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The Sreekumaran Thampi-M. K. Arjunan team was formed to question the popular Vayalar-Devarajan duo. It was a challenge that Thampi had thrown to Devarajan after the music director was reluctant to team up with him despite the smashing success of ‘Chitramela.’ And this duo, when joined by K. J. Yesudas, went on create some unforgettable melodies in Malayalam film music. This is a collection of twenty memorable songs by this trinity between the years 1969-1978.

Thampi-Arjunan got together for the first time in the film ‘Rest House.’ Included are three immortal melodies, ‘Paadatha veenayum…,’ ‘Pournami chandrika…,’ and Muthilum muthaya…’ The musical duo cemented their place with the film ‘Picnic.’ Three songs, ‘Chandrakala manathu…,’ ‘Kasturi manakkunnallo..,’ and ‘Odipokum vasanthakalame…’ find place in this collection. Two songs that will call for repeated listening are ‘Chembakathaikal pootha…,’ (Kaathirunna Nimisham) and ‘Paalaruvi karayil…’ (Padmavyuham). The songs stand out for the lyrics, composition and brilliant rendering.

This top-selling album seems to have found a place in the collective memory of the Malayali. And helping to keep memories of the songs afresh is the visualisation of a few of the songs in the album. Three songs, ‘Minnalazhake…,’ ‘Friends forever…’and ‘Udayasuryan…’ were visualised earlier. Now we have the visual version of ‘Malayalipenne…’ the most popular song in the album. A tribute to the Malayali woman the song acquires a new dimension in its visual form. There are some breathtaking visuals of the beauty of the State. It also salutes women of the State who have carved a niche for themselves in their respective fields. Direction is by Arun Shekhar, lyrics by Jelu Jayaraj and music by Jakes Bejoy. The singers include Madhu Balakrishnan, Vineeth Srinivasan, Haricharan, and Afzal.

With six songs and an instrumental piece is depicted a day in one’s life. Beginning from dawn and ending with dusk, a whole set of human emotions find evocative expression through music.

A wonderful beginning, like dawn, is the song ‘Neelagiriyude…’ by Sreevalsan J. Menon. Set in Revagupti raga, backed by rich orchestration and fine lyrics this is the pick of the songs.

Simple, yet pithy lyrics blend with the music . Human emotions are the subject for the songs. Expectation is the theme of ‘Kanmaniye…’ sung by Urmila Varma and a lullaby in Neelambari raga, ‘Ponpulari…’ by Bini Panicker stand out.

Sreevalsan has breathed life into two other solos ‘Azhake mazhayil…’ and ‘Malini madhubhashini…’ The second one has some brilliant fusion of Western and Indian orchestration that does not hamper the mood of the song at all.

Lyrics are by Bindu B. Panicker and music is by Binu M. Panicker.

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