P Jayachandran, Malayalam's romantic voice, departs

Thrissur: Renowned Malayalam playback singer P Jayachandran passes away in a private hospital in Kerala's Thrissur. He, who was undergoing treatment for cancer, was 80.

The legendary singer, who has immensely contributed to Indian Cinema, has given vocals to 16,000 songs in multiple languages. He has worked with frontline composers in India, such as G. Devarajan, MS Babyraj, Ilayaraja, AR Rahman, MM Keervani, Vidyasagar, etc.

Jayachandran is noted as one of the greatest Malayalam singers, and he won the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer in 1985. He has received the Kerala State Film Award five times and was honoured with the prestigious JC Daniel Award in 2020 for his contributions to Malayalam Cinema. He has also won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

Jayachandran was born on March 3, 1944, in Kochi’s Ravipuram in Kerala. He was the third of five children of the late Ravivarma Kochaniyan Thampuran, a member of the Cochin royal family and a musician, and the late Paliyath Subhadrakkunjamma.

Jayachandra had shown an affinity for music even from an early age and used to experiment with percussion instruments such as the Chenda and Mridangam. His father, who was an enthusiastic singer, backed him, nurturing his musical talent. He started his career on films with "Oru Mullappoomalayumaayi" for the film Kunhalimarikkar, but the film got delayed. His debut track was "Manjalayil Mungi Thorthi," and the film Kalithozhan catapulted him to a shining career as a playback singer.