THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: His sweet melodies with their lyrical charm and colloquial beauty remain forever etched in the minds of Keralites. A statue of legendary lyricist-poet and award-winning filmographer P Bhaskaran will soon be unveiled at Manaveeyam Veedhi - the capital’s cultural street - that already plays host to the master duo of Vayalar-Devarajan at either end. The statue by noted sculptor Jeevan Thomas is being set up next to the statue of Bhaskaran Mash’s long-time friend and well-known composer, the late G Devarajan.
Bhaskaran, one of the finest lyricists Malayalam has ever seen, dabbled in almost all aspects of Malayalam cinema. A political activist turned film-maker, he was one of the most prominent figures in the Malayalam film world for several years. Apart from more than 3,000 lyrics to his credit, the master film-maker had also directed about 50 movies.
The V S Achuthanandan-led Left government took the decision to set up Bhaskaran’s statue soon after his demise in 2007. The State Chalachithra Academy was entrusted with the project and the budget too was allocated. Though initial steps were taken, the project got delayed due to various reasons. There was an attempt to revive the project during the UDF tenure, but to no avail. When the Chalachitra Academy’s current administrative council took over, a positive decision was taken, said Academy secretary Mahesh Panchu.
The initial decision was to install the statue in Kozhikode. However, after the current government assumed office, Bhaskaran’s relatives approached the Chief Minister seeking to have his statue installed in the state capital.
The work-in-progress statue was then brought to Thiruvananthapuram. The 12-feet tall structure is currently undergoing finishing touches by Jeevan at Tagore theatre. The 4-feet tall pedestal is almost done.
“The statue will be unveiled before the end of April, as the Academy awaits confirmation from the Chief Minister’s office about a convenient date for the unveiling,” said Panchu.