Call it an eerie coincidence, the two songs which Rajamani had composed for the movie Hide n' Seek (2012), his last work in Malayalam, were written by iconic poet O.N.V. Kurup, who breathed his last on Saturday. It does not end there; Hide N’ Seek’s cinematographer was Anandakuttan, who died on Sunday, hours before Rajamani’s death.
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C. Rajamani was the undisputed king of background music in Malayalam film industry. We can’t think of Mohanlal’s characters making their entry without the adrenaline-pumping score set by Rajamani – let it be Aaraam Thampuran, Narasimham or Raavanaprabhu among a good number of films. But Rajamani wanted to compose more songs, and regretted that he could not do many.
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In an interview given to a news media last year, Rajamani said, “Composing background score for a film is more challenging and satisfying than composing songs. A good score can act as a substitute for words, even visuals. And I know that my work has enhanced many films. However, I have realised that I’m branded. There are so many pieces that would have made good songs. Looking back, my only regret is that I have made very few songs.”
Now, almost four years after Hide n' Seek, all three of them united in death, bidding farewell to this world within just a few hours' gap.
Like his work, Rajamani was most of the time pushed to the background. He did not get to enjoy much of the limelight that he deserved. In India, there would not be any other musician who could match up to Rajamani's feat. He worked with 78 other music directors in various languages and conducted songs made by the big names of Indian music – from Naushad, O.P. Nayyar, R.D. Burman, Laxikanth-Pyarelal in North to Johnson, Jerry Amaldev, Raveendran and A.R. Rahman down South.
Rajamani also tried his hands at acting and played the role of the villain in the 2008 Malayalam film Gulmohar, directed by Jayaraj.
Rajamani was also very close to the family of Johnson, who helped him in the early years of his career in the film industry. The recent death of Shan Johnson, the daughter of Johnson, was a huge shock to Rajamani.
And, now he signs off too, in an unexpected exit.
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