Raveendran
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Malayalam film music has witnessed a few geniuses when it comes to music. If the colossus of the old era was G.Devarajan, the medieval era through the 90s was dominated by Raveendran. His contribution to MFM is immeasurable. His classical songs were rigorous, melodies were mellifluous and orchestration was ecstatic. He trained the mallu audience who were always receptive to classical/semi-classical stuff to appreciate a fusion of good orchestration and pristine classical content. He made songs which truly needed geniuses (e.g. SPB for darshan) or infinitely trained voices – KJY and Chitra of course being his most potent weapons in the arsenal. Unlike Sharath, the maverick composer and a sishya of BalamuraliKrishna, Raveendran ensured that the complexity of the song did not deter the lay from listening to it. Rather he used powerful tunes to make the lay appreciate the complexity and beauty by making them fall for the melody. Today he has left us with a repertoire of around 400 films and countless number of songs which have mesmerized MFM and to an extent TFM fans alike. Be it Pramadhavanam to touch your soul in the subtlest way, or Ramakatha gaanalayam torching the soul in with the scorching pace, or devasabathalam where Hindustani meets Carnatic, or Gopika Vasantham where shaNmukapriya interlaces KJY and Chitra to emote love through Gowthami and Mohanlal, or the lilting Edho nidrathan” to lull you into a soothing sleep or numerous other compositions which are difficult to list – He has stamped his class all over. A true creator.
The earlier part of Raveendran’s life was not very rosy. He tried his hand, much like MSV in singing only to find his voice unacceptable for films (you may hear his voice in the song – Shruthi amma layam achchan). He wanted to try his hand in composing and he was somehow making his ends meet. KJY, who happened to be his very good friend, helped him get a few chances and then the phenomenon Raveendran happened. The association has lasted for good number of years and KJY has sung some of the greatest hits of MFM for Raveendran. Some of the early hits include: Ezhu swarangalum (chiriyo chiri), Raajeevam vidarum nin mizigaL, Samaya RathangaLil (chirioyo chiri), PonpularoLi poovithariya (iththiri poove chuvanna poove) and Kudajaadriyil. The last number, as the anecdote has it, was originally composed for a female voice. KJY heard the tune and insisted that he be given a chance to sing it which finally found place in the movie. It is a melting number in ragam rEvathi. Raveendran always fondly remembers the fact that he owes his career to the great gesture of KJY.
Nineties saw resurgence of MFM with the ground breaking movie His highness Abdullah. The movie not only was a chartbuster, but the song pramadhavanam rocked every corner of Kerala. M.G.Sreekumar delivered Naadha roopiNi, a tongue twister in swaras that fetched him his first national award. Devasabaathalam which spanned over 8 minutes did not prove slack in any of the notes he had come up with. Raveendran’s classical purity was counterbalanced by Bombay Ravi’s melodic clarity. Both were going great guns at the same time with people being lost at one point of time as they were inundated with too many good albums to hear. Bharatham followed His highness Abdullah which only dwarfed the success its predecessor had. Though “raamakatha gaanalayam”” and “gopaanganE” were the most popular of the songs, “raajamaathangi” featured a duet between BMK and KJY – a rare combo which revisited after gaanam and sopaanam. PraNavam arts – Mohanlal’s home productions made Raveendran its mainstay. Sooryagayathri and Kamaladhalam were two other movies produced by the same banner for which Raveendran had used hi magical wand. Kamaladhalam had an average run in the market but the songs were once again a huge hit. Rajashilpi showcased Bhanupriya’s thundering voluptuousness ably propped by meticulously composed songs like arivin nilaavE.
With the surge of new music directors like Suresh Peters, changing trends and failing health, the assignments that Raveendran took towards the end of his career were minimal. He struck gold with “aalila thaaliyumaay” where a rejuvenated Jeyachandran sang a wonderfully light shudhdha saavEri showcased on the lotus-eyed Kavya Madhavan. Nandanam – a movie which shot Navya Nair to fame with a theme based on a wonderful fantasy, featured “Mouliyil mayil peeli chaarththi” – a song set in mohanam delivered by the inimitable Chitra. The song once again established the class of raveendran. Raveendran's 'Innum ente kannue neeril... Ninnorma punchirichu','Vaarmazhaville ezhazhakellam' takes you to the nostalgic days of your teenage love affairs. His 'Vikaara noukayumay' from the movie 'Amaram' is one of the hits of KJY.
He has done some private albums too off which “vasantha geethangaL” is exemplary. “Maamaangam” is one of the best songs that you can hear in abhogi in the voice of KJY.
In tamil, two of his songs are remembered the most: “paadi azaiththEn” and “ezisai geethame” – both having been adapted from MFM. The former was “thEnum vayambum” and the latter was “Ezu swarangaLum”. Such melodies are hard to find in these days of gibberish lyrics and cacophonous rhythms.
The last movie for which he composed songs is 'Kalabham', which contains mainly semi-classical songs.
