Your Composition Never Dies.

This blog is in regard to one of the most renowned music directors in South Indian film industry, specifically Malayalam film industry by name Girish Puthenchery. Each decade has seen one or two prominent song composers in Kerala and during the last decade, it was Mr. Puthenchery. His songs were the ones which I adored in the past 10-15 years, and these songs have lived through the past decade, and they are precious for me through my whole life. I am not a very knowledgeable person about songs, or their composition or their music, but I always preferred to hear Malayalam songs when compared to all the other languages. I have been out of Kerala for more than 12 years, but compared to all other music, the songs from Tamil and Malayalam are the ones which soothe me in addition to the ghazals from Jagjit Singh.
Girish Puthenchery was a very talented composer. His songs were well accepted by the common people, because of the layman language he used in his songs. They had a scent of love and affection, despair, satire and revenge. Two of the songs which will always stick in my thoughts are “Surya Kireedam” from the movie Devasuram and “Nilavinte Neelabhasma Kuriyanjiavale” from Agnidevan. They are composed in simple language and the music is not complicated, but the human instincts these songs reflected, made Keralites clutch these songs in their heart. The songs from Meesa Madhavan were also examples for his brilliant composition, and the one which I love most among them is “Karimani Kuruviye Kandeela”.
There are many other songs that originated from him in the last decade which I love to hear again and again, but I cannot list them all because he has composed more than 2500 songs in his life time. There was a time where the quality of his composition was deteriorating, and it ignited reactions from music lovers of all age groups, which helped him to be cautious with the quality of his songs.
There may be many new composers who will be taking over his assignments, but to create the simplicity and the warmth which Puthenchery has been able to nurture through his compositions may not be sensed in those new songs. Puthenchery’s familiarity on Sanskrit language and his in-depth knowledge about Indian philosophy and world classics, which he acquired through his wide reading, helped him to reflect human instinct in his works. The state government honored him with the award for the best music composer seven times in his life time, which is a great achievement within forty eight years of his life span. The real fruits of his talents may be yet to come out, but unfortunately we don’t have the chance to hear his composition anymore. Malayalam music will feel the vacuum of the brilliant compositions from Puthencherry, which we perceived when Vayalar and Devarajan departed us.
His songs will last till the world ends. May his soul Rest In Peace……………….