“When he first laid his eyes on me, I felt as if he was looking through me.” That’s how composer M. Jayachandran describes his first meeting with his guru G. Devarajan at the latter’s residence in the capital city. Varika Gandharva Gaayaka (DC Books) by Jayachandran is peppered with many such interesting anecdotes about his beloved teacher.
Wrapped in memories, sweet and warm, the book celebrates the ingenuity of Devarajan the musician, whilst giving several glimpses of his persona. Jayachandran admits that it was not easy to pen the memoir because writing has never been his domain although he reads a lot.
M. Jayachandran
“I wrote this book because of my friend Rajendran Edathumkara, a Malayalam professor. When I shared stories about Master [Devarajan] with him, he suggested that I write a book on Master. I am indebted to Rajendran, and also to my friends Bhanuprakash and Ajay Gopal for helping me bring out this book,” says the National Award-winning composer.
The 10 chapters do not merely string together some anecdotes. It is a journey through Jayachandran’s evolution as a musician as well.
Initially he was quite apprehensive about learning from Master.
“I was in M.B. Sreenivasan sir’s music troupe when my friend Arif persuaded me to meet Master. I had heard that Master was strict, short-tempered, outspoken... a complete contrast to MBS sir who was extremely warm and accommodative. So there were initial hiccups and it took sometime for me to understand him. Even when he took me under his wing, he never conveyed it in words. I was overwhelmed when he told me that he wanted only Re. one from the Rs. 101 I gave him as gurudakshina! He was magnanimous enough to impart his knowledge in music,” he says.
A legend
For Jayachandran, Master was a school in itself. “He composed for 42 plays, which I believe are 42 textbooks on music. His musical domain extended over 340 Malayalam films, in addition to 12 in Tamil, three in Telugu and one Kannada movie. He told me that if you love the ragas, they will come with you. A composer should have keen observation; lyrics shouldn’t be tampered with, instead one should caress them, he used to say,” writes Jayachandran in the book.
He lists instances when he was awed by Master’s dedication to his work; those nights when Master used to stay awake to create new tunes.
“Whenever I stayed with him, I have seen him looking out of the window, into the moonlit night. I could hear him humming and singing. By morning the tune would be ready. It was as if he created music from nature. The childhood he spent in rustic Paravoor must have inspired him. He used to talk about songs sung by farmers working in paddy fields.”
A point they could not agree upon was Jayachandran’s decision to become a composer. “When he heard my singing, he told me that I should concentrate on classical music. That was heart-breaking! Master wanted me to learn from K.V. Narayanaswamy and had even introduced me to KVN sir. But I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
“Finally I had to convince him that composing was what I wanted to do. Perhaps he understood me and that’s why he asked me to compose an ad jingle. Later he made me do keyboard programming for his choir, Shaktigadha, and also gave me a chance to do background score on television. However, all said and done, even after I established myself as a composer, he believed that I should have become a classical musician. Master was a man of few words when it came to appreciating a good work. I never had the courage to play my compositions for him. Kuzhappamilla (It’s not bad) was his highest compliment,” he adds.
Jayachandran says he could go on and on about how Master influenced him. “A total surrender to music, that’s what he practised and preached. I have been inspired by his discipline and punctuality. It is from him that I picked up the habit of carrying a file with correct notations to the recording studio,” he says.
He also reminisces about Master’s efforts to help fellow musicians and their families.
Candid moments
He has also jotted down some amusing instances. Like how Master surprised him by turning up at one of his classical concerts although he hadn’t informed him. Another incident was when Master changed his name to Gopalachandran for a ganamela because there was already one Jayachandran in the industry!
An incident that tested their relationship is still fresh in his memory. Master treasured his tanpura and Jayachandran was assigned to play it and take care of it.
But one day, after a concert Jayachandran found its ‘kudam’ broken. He was so scared to tell this to Master that he left the venue after covering it with a cloth. When he met Master the next day, the latter was livid and told him he did not want to see him again.
After nearly three months of living with the guilt, he finally met him seeking forgiveness. “He was upset by my dishonesty and not because the tanpura was damaged,” he says.
A poignant moment was when he shared the state television award for the best composer with Master for the serial Thottangal . “It was embarrassing because I had done only the background score and when I told this to Master he said, ‘I have got many awards. Now it’s your turn. I keep remembering those words whenever I receive an honour,” he adds.
Being a witness to their close bond, Leelamani Devarajan, Devarajan’s wife, writes in her foreword: “The day when Master passed away, Jayachandran stood near the bed looking at his face for hours. I felt as if they were having a conversation. Probably he was asking Jayachandran to take care of everything.”
Published - July 13, 2017 01:00 pm IST
