ONV’s school days at Sankaramangalam; the birds, the flowers, the festivals, traditions….all became part of his songs. Only he could have condensed Meghasandesam into a few lines and used it in a song, ‘Shyama meghame…’ ( Samayamayilla Polum ) and also write Ujjayani , which dwells on the life of Kalidasa, offering new insights drawn from his writings.
Another admirable aspect of ONV’s songs is the dignity he imparted to them. In all his five and more decades, this poet has never penned anything that could be termed sub-standard. Like the man his work is profound, elegant. Songs, for him, were meant to express the truth in its most stately form. Even when some of the situations in films demanded titillating lines, ONV came up with verses that elevated the scenes. Two songs, ‘Samayamayilla polum…’ and ‘Enthini chilankakal…’ ( Karuna ) are perfect cases in point. The only exception is perhaps ‘Thakkida mundan tharave…’ ( Tharavu ), which somehow does not have the ONV touch to it. But then he was a thorough professional when it came to writing songs for films. He said that even the most bare, uninspiring landscapes that flashed by as he travelled by train to Chennai did not deter him from writing ‘Manikya veenayumayen…’ ( Kaattupookal ) the next day.
ONV once told this writer that this was a deliberate decision he took when he began writing for films. He laid down conditions, never compromised on his principles, always kept away from the regular late night get-togethers, as he had seen many a young talent turn servile and end up as losers.
Although ONV entered films writing for G. Devarajan with whom he created immortal drama songs, they worked together in only 18-odd films. ONV was never part of a ‘team’ such as Vayalar-Devarajan, Sreekumaran Thampi-M.K. Arjunan or P. Bhaskaran-M.S. Baburaj. Along with M.B. Sreenivasan, Salil Chowdhary, Bombay Ravi and a host of other music directors right up to M. Jayachandran, ONV created some magical melodies.
ONV was a magician of words who wove fascinating images in songs and ghazals, holding his listeners in a spell for decades. His songs are still hummed by people of all generations. His lyrics catapulted Malayalam film songs to a level that has now become a benchmark.
Poet, teacher, lyricist and writer, ONV was always different from the herd. In his film, drama and light songs ONV brought in words and images, turning them into unforgettable treasures. And that romance with words will linger for ages to come…
