Ouseppachan is one of the few music composers in Malayalam cinema to have achieved the coveted double of both the State and National awards. The Kerala Government recognized his efforts by awarding him the State Film Award for Best Music Director in 1987 for the film ‘Unnikale Oru Katha Parayam’ . ‘Ore Kadal’ brought him National level honours in 2007. Between the two landmarks stretch 20 long years full of melodious accomplishments - which provides a compelling comment on the music director’s creativity and adaptability.
Like many other young men who nursed cinematic ambitions, Ouseppachan the young violinist boarded the train to Madras to seek his filmi fortunes.The genius of director Bharatan recognized the potential in the untried composer and he got his opening in the Bharatan-directed, Mammooty starrer ‘Kathodu Kathoram’ in which Ouseppachan announced his arrival musically with a string of super hits –‘Kathodu Kathoram’; ‘Devadoothar Padi’ ; ‘Nee En Swarga Sowdaryame’ . He touched his creative peaks while teaming up with Fazil as in Aniyathi Pravu, Life is Beautiful, Harikrishnans etc, though it was Kamal’s ‘ Unnikale Oru Katha Parayam’ that fetched him his maiden award. National recognition evaded him twice before finally becoming his with Shyamaprasad’s ‘Ore Kadal’ . Ouseppachan was a veteran who had composed for over 130 films, but Ore Kadal presented him with the stiffest challenge of his career, since the Director wanted all the songs to be composed in the ‘Shubha Panthuvarali’ raga to highlight the basic feel of the film. Ouseppachan responded with 5 magnificent numbers tuned in varying tempos of the raga that haunted even the playback singers who rendered it, for weeks afterwards.
When Ouseppachan appeared on the musical scene, the prevailing note was that of melody. In the next 2 decades, new trends surged in, unsettling established names but Ouseppachan held out against the current crazes and latest rages.
He was able to buck the trend because of his musical genius that saw him quantum leap from a mere violinist in an orchestra to the chair of the music director . He mastered the violin strings alongside his academics; played for a few music troupes before joining the orchestra of Devarajan Master. He came to Madras with nothing other than his talent –and his violin case & composed the background score for a couple of films before Bharatan re-drew the course of his life. His longevity was also because of his ability to assimilate and absorb changes and to constantly re-invent his music to suit the prevailing times : fine tuning his melodies to emphasis the visualization of the song ; experimenting with the poetry of Kumaranasan and Vailoppalli; using technology to boost voice quality etc.
It is almost 25 years since ‘Devadothar Padi’ became a milestone in Malayalam playback music.
Ouseppachan still endures.
Hopefully he will still carry on for another 25 years . Malayalam Cinema will be richer for it. |
