THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Poet and lyricist Chunakkara Ramankutty who made a special place in
the hearts of music lovers with the romantic hit song 'Devadaru Poothu' for the movie 'Engane Nee Marakkum' in the year 1983, is no more.
Ailing for some time with age-related illness, the 84-year-old poet died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night. Ramankutty started writing poems as a teenager for the student magazine of NSS College Pandalam where he graduated in Malayalam.
Later he wrote songs for various theatre groups. His break in movies came with the song ‘Apsara kanyaka’ from the movie Ashramam released in 1978. MK Arjunan was the music director and it was sung by P Jayachandran.
Ramankutty wrote over 215 songs for 76 movies. His career peaked in 1984 when he wrote 32 songs in that year. Some of the his hit songs include ‘Syamameghame nee’ (Adhipan), ‘Sindoorathilakavumayi’ (Kuyiline thedi), ’Nee Arinjo Mele Manath’ (Kandu Kandarinju), ‘Hridayavaniyile gayikayo’ (Kottayam Kunjachan).
He dabbled with acting in a few movies in the recent years. He is a recipient of Guru Shreshta Award of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2015. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his condolence message said, "Chunakkara Ramankutty was a great poet-lyricist and an orator."
Ramankutty hailed from Karyattil house at Chunakkara in Mavelikara. He is the son of Krishnan and Narayani. His wife KV Thankamma predeceased him.
He is survived by his three daughters- Renuka, Radhika and Ragini. His body was kept for public pay homage at his house at Thirumala in Thiruvananthapuram. The funeral was held at Shanti Kavadom crematorium in Thycaud.