Yesterday once more
Ambika Varma
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Santha P. Nair once reigned as the melody queen of Malayalam. A documentary throws light on her contributions to the music industry.
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My aim was to make a portrait documentary that not only depicts the person, but also the period. Baiju Chandran
THE NIGHTINGALE: Santha P. Nair
`Innaley,' a 50-minute documentary on Santha P. Nair's life, is a melodious tribute to one of the stalwarts of the Malayalam music industry. Directed by Baiju Chandran, assistant director, Doordarshan, this biographical documentary highlights the life and times of this talented singer.
Born into the famous Ambady family in Thrissur, as one of the five children of Vasudeva Poduval and Lakshmi, Santha Poduval showed her potential at a very young age.
In a nostalgic mood, Santha, who is now in her Seventies, throws light on her early upbringing, and education in Queen Mary's College in Chennai. She recalls with pride how thrilled she was when she got an opportunity to sing `Vande Mataram' before Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Trailblazer
Says Baiju, "Although she was the queen of melody at one time, she quietly left the scene and most people seem to have forgotten her."
In fact, as an announcer of All India Radio, Kozhikode, she, along with Abdul Khader began the trend of `Lalithasangeetha ganam' or light music.
Her days in Kozhikode have been aesthetically depicted through sepia tinted scenes and old photographs. She left AIR after her marriage to writer and broadcaster Padmanabhan Nair. She recounts her association with Dakshinamoorthy, P. Devarajan, Brother Lakshman and K.J. Jesudas.
Shanta's tryst with the film industry began when she sang for the film `Thiramala.'
Interspersed with songs and film clippings, the film takes you down memory lane. Her mellifluous voice immortalised songs like `Unarunaru Unnikanna' (`Neelakuyil'), `Nazhiyurippalukondu naadake kalyanam' (`Rarichanenna Pouran), `Poove nalla Poove' (`Palattu Koman') and so on. She even composed a song for `Ezhu Rathrikal,' on the lines of a `mappila pattu.'
She remembers that she sang a "comedy song with Jesudas, who was a very polite young chap when I met him." Her duet `Kadavathu Thoniyaduthappol Penninte,' with S. Janaki (`Murappennu') was a super hit. But little did her fans realise that this song would be her swan song.
"I plan to make a series of biographical documentaries on the lives of the stalwarts who shaped the cultural landscape of Kerala. The first one is on Shanta P. Nair.
My aim was to make a portrait documentary that not only depicts the person, but also the surroundings and the period," says the director.
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Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
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