പ്രശസ്ത എഴുത്തുകാരനും മാധ്യമ പ്രവർത്തകനുമായ രവി മേനോന് ഇടിവി ഭാരതിന് നല്കിയ പ്രത്യേക അഭിമുഖം.
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00:00He was interested in sports.
00:01He had a big goal to become a sports legend.
00:04He came to be a journalist for that.
00:06Sometimes we have songs in our mind.
00:08But who sang it?
00:10Or who is the musician?
00:12Or who is the artist?
00:13Sometimes people don't pay attention.
00:15Ummukka, as Shashi brother said,
00:17is not out there.
00:18That's it.
00:19It's only in that.
00:20He didn't even know this.
00:22But he heard the name of a person he didn't know,
00:24Mojta.
00:26For both songs,
00:27Unniyaarari and Rakyam Thikiranam.
00:29For both.
00:30Each person has different skills.
00:32If we take you as an example,
00:34who made a song,
00:36if we examine your life path,
00:38you have a deep knowledge
00:40about Malayalam songs
00:42and music.
00:44Since you were a medium,
00:46how did you decide
00:48to take this path?
00:52I didn't do it on purpose.
00:54I didn't do it on purpose.
00:57I can say it as a result
00:59of my memories.
01:01I studied journalism
01:03in Calcutta University.
01:05It was a degree.
01:07B.J.
01:08I had a first rank in that.
01:10It was the time when
01:12Kerala Govt. launched the Kozhikode edition.
01:14For the first time,
01:15photo composing,
01:16computerized printing
01:18and typesetting.
01:19I was the first in India.
01:21Naturally,
01:22I had a desire to join that.
01:24I went there.
01:25I got a job there.
01:27I joined as a journalist trainee
01:29at a salary of Rs. 400.
01:31At that time,
01:33football was my favorite event.
01:35I was interested in sports.
01:37My goal was to join sports.
01:39I was coming to journalism
01:41for that.
01:43Naturally,
01:45I needed a sports reporter there.
01:47So,
01:49for the first time,
01:51I joined the Kozhikode Nehru Cup
01:53as a sports reporter.
01:57At that time,
01:59songs were in my mind.
02:01There was no one in Malayalam
02:03who wrote about songs.
02:05In English,
02:07there were few people like Raju Bharathan.
02:09So,
02:11I never thought of writing about songs
02:13or doing research on songs.
02:15I love listening to songs.
02:17I have a special interest in some songs
02:19and some music directors.
02:21I knew who the composers were.
02:23I knew their writing,
02:25music,
02:27actors,
02:29lines,
02:31length,
02:33etc.
02:35At the end of 1980s,
02:37Leela Chechi,
02:39P. Leela,
02:41came to Kozhikode.
02:43She was a singer
02:45like my childhood.
02:47We used to listen to
02:49Suprabhatam,
02:51Guruvayur, Narayani,
02:53Jnanapan in the morning.
02:55I think it was because of
02:57the atmosphere of my house.
02:59I wanted to meet her.
03:01I had a great desire.
03:03So, I went there.
03:05My mother,
03:07Mulyasheri Rajagopal,
03:09was a character
03:11who became famous through Devaswara.
03:13She was my mother's first cousin.
03:15She was my friend,
03:17philosopher and guide.
03:19So, I fulfilled
03:21my mother's wish.
03:23She asked me
03:25why I was afraid.
03:27She knew that I had a good relationship
03:29with singers.
03:31She invited me to meet her.
03:33So, I went to meet
03:35Leela Chechi with her blessings.
03:37I was very happy
03:39when I met her.
03:41She had a photo of Guruvayur
03:43on the wall.
03:45She had a very pure
03:47impression on Leela Chechi.
03:49She didn't say anything bad
03:51about anyone.
03:53So, I talked about
03:55Leela Chechi's songs.
03:57We talked for a long time.
03:59I asked her the story of those songs.
04:01Naturally,
04:03she liked to talk about it
04:05because she knew about those songs.
04:07We talked for a long time.
04:09I didn't notice it
04:11because I didn't want to interview her.
04:13I didn't notice it.
04:15I just kept it in my mind.
04:17After that, I went out
04:19to ask her about my journey.
04:21She came with me.
04:23When I asked her about my journey,
04:25she asked me a question
04:27that was in her heart.
04:29She asked me where I got
04:31this question from.
04:33I was very sad.
04:35We never think about
04:37whether this interview
04:39will be published
04:41or not.
04:43I was too shy to
04:45say it to her.
04:47I asked her to say it.
04:49I was very tensed
04:51because it was my favorite song.
04:53I was very tensed
04:55because it was my favorite song.
04:57I kept it in my mind
04:59and made it into a script.
05:01I kept it in my mind
05:03and made it into a script.
05:05I sent it to Vasarendran
05:07who was in charge of
05:09the notation for the song.
05:11He published it.
05:13Without even knowing
05:15me, I became
05:17a person who writes songs.
05:19He was a very regular
05:21singer and
05:22music composer.
05:24He was a very regular
05:26singer and
05:29musician.
05:31He composed
05:33He composed
05:35his songs
05:37Malayalees have gone through some unforgettable memories, haven't they?
05:41Of course, Raj. I feel that Jayanmash is...
05:43We now call them legends.
05:46Udayvarajan, Baburaj, Dakshinamurthy, Raghavan, Arjunamash.
05:50They are all seen as legends.
05:52When it comes to them, the name Jaya Vijaya is often not mentioned.
05:57But I feel that they are people who have inherited a similar music from their path.
06:05Especially in the world of Bhakti music.
06:07They are people who have built an independent culture.
06:11All the songs they have composed are their own.
06:15There are songs that they have sung.
06:18They have composed very few songs in the film.
06:21One of them is this Nakshatra Deepam.
06:23Hridayam Devalayam.
06:25They say that this is not a song written for a film.
06:27Vijayachetan did not write this song for a film.
06:30When I saw a book called Hridayam Devalayam in front of a temple,
06:35I wrote it with an idea that I had read in that book.
06:38I wrote a few lines.
06:40When the film Thiruvi Geetham came out,
06:42I had to give the logic in its situation.
06:46Jayanmash composed it.
06:48Vishwas sang it.
06:50It was beautiful.
06:51But that film was not released.
06:53People have not seen the visuals of it yet.
06:55But even then, that song became a super hit.
06:58What is special about such songs is that
07:00we can see the visuals in our own way.
07:05Hridayam Devalayam was an impossible song.
07:07That is their classic song.
07:09Nakshatra Deepam is also the same.
07:11Vijayachetan did not write it for a film.
07:13When he was living in Madras,
07:16when Jayavijayan went to the lodge,
07:21he kept a diary in his hand and went to the temple.
07:26Visually, Jayavijayan came to see the diary.
07:29He saw a poem about Chembai Swamy and Palakkad Mani.
07:34They got a poem.
07:35They started composing from there.
07:37This song, which was composed,
07:40was a remake of a film called Niraguda.
07:44Jayavijayan decided to use this song
07:47for a situation in the film Beem Singh Direct.
07:52Their life is a compilation of such stories.
07:56They have their own character.
07:59If it is their song, it should be an energetic song.
08:03Bhakti is such a feeling.
08:05Bhakti is a song full of energy.
08:10So, there was a period for them.
08:13That period is why Jayavijayan retired and came back.
08:16If you look at our writings,
08:19S. Janaki is still looking for a singer
08:23who can sing like Jayavijayan.
08:27What do you think about that?
08:30I have often felt that
08:33we have songs in our mind.
08:36But many people don't pay attention
08:39to who is the singer or who is the musician.
08:42Some crazy people like me follow them.
08:46It is my desire to find such people
08:49and bring them to the light.
08:56I always write about what I want to know,
08:59what I want to read.
09:02That is what I write for others.
09:05I am my own prototype.
09:08There are many singers like this.
09:11Janaki Mata sang a song called
09:14Mellai Ni Mellai Veru.
09:17Many people think that it is Kallara Gopan.
09:20But there is a singer like this.
09:23He has composed only a few songs.
09:26He has gone with his business.
09:29There are many such songs.
09:32I like to go in search of such singers.
09:35That is how I chose Gopan.
09:38Gopan asked me if people still remember me.
09:41I told him that people still remember me.
09:44That song was composed by K.J.Joy.
09:47There are many singers like Janaki Mata.
09:50Satheesh Babu sang Mellai Ni Mellai Veru.
09:53I am happy that I have become a reason
09:56to bring such people to the limelight.
10:02Let me connect to what you said.
10:05I.V. Shashi has composed a song
10:08called Kannur Rajan Sangeetha.
10:11Kannur Rajan's songs are similar to
10:14those of A.T. Umar's songs.
10:17There is a difference between his songs
10:20and his songs.
10:23It has led to many controversies.
10:26What is special about Shashi is that
10:29he says that he is the Chakravarthi of his cinema.
10:32He says that his songs will be used
10:35not only in the film but also in the camera.
10:38He has used music directors
10:41who match his vision.
10:44One of them is A.T. Umar.
10:47Shashi says that there is no Ummukka
10:50other than Kannur Rajan's songs.
10:53Kannur Rajan composed a song
10:56for the play.
10:59Shashi wants to use the song
11:02in his film.
11:05A.T. Umar is the director of the film.
11:08The song comes out in his name.
11:11He plays many important roles in the film.
11:14At that time, Kannur Rajan is worshipped.
11:17A.T. Umar does not know anything about Kannur Rajan.
11:20The same thing happened in the film
11:23Avalda Raavgalam.
11:26A.T. Umar composed the original tune
11:29for Avalada Raavgalam.
11:32That too came in the name of A.T. Umar.
11:35But A.T. Umar is not there when the song
11:38comes out.
11:41Shashi says that he is the one
11:44who bought the track of the original
11:47Hindi song from Bombay.
11:50Shashi is the only music director.
11:53Kannan is the recordist.
11:56Aguna Singh is the flutist.
11:59There are small gaps in the original track.
12:02Janakiamma sings the second verse.
12:05There are some flute bits to fill the gap.
12:08A.T. Umar does not even know this.
12:11But he heard the name of a person
12:14who he did not know and
12:17composed a song for both.
12:20I always laugh when I hear this.
12:23A.T. Umar is a good person.
12:26He does not say anything about him.
12:29But there is another song I did for him.
12:32You can ask him about it.
12:35You need to know about it.
12:38He is a very kind person.
12:41He is one of the most innocent
12:44and genuine A.T. Umar.
12:47There is a famous music director
12:50by the name of J. J. Joey.
12:53He composed a song called
12:56Kasthuri Manmezi which
12:59Malayalees will never forget.
13:02One of my biggest sorrows is J. J. Joey.
13:05I am going to see him for the first time
13:08about 15 years.
13:11Before that I have seen him.
13:14He was like a prince.
13:17His dresses, perfumes, watches,
13:20cooling glasses,
13:23cars,
13:26the latest Benz car,
13:29Plymouth car was imported
13:32for the first time in South India by J. J. Joey.
13:35J. J. Joey used to come in a car
13:38with his keyboard and accordion.
13:42I have seen him like a king.
13:45Is there a music director like J. J. Joey
13:48in Malayalam?
13:51Yes, he is the one who introduced me to him.
13:54I didn't learn it from him.
13:57He was like a prince.
14:05When I saw him again,
14:08he was like a man who was
14:11living in a small room
14:14of his palace house.
14:17I have always seen
14:20the same energy
14:23in his face.
14:26I still remember
14:29he asked me to call Bichu
14:32when he was talking.
14:35When I called Bichu,
14:38he was singing a song
14:41called En Swaram Poovidu.
14:44Bichu said,
14:47Ah! Joey!
14:50Bichu said,
14:53I have a lot of tunes in my mind,
14:56but no one wants them.
14:59We have to make old tunes.
15:02He made a tune
15:05and Bichu made a song.
15:08I thought,
15:11this is how they made it.
15:14He said,
15:17Joey is the one
15:20who introduced me to him.
15:23Joey is the one
15:26who introduced me to him.
15:29He said,
15:32I will become a superstar
15:35and you will sing for me.
15:38He made a lot of songs.
15:41One of them was
15:44Kasthuri Manmidi.