Malayalam cinema lost one of its most prolific lyricists in the death of Poovachal Khader, who succumbed to COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram on June 22.
The 72-year-old songwriter had been under treatment for COVID-19 at the Govt. Medical College.
Khader, during his five-decade career, wrote more than a thousand songs for over 350 films, while being credited for some of the biggest-ever hits in Malayalam film music.
His song-writing talent ensured him being one of the busiest lyricists in the 1970s and 80s, when he penned evergreen songs like “Natha nee varum kalocha” (Chamaram), “Shararanthal thiri thaazhhum” (Kayalum Kayarum), “Aadya samaagama lajjayil” (Ulsavam), “Sindoora sandhyaykku mounam” (Choola), “Ente janman neeyeduthu” (Aattakkalasam), (Itha Oru Dhikkari), “Etho janma kalpanayil” (Palangal), “Naanamaaunno” Poomaaname (Nirakkoottu) and “Anuraagini itha en” (Oru Kudakkeezhil).
Khader began his career from writing poetry as a student to penning songs for stage and radio, where he drew the attention of cinema. His two songs in the 1973 film Kattu Vitchavan – Neeyente prarthana kettu… and Mazhavillinanjnathavaasam… – became hits, while the songs in “Ulsavam” established him as a lyricist to reckon with. Not many know that Khader has written one of the most popular light songs in Malayalam (Jayadeva kaviyude…), which was set to lilting tune by the late composer M.G. Radhakrishnan.