KOCHI: According to the myth, Mynakam is a small mountain. Once Indra decided to punish the mountains and little Mynakam trembled with fear. She pleaded with Vayu to help her. Powerful Vayu moved her towards the ocean and Varuna hid her in the deep blue sea. So the little mountain lay under the water for years, hiding all her desires within her.
This was the allusion that occurred to Bichu Thirumala when director I V Sasi described the story of ‘Thrishna’. Bichu at that point was penning the lyrics for the movie. The heroine hides all her desires in her heart which is like a sea. So he wrote-’Mainakam, Kadalil Ninnuyarunnuvo, Chirakulla Meghangalayi, Shishirangal Thirayunnuvo.’ It was for the lyrics that he penned for ‘Thrishna’, including ‘Sruthiyil Ninnuyarum Nadashalabhangale’ that he won the State Award for the first time.
Syam was the music director. “Syam and I have worked together in nearly 130 films. He was the music director of my first song, ‘Neelakashavum Meghangalum’ which I penned for the movie ‘Akkaldama’. We share a great rapport,” says Bichu Thirumala.
Bichu Thirumala’s film journey began in the early 70s when he joined as an assistant director of the movie, ‘Sabarimala Sreesasthavu’ after quitting his job with Toshiba.
Around the same time, a song penned by him was published in a cinema magazine and C Ramankutty of Prathyushachitra Movies decided to use that in his movie. But that project did not materialise. “The song ‘Brahmamuhoorthathil Sakhi Nee’ was my first one, but unfortunately that project was stalled. Then in 1973, I got a chance to write lyrics to the tune by Babukka (Baburaj) for the movie ‘Sthreedhanam’. I wrote one song for the movie ‘Mohamallike Ninte Manassil.’ But that movie was also didn’t work out. Then came ‘Akkladama’, my first project that saw the light of the day,” he says.
But it was in the next year that he got his biggest break. The song was ‘Vaka Poo Maram Choodum’ and the movie, ‘Anubhavam’. “After I V Sasi described the film’s theme to me, I was looking for a point of inspiration to start penning the lyrics. I looked outside the window of my room and observed there was a brothel nearby. People from all kind of places were coming and going out and the first few lines came to me. That was why I specifically used the word ‘Vadakkan Thennal’ to show that those who visit the brothel come from far off places in search for a minute’s pleasure,” says Bichu. A T Ummer was the music director of the film, and Bichu went on to work with him in more than 100 films thereafter.
That was the beginning of a glorious career. Several beautiful melodies have poured out from his mind. Etho Janma bandham ( America America), Pavada Venam, Kannum Kannum (Angadi),Rakendu Kiranangal (Avalude Ravukal), Jalasankhu Pushpam (Ahimsa), Neelajalasayathil (Angeekaram) , Aalippazham (My dear Kuttichathan) Olathumpathu (Pappayude Swantham Appoose) and Manassil Ninnum (Kadinjool Kalyanam), to name a few.
He bagged the State Award for the second time for the movie ‘Kadinjool Kalyanam’. So far Bichu has penned lyrics for over 403 movies, which could well be a record in Indian cinema. The lyricist recently turned 70, and in a grand reunion he will be seen teaming up with Syam once again this year.