It was in early 1980s that I reached Chennai as an aspiring director. We were staying at Saligram . One day while passing through Indira Gandhi street, I heard the sound of an Enfield Bullet. Turning back I noticed a young man in the bullet, with a freak hairstyle and a guitar in his shoulders. I asked a passer by who that young man was? Ande he answered.
“It is Rajamani, a guitarist and son of musician Chidambaranath.” I later came to know that he was assisting Johnson Master. Soon, I got chances to assist some movies and to interact with Rajamani. That was the beginning of an everlasting camaraderie.
He rendered music for my first movie ‘News.’ For, my next two movies, Sunday 7 pm and Dr Pasupathy, Johnson Master was the music director. But Rajamani was there along with Johnson Master for recording and re-recording.
For Thalasthanam, one of the songs was composed by Rajamani.
In Ekalavyan, he rendered music to songs- Nanda Kishora and Ratri Lillikal, both became hits. By that time, he had become an integral part of my movies.
He had shown the real strength of background score, by proving that signature music can be the backbone of the movie through ‘Commissioner’. When we planned the movie, I told Rajamani that there will not be any songs in the movie.
Hence I need a catchy BGM, which can be repeatedly played for the scenes unfolding the heroics of Bharath Chandran. For his reference, I also gave the signature music of Sun T V’s news at 8 pm. He keep listening to the tune for one whole night and by next day, came up with the superb BGM.
The character centric BGM, he composed for The King, Aram Thampuran, Narasimham and Valyettan were also super hits. Even when musical greats like Raveendran Master rendered music to the songs in Aram Thampuran, I always preferred Rajamani for BGM.
It is just because of the special rapport that we share with each other. He knew my mind better.
For instance, he will compose a high voltage tune for the introduction scene of the hero in my movie and if it is a high drama that follows, he will shift the gears and will come up with another change over which will be perfectly in sync with the situation.
Personally it is a big loss to me. He was like a brother to me. And my children used to call him ‘Valyachan’ (father’s elder brother). This itself shows how close he was to may family and how deep is my personal loss.