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Perfect scores

Photos S. Gopakumar

Tunesmith Music director M. Jayachandran

M. Jayachandran scores on melody. Slow, soulful, heavy, classical, semi-classical, fast, rhythmic…he has scored them all. Most of his numbers manage to strike a chord with song buffs. An enviable track record for any music director.

But Jayachandran is the first to point out that his initial years as music director were not exactly composed of triumphant notes. Many false starts, flops and heartbreaks dented the confidence of the engineer-turned music director. Critics were quick to write him off.

“I wondered whether I had done the right thing by chucking in my job,” he recalls with a wry smile.

But once he found his touch, he scaled heights that evoked envy. Awards came calling and so did fame and success too. “It has not been an easy journey. For two years, after my first film, I did not have any work at all. It was only faith in God and my family that kept me afloat. But it was also a period during which I could listen to and absorb a great deal of world music and Western classical music. It gave me a solid and wholesome foundation for my work as a music composer,” says Jayachandran.

Finally he tasted success on the small screen with the title music of a serial, a duet sung with K.S. Chitra. ‘It became such a big hit. The title song was even shown in ‘Chandapottu.’ Just the opening bars were enough for people to recognise the song.”

The serial revolution on the small screen gave him the opportunity to showcase his work. Gradually offers began to trickle in from the big screen producers too. ‘Manikuyile,’ a melodic song in the film ‘Vaalkannadi’ helped the director make himself heard in the high-decibel music industry.

‘Ennale ente nenchile’ in ‘Balettan’ was another song that became a hit. However ‘Baletta Baletta,’ yet another song in the same film, resulted in a series of verbal battles with music critics who accused him of plagiarism. “Music directors do not work in a vacuum. We have to cater to the needs of the film, the situation and work together as a team to make the film click with viewers. My producer wanted a song that would appeal to children. So, the opening chorus was adapted from the popular Boney M number ‘Rasputin.’ The rest of the song is mine. But I feel these are hazards of the job and now I have learnt to take such criticism in my stride, especially when there is no truth in such allegations. So many of our popular songs have been taken from Carnatic compositions,” he says with a wide smile. And then hums the relevant compositions and the songs inspired by them.

Not a difficult task for a trained and prize winning Carnatic musician since his school days. “It was my father, Madhusudhanan Nair, who wanted me to be a Carnatic singer. My mother, Sukumari, was more keen on me becoming a singer. I was taught by Attingal Harihara Iyer, one of the traditional Mullamoodu Bhagavathars, Perumbavoor G. Ravindranath and the late Neyyattinkara Mohanachandran.” As a student in the College Of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, Jayachadran made his name as a Carnatic vocalist who also used to sing light songs. His interest in music led him to the Kerala University Choir that used to be conducted by M.B. Srinivasan. The late maestro broad based the youngster’s education in music and introduced him to regional music. But it was his interaction with G. Devarajan that inspired him to wield the baton in tinsel town.

“He advised me that my primary job as a music director is to ensure that when audiences leave the theatre, they must be humming one of the songs in the film. I have tried to do that.”

The latest Kerala State Film Award for the best music director, his third, seems to prove that he has taken the advice to heart.

Chart busters

State Film Award for the best music director in 2003 (‘Gourishankaram’), 2004 (‘Perumazhakkalam’) and 2007 (‘Nivedyam’)

State Film Award for the best playback singer (male) in 2005 (‘Melle melle’ in ‘Nottam’)

State Television Award for best music director in 1982 and 2002

State Television Award for best compere in 2003 (‘Ragolsavam’ in Kairali TV)

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