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Biju back in the limelight
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Every one is humming the song `Kalabham tharam... ', Biju Narayanan's rendition touches a chord and has won him many fans
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HAPPY DAYS Biju Narayanan is on a high Photo: MAHESH HRILALl
It's on everyone's lips, this song and switch on the TV and you see this song sequence. It stands out for its lyrical quality and melody: It's `Kalabham tharam... ' from the recently released `Vadakkumnathan,' the last movie for which Raveendran Master scored music. And the singer, Biju Narayanan, is savouring every moment of this runaway hit.
Special
For Biju this song will always be special for its association with Raveendran Master, the music director who gave him his first break in films. "There must be something divine in all this. My first song in films, `Pathu veluppinnu... ' from the film `Venkalam,' was tuned by Raveendran Master and I was destined to sing one from his last film also," says the city-based singer.
A post-graduate in Political Science, music was always Biju's first love. He picked up the basics of music from his mother and used to often sit next to his sister Uma when she went through her music lessons.
First performance
His first stage performance was with T. S. Radhakrishnan's troupe where his sister and her husband were regular singers. For eight years Biju studied Carnatic music under Aryanad Sadasivan. Soon, Biju was singing devotional tracks for P. Jayachandran, Unni Menon, Markose and others. Slowly Biju's talent was recognised and he managed to get some of his own songs recorded. In 1992, when he was a second year degree student, Biju had his first exclusive album, a Hindu devotional, released. The following year came his first film song. In 1996, Biju was adjudged the best male singer in the State drama awards.
Today, this talented singer has rendered more than 200 songs, in almost every South Indian language. Working under stalwarts like Ilayaraja, Dakshinamoorthy, M. K. Arjunan, M. S. Viswanathan, Mohan Sithara, Johnson, Vidyasagar, M. Jayachandran, S. P. Venkatesh and others was a wonderful, enlightening experience for him.
Popular hits
His songs, like `Marivillin... ' (Summer in Bethlehem) and others in films like `Achhanayan Enikku Ishtam,'`Satyam Shivam Sundaram, `Aniyan Bava Chetten Bava,' `Manthrikam,' and `Adityakanmani,' came to be noticed.
The relationship between man and music is deep and mysterious. Different people react differently to the same song. For, he says, sometimes a song appeals immediately, while some others have to be heard many times, allowing it to grow on you.
"Classical music is appreciated not just by maestros but even by the masses. It still has a sway over the public. If not, would the film `Sankarabharnam' have been such a hit?" He is also all praise for other movies like `Gaanam,' and `Sagarasangamam,' which the common man enjoyed and also helped educate people about classical music.
Biju is glad about the mushrooming of fresh talent, "Unlike earlier now everybody gets an opportunity due to the number of television channels. But technology has its drawbacks too, for now anybody with average talent can modify his voice and juggle with sounds to launch his own cassette provided he has the money."
Regarding the trend and future of music, he says, "a few years back with the release of films like `Swapnakoodu,' `Nammal' etc. campus music was in vogue. But of late music is going back to melodies and meaningful family themes."
Travelling
Biju's only other interest in life, apart from music, is travelling. The travel bug is satiated by the musical tours that have taken him to the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore and other countries.
You are good-looking. Haven't you considered acting in films? "Not really," he says with a boyish smile and continues, "I was offered Biju Menon's role in the movie `Mazha' and another one in a movie by Captain Raju that finally went to Vikram. However, right now I don't think I will be able to do justice to big roles, though I did a small one in the film, `Mimics 1000' where I play myself. I do get offers to act in serials but for the time being, it is only singing."
Religious
Married to his college-time sweetheart Srilatha, a lawyer who prefers to devote time to her toddlers instead of practising law, Biju is a contented man. The future is bright for this young singer and he appears confident that he has a long way to go. Deeply religious, he begins his stage performances with the evergreen semi-classical hit, `Swarghanandini swapnaviharini... ' (Lankadhahanam). This, he says, is apart from an invocation to Goddess Saraswati, the patron of arts, also a perfect way to establish rapport with his musicians and the audience.
HEMJIT BHARATHAN
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