M. G. Radhakrishnan

Not to be confused with M. G. Ramachandran.

M.G. Radhakrishnan
M.G. Radhakrishnan
Background information
Birth name	Malabar Gopalan Radhakrishnan
Born	(1940-07-29)29 July 1940 Haripad, Travancore, British India
Died	2 July 2010(2010-07-02) (aged 69) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Genres	Music Director Carnatic music Composer
Occupation(s)	Music Director
Years active	1978–2010

Malabar Gopalan Nair Radhakrishnan (29 July 1940 – 2 July 2010) was an Indian music director and Carnatic vocalist from Kerala.

Personal life

M. G. Radhakrishnan was born on 29 July 1940 at Haripad, in Alappuzha district, Kerala as the eldest of three children of music composer and harmonist Malabar Gopalan and Harikatha exponent Kamalakshi marasyar. He studied at the S. D. College, Alappuzha, and undertook Ganabhooshanam from Swathi Thirunal College of Music. K. J. Yesudas was one of his classmates there. His younger brother M. G. Sreekumar is a playback singer in Malayalam and Tamil cinema and his younger sister K. Omanakutty is a carnatic vocalist and academic.

Radhakrishnan was married to Padmaja, who was herself famous as a poet, lyricist and classical dancer. They had two children - M. R. Rajakrishnan and Karthika. Their son Rajakrishnan is a well-known sound recordist, who has worked in many films. He died on 2 July 2010 at KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to liver disease, less than a month short of his 70th birthday.

Career

M. G. Radhakrishnan was a disciple of Sree Vidyadhiraja Hridayanjali, an Indian ascetic, and composed music for the ascetic's lyrics, which was sung by his younger sister Dr. K Omanakutty, a Carnatic vocalist. In his official capacity, Radhakrishnan worked as staff and become the senior music composer (Grade 1) in Akashvani, Trivandrum. In 1962, he joined All India Radio as a music composer. He used to conduct a 15-minute light music class through AIR.

He made his debut in cinema as a playback singer through "Unniganapathiye..." from Kallichellamma (1969), which had music composed by K. Raghavan. His songs as a vocalist include "Sharike Sharike" from Sharashayya, "Pallanayattin Theerathu" from Ningalenne Communist Aakki etc. He performed at N S S Headquarters at Changanassery and at Karrikkakom Chamundeswary Temple at Thiruvananthapuram. He then focussed at composing light music.

His debut film as a music director was G. Aravindan's Thampu (1978). He then did Thakara (1980). Songs from this film, Mouname Mouname and Kudayolam Bhoomi won him several accolades and fame. Other major works by him include: Adwaitham, Devasuram, Manichithrathazhu, Rakkuyilin Rajasadassil and Ananthabhadram, which was his last work.

He has also composed the poems of Kamala Surayya, an Indian writer, through the album Surayya Padunnu. Radhakrishnan introduced K. S. Chithra, a singer and a student of Omanakutty, to the film and music industry by employing her in the film Attahaasam.

Death

Radhakrishnan died from liver cirrhosis on 2 July 2010 at KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was admitted there a week earlier after his condition worsened, and was in ventilator since then. He was less than a month short of his 70th birthday when he died. He was cremated with full state honours at Thaikkad Santhikavadam electronic crematorium on the next day. His son M. R. Rajakrishnan is a sound recordist. His wife Padmaja, who outlived him for nearly ten years, died on 15 June 2020 following a heart attack.

Awards

Kerala State Film Awards

• 2005 – Best Music Director – Ananthabadram
• 2001 – Best Music Director – Achaneyaanenikkishtam

Asianet Film Awards

• 2005 – Best Music Director Award – Anandabhadram
• 2001 – Best Music Director Award – Kaate Vannu Vilichappol

Others

• 2004 – Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship
• 1995 – Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award

Filmography

#	Film	Film director	Year
1	Thampu	G Aravindan	1978
2	Thiranottam	Ashok Kumar
3	Thakara	Bharathan	1980
4	Aaravam	Bharathan
5	Chamaram	Bharathan
6	Njan Ekananu	P Chandrasekhar	1982
7	Poochakkoru Mookkuthi	Priyadarshan	1984
8	Parayanumvayya Parayathirikkanumvayya		1985
9	Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil		1986
10	Ayalvasi Oru Daridravasi		1986
11	Geetham	Sajan	1986
12	Sarvakalashala	Venu Nagavally	1987
13	Jaalakam	Harikumar
14	Nombarathi Poovu	Padmarajan
15	Vellanakalude Nadu	Priyadarshan	1988
16	Adhwaytham		1992
17	Manichithrathazhu	Fazil	1993
18	Devaasuram	I. V. Sasi
19	Ammayane Satyam	Balachandra Menon
20	Kashmeeram	Rajiv Anchal	1994
21	Agnidevan	Venu Nagavally	1995
22	Thakshashila	Sreekumar Krishnan Nair	1995
23	Rakthasakshikal Sindabad	Venu Nagavally	1998
24	Stalin Sivadas	T S Suresh Babu	1999
25	Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu	T. K. Rajeev Kumar
26	Pilots	Rajiv Anchal	2000
27	Narasimham	Shaji Kailas	2000
28	Praja	Joshi	2001
29	Meghasandesham	Rajasenan	2001
30	Nariman	K. Madhu	2001
31	Kattu Vannu Vilichappol	Sasi Paravoor	2001
32	Achaneyanenikkishtam	Suresh Krishna	2002
33	Yanam	Sanjay Nambiar	2004
34	Ananthabhadram	Santhosh Sivan	2005

External links

• M.G. Radhakrishnan at IMDb
• Official website of M. G. Radhakrishnan foundation
• M.G Radhakrishnan passes away
• MG Radhakrishnan at MSI
• Remembering M. G. Radhakrishnan - K. S. Chithra (in Malayalam)
• Remembering M. G. Radhakrishnan - Sreekumaran Thampi (in Malayalam)
• Remembering M. G. Radhakrishnan - Fazil (in Malayalam)
• Remembering M. G. Radhakrishnan - Johnson (in Malayalam)