VED KHABAR

The Legendary Singer P Jayachandran Passes Away

The singer, known for his expressive voice, had a youthful charm that could touch romantic hearts until the very end. He sang over 16,000 songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi.

Acclaimed Malayalam playback singer P. Jayachandran, fondly known as ‘Bhavagayakan’ by Keralites worldwide, passed away on Thursday at the age of 80.

He had been receiving treatment for age-related ailments at Amala Hospital in Thrissur.

“On Wednesday, he was discharged as his condition had improved. However, he collapsed at home on Thursday evening and was rushed back to the hospital, where he passed away at 7:54 pm,” said a spokesperson from Amala Medical College Hospital.

Jayachandran was born on March 3, 1944, in Kochi to Ravivarma Kochaniyan Thampuran and Paliyath Subhrakunjamma. His family later moved to Irinjalakuda.

He graduated in zoology from Christ College, Irinjalakuda, and was working at a private company in Chennai when producer Sobhana Parameswaran Nair and director A. Vincent noticed his singing at an event. This led to his first opportunity in the 1965 film Kunjali Marikkar, directed by Vincent, though the film was released in 1967.

He was married to Latha and settled in Poonkunnam, Thrissur, with their children, Lakshmi and Dinanath.

Jayachandran's Legacy in Malayalam and Other Indian Cinema

Jayachandran’s big break came in 1966 when legendary music director G. Devarajan heard him sing and offered him the iconic song Manjalayil Mungi Thorthi in the movie Kalithozhan.

Some of his other famous songs include Anuragagaanam Pole, Neelagiriyude Sakhikale (which won him his first Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer in 1972), Raagam Sreeraagam, Karimukil Kaattile, Prayam Nammil Moham Nalki, Ariyathe Ariyathe, Olanjali Kuruvi, and Araraarum Kanaathe.

In 1985, he was honored with the National Award for Best Singer for the song Sivasankara Sarva Saranya Vibho from the film Sree Narayana Guru.

He also sang in Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi films. A self-taught singer, he captured the hearts of generations with his soulful voice and style.

Jayachandran, who sang over 16,000 songs, made his debut in 1965 with the song “Oru Mullappoomalayumaayi” from P Bhaskaran’s Kunhalimarikkar. Although this was his first recorded song, he was first heard in cinema in the song “Manjalayil Mungi Thorthi” from Kalithozhan, composed by G Devarajan.

P. Jayachandran, the voice behind some of Malayalam cinema’s most timeless songs, worked with legendary composers like V. Dakshinamoorthy, MS Baburaj, Devarajan, MB Sreenivasan, Vidyasagar, Ouseppachan, Suresh Peters, and M Jayachandran. His music has stood the test of time. He also sang a few songs for RK Sekhar, the father of AR Rahman, and later went on to record notable songs for the Oscar-winning composer as well.

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