M. K. Arjunan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. K. Arjunan
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
എം. കെ. അർജുനൻ
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| Born | 1 March 1936 Chirattapalam, Cochin |
| Died | 6 April 2020 (aged 84) Kochi, Kerala, India |
| Genres | Film music, theatre music |
| Occupation(s) | Theatre composer, film composer, music director |
| Instruments | Harmonium |
| Years active | 1950-2019 |
| Associated acts | Vayalar Rama Varma K. J. Yesudas |
M. K. Arjunan (born March 1, 1936 – died April 6, 2020) was a famous Indian music maker. He created music for movies and plays, especially in Malayalam cinema and theatre in Kerala. People often called him Arjunan Master with love and respect.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Arjunan was born in a place called Chirattapalam in Fort Kochi. This was on March 1, 1936. He was the youngest of 14 children in his family. Sadly, only four of them lived past childhood.
He lost his father when he was very young. His mother, Parvathi, found it hard to care for all her children. So, she sent Arjunan and his brother, Prabhakaran, to a special place. This place was called Jeevakarunyananda Ashram in Palani.
It was at this ashram that Arjunan first learned about music. After school, the students would sing bhajans (religious songs). Arjunan's singing was so good that the head of the ashram decided to give him music lessons. For several years, Arjunan studied music with a teacher named Kumarayya Pillai. Later, he also learned music from K.N Vijayarajan Master.
Music Career and Legacy
Arjunan started his career by making music for amateur plays. These were plays put on by people who did it for fun, not as a job. Later, he became a professional music composer. He worked with many well-known theatre groups. These included Changanassery Geedha, People's Theatre, and KPAC. He created about 800 songs for 300 different plays.
His first movie as a music composer was Karuthapurnami. This film came out in 1968. Arjunan worked very closely with a famous lyricist named Sreekumaran Thampi. A lyricist is someone who writes the words for songs. They worked together on almost 50 films. Their partnership was one of the most successful in the Malayalam film industry.
Arjunan's career in movies lasted for 50 years. During this time, he composed music for more than 500 songs. These songs were featured in over 218 Malayalam films.
He is also known for helping another very famous musician, A. R. Rahman. Arjunan gave A. R. Rahman his first chance to play keyboards in a film. This was a big start for Rahman's amazing career.
His last movie was Vellaram Kunnile Vellimeenukal. The songs for this film were written by Rajeev Alunkal. His very last music composition was in December 2019. He created three love songs for Sreek Music, with words by Sreekanth M Girinath.
Later Life and Passing
M. K. Arjunan passed away at his home on April 6, 2020. He was 84 years old. His funeral was held on the same day at Palluruthy crematorium. It was a full state funeral, which means it was a very respectful ceremony.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his funeral had to follow strict rules. He is survived by his sons, Ashokan and Anil, and his daughters, Rekha, Nimmi, and Sreekala. His wife, Bharathi Arjunan, passed away in July 2021. She had been married to him for 56 years.
Awards and Recognition
M. K. Arjunan received many awards for his musical work:
- Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award - 1992
- Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship - 2008
- 48th Kerala State Film Awards for Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director - 2017 (for the film Bhayanakam)
- Kerala Film Critics Association Awards - 2018 (Chalachitra Rathna award)
- Mazhavil Mango Music Awards - 2018 (Lifetime achievement award)
- Thudi cultural forum K Raghavan puraskaram - 2019
Discography
