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Masters of verse: Anil Panachooran

Veterans like P. Bhaskaran, Vayalar Rama Varma, and O.N.V. Kurup skilfully and aesthetically wove a linguistic texture that tugged at the heartsrings. Their lyrics were neither a bunch of words divided randomly into ‘lines,’ nor a set of syllables set to musical notes. Instead, the lyrics combined emotions and meaning with rhythm, rhyme and meter. It is their orientation in poetry that made them write verses with such conceptual integrity, feel new-generation lyricists Anil Panachooran and Rafeeq Ahamed.

“As O.N.V. once said, film songs are applied poetry. Our mainstream lyricists always believed in ‘Kaavyaartham’ – the combination of poetic aesthetics and meaning. Those verses, when married to music, became immortal melodies. I think it is very important to keep the structure and syntax intact. And I have always tried to stick to this while writing film songs,” says Rafeeq, who penned the lyrics for ‘Perumazhakkalam,’ ‘Pranayakalam,’ ‘Paradesi’ and ‘Flash.’

“Sensitivity and sarcasm are also important,” adds Anil, lyricist of chart busters such as ‘Thirike Njan Varumenna’ and ‘Vythyasthanamoru Barbar.’ Anil points out that the veteran lyricists seamlessly crossed over genres to create an exceptional body of work.

“It is actor-director Sreenivasan who pointed this out to me while working on ‘Katha Parayumbol.’ I was riding high on ‘Chora Veena Mannil’ and was a little hesitant to write something like ‘Balan Oru Kaalan.’ But Sreenivasan reminded me: ‘It is the same pen that wrote ‘Thallu Thallu Thallipoli Vandi’ and ‘Apaara Sundara Neelakasam.’ Then I was able to take up the challenge of a similar nature.

“So whenever I write, I make an effort to establish a heart-to-heart connection with my readers. At the same time I stick to my sensibilities as a writer,” asserts Anil, who came into the limelight with his songs in ‘Arabikatha.’

Rafeeq Ahamed

“It was writer Sindhu Raj who encouraged me to become a lyricist. He told me that director Lal Jose had heard my poems and wanted me to write the lyrics for ‘Arabikatha.’ ‘Arabi Katha’ was an amazing experience because I got to try out different ways of writing film songs.

“‘Thirike Njan’ was written first and tuned afterwards. ‘Tharaka Malrukal’ and ‘Thaane Paadum’ were written to suit the tunes. And then I wrote ‘Chora Veena Mannil,’ and sang it over the phone for Lal Jose. He decided to retain my tune and I ended up singing the song as well,” he says. A lawyer, Anil writes lyrics as an extension of his poetry.

“Writing poetry is a very organic process while writing lyrics is an induced one. But one needs to have exceptional imagination, vocabulary and practice to write to tunes and visuals,” he says.

Rafeeq Ahamed also holds a similar opinion. He adds: “Poetry has exclusivity in terms of making and realisation but film song is a team effort. It is set against a particular background, a character and an emotion.”

An employee at the ESI Hopsital, Thrissur, Rafeeq is also an accomplished poet and a Sahitya Academy Award Winner, who made his debut as a lyricist in P.T. Kunhumohammed’s ‘Garshom.’

“I then worked on Shyamaprasad’s tele-serial ‘Samanathalam.’ Films happened simultaneously. I thought it was an new space for expression. I try to keep away from cliched images and try to focus more on the emotional plane, though the usage of familiar imagery helps in striking a chord with the listeners,” feels Rafeeq.

Anil adds: “The more you keep it simple, the more its reach. Metaphors and similes should be kept to the minimum.”

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