When this year’s Kerala State Film Awards were announced, the award for Best Playback Singer (Male) was bagged by Kapil Kapilan, a name not so familiar among Malayali music lovers. Probably because it doesn’t sound very Malayali-sh. Even the Chalachitra Academy members who called to inform him about the win spoke to him in Tamil. But as it turns out, Kapil is indeed a Malayali, hailing from Kottarakkara, a quaint little town in the southern part of Kerala. Though his name might not be too familiar, his songs definitely are. Some of his most popular tracks include the romantic chartbuster ‘Adiye’ from the Tamil film Bachelor, the celestial title track from the Kannada film Sapta Sagaradaache Ello - Side A and the recent crowd-favourite ‘Neela Nilave’ from the Malayalam film, RDX.
What’s in a name, one might ask? But not Kapil though. “There has been a lot of confusion about my name. My birth name was Kapilan, which then got officially changed to Kapil Nair MR. During the initial stages of my career, I was credited as either Kapil or Kapil Nair, but I wasn’t a big fan of the ‘Nair’ tag. It’s not because I’m a revolutionary or anything, but for some reason, I didn’t like being called that. It was composer Dhibu (Ninan Thomas), who suggested looking for better alternatives. Though I thought of going by just Kapilan, I realised that it would only add more confusion because there’s already a lyricist named Kabilan in Tamil. Finally, we landed on Kapil Kapilan, and I liked the uniqueness in it.”
From suggesting a new name to giving him his first big break, Dhibu has been a huge influence in Kapil’s career. Kapil joined Dhibu as his associate after he did a “basic introductory music course” in AR Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory and a diploma in sound engineering. “Those five years with him laid the foundation for it all,” credits Kapil. “I joined Dhibu right after my studies, when I needed a steady income. Even when I had the opportunity to move to Mumbai for a career there, I wasn’t ready to take the risk because working with Dhibu was my comfort zone. It ensured I didn’t have to sing jingles or chorus tracks to meet my expenses.” Financial security aside, the association with Dhibu also helped Kapil flourish creatively. “Although I used to compose during my college days, they were mostly amateurish. But during my time with him, I learnt how to professionally create a track. Likewise, I learnt how to approach cinema from the perspective of its background score. It was a gradual process that started from Kanaa till last year’s Nenjuku Needhi.”
Before Dhibu came into his life, Kapil had another major influence—his father. From raising his son in a musical environment to turning lyricist for his son’s inter-university singing competitions and taking hefty loans to fund his son’s music studies, CR Madhusoodhanan Pillai has been a pillar of support throughout. “He used to take me to musicians that he knew, which helped with early exposure. He did everything possible within his limitations. He stood by me even when most in my family weren’t supportive of my decision to pursue music as a career option. It was only during a brief struggling period in Chennai that he voiced concerns, but that’s understandable because no parent wants to see their child struggling,” remembers an emotional Kapil.
In his brief career so far, Kapil has already sung in all four South Indian languages, but only very few in Malayalam. But thanks to the State award win for the song ‘Kanave’ from the yet-to-be-released Pallotty 90s Kids, offers have now started pouring in. “It was after the win that many in Malayalam cinema started recognising me. It includes my family members as well. Even though I had sung several hit songs in other languages, they used to always ask my parents, “why is he not doing well in Malayalam?” laughs Kapil.
Pronouncing different languages and lyric learning has never been a problem, stresses Kapil. But is there any favourite style of singing? “No!!” pat comes the reply. “From the time I debuted in cinema, I was resolute not to be confined to one particular style. I never aimed to create an identity with my voice. An independent musician can do it, but in cinema, you’ve to be versatile,” says Kapil while quickly admitting his love for indie music. “I feel an artist is at his truest while doing independent works. It offers immense freedom to express and experiment, whereas in cinema, we’re always concerned about commercial prospects. I’m now composing a series of singles for Think Music. It’s the first step towards a longtime dream—sing my own songs in front of a live audience.”