Film maker, lyricist P Bhaskaran passes away

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 25 (UNI) Noted poet, lyricist and film maker P Bhaskaran, who had revolutionised the Malayalam filmdom and had left a mark on the country's film history, passed away at his residence at Jawahar Nagar near here this afternoon.

He was 83.

Bhaskaran had been ailing for some time and his health deteriorated in the past three days.

Bhaskaran, one of Malayalam's finest practitioners of lyrical poetry and a filmmaker, was born in 1924 to Nanthyelath Padmanabha Menon and Ammalu Amma, at Kodungalloor. Even from his childhood, he was inspired by his father, who was himself a writer and a political activist of prominence at that time.

Bhaskaran penned his first song for Tamil film 'Apoorvasahodararkal' in 1949 and wrote his first Malayalam song for ''Chandrika'. He entered the film industry as a film maker in ''Neelakkuyil'' in 1954. He worked as an assistant of Ramu Kariyat to make the film. Neelakkuyil had brought to Kerala first President's Silver Medal for the Best Film.

He attempted hard-hitting realism in his earlier films but the later works were mainly love stories and melodramas with social concerns. Some of his memorable films are Rarichan Enna Pauran, Anveshichu Kandethiyilla, Irutinte Atmavu, Enikku Visakkunu, Vilakkum Velichavum, Arakallan Mukkal Kallan, Ummachu and Kalli Chellama, which earned him a name as a film maker.

He had also starred as an actor in ''Ezhamkadalinakkare'' and ''Neelakkuyil''.

Apart from a film maker and a lyricist, he was also a noted poet, who had a midas touch in every word that he wrote. One of his best known collections is ''Orkkuka Vallappozhum''.

His ''Ottakkambiyulla Thamburu'' won the Odakuzhul Prize in 1981 and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award in 1982. ''Villali'', ''Ranabheri'', ''Mulkereedam'', ''Swapnaseema'' are some of his wellknown poems.

He had won several awards like Vallathol Award, Asan Award, M P Paul Award and the J C Daniel Award. He had also served as chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. He was also a member of the All India Films Certification Board and also was a member of the All India Committee for Selecting Films in the Indian Panorama in 1987, '88 and 1990.

Bhaskaran began his writing even while in school and metamorphosed from a nationalist to a Communist revolutionary on reaching college. He was jailed for participating in the Quit India Movement. Before moving into film making, he worked with the All India Radio for some time. He had also served as the editor of ''Deshabhimani'' and ''Jayakeralam''. He was the founder-chairman of Asianet, a private Malayalam TV channel.

UNI