KOCHI: Lyricist and scriptwriter Mankombu Gopalakrishnan passed away in Kochi. He had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital for the past week following a heart attack and other age-related ailments. He was 78.
According to hospital sources, he was admitted to the hospital following a spine injury. "He was brought to hospital as he suffered from a spine injury. Later he developed pneumonia and was on ventilator support. On Monday at noon, he experienced a cardiac arrest. The death was confirmed at 4.55 in the evening," said the source.
Gopalakrishnan was born to Govindan Nair and Devakiyamma in Alappuzha district in 1947.
A veteran Malayalam lyricist and poet, Gopalakrishnan has written more than 700 songs for around 200 films from the 1970s.
'Aashada Masam Aathmavil Moham,' 'Nadanpattinte Madisheela Kilungumi,' and 'Ilanmanjil Kulimayoru', 'Laksharchana Kandu Madangumbol' from the film Ayalathe Sundari, 'Naadan pattinte' (Babu mon), 'Swyamvara Subhadina Mangalangal' (Sujatha), 'Thozukai koopi unarum' (Boeing Boeing) are a few of his famous songs.
'Nadhangalayi neevaru' (Ninnishtam Ennishtam). He is also considered the commercially most successful writer in dubbed versions of Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and other language films into Malayalam and was an advisory board member of the Malayalam Film and TV Chamber of Commerce.
He has also written lyrics for recent other-language films translated to Malayalam, including Mukil Varna Mukunda for the film Bahubali 2, Pala Mukhangal (Soul Version)" from Animal and 'Etthuka Jenda', 'Komba Ninn Kaada' from RRR. Gopalakrishnan has done dialogues for more than 10 Malayalam and dubbed films.
The Alappuzha native has also written scripts for the films Swarnnavigraham (1974), Sakhaakkale Munnottu (1977), Ival Ee Vazhi Ithu Vare (1980) and the story for Ee Mazha Thenmazha (2000) and Njaan Anaswaran (2013).