Kalyani Menon, the veteran playback singer who has sung many songs in Tamil and Malayalam films, died on Monday in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She was 80.
Menon, mother of noted cinmatographer-director Rajiv Menon, showed symptoms of stroke and was immediately rushed to the hospital where she breathed her last, according to a PTI report in The Indian Express. Her last rites and cremation will take place in Besant Nagar, Chennai on Tuesday afternoon.
Menon, whose last song was Kaathale Kaathale for the film 96 in 2018, was born to Balakrishnan Menon and Rajamma of Karaykkattumaaryil in Ernakulam in 1941. She was a student of singer MR Sivaraman Nair and began her career as a classical singer in the 1970s. Menon made her debut as a playback singer with the Malayalam film Abala in 1973. Some of her notable tracks in Malayalam were with singer KJ Yesudas, including Pavanarachezhuthunnu Kolangal Ennum and Rithubheda Kalppana Chaarutha Nalkiya.
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Her first song in Tamil was Sevvaname Ponmegame, composed by Ilayaraaja for K Balaji’s Nallathoru Kudumbam (1979). In the 1980s, Menon continued to sing in Balaji’s films and some of her noted songs were Aei Rajave Un Rajathi from Vazhvey Maayam (1982) and Vidhi Varaindha Padhai Vazhiye from Vidhi (1984).
Menon was also known for her collaboration with AR Rahman during the late 1990s and into the 2000s. She sang the Omana Thingal part in the Kuluvalile song from Muthu (1995) and the title track of Alaipayuthe (2000).
She also wrote the lyrics and sang the Malayalam portions in the Omana Penne song from Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010) and its Telugu version Kundanapu Bomma from Ye Maaya Chesave (2010) as well as Phoolon Jaisi Ladki in Ekk Deewana Tha (2012).
Menon was a recipient of the Tamil Nadu state government’s Kalaimamani award in 2010 and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.
Several singers including KS Chithra and Ouseppachan, music producer Subhasree Thanikachalam, and cinematographer Santhosh Sivan took to their social media handles to pay tribute to the late singer.
Condoling the demise of Menon on Twitter, Kerala Governor Shri Arif Mohamed Khan said, “Sad to hear about the demise of Smt Kalyani Menon, playback singer who has sung over 100 songs in Malayalam and Tamil films. My condolences to the bereaved family. May her soul attain Mukti.”
According to a report in The Times of India, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a condolence message, recalled that Menon was an active presence in the field of playback singing. The songs sung by her in Malayalam and Tamil will always remain in the minds of the people, he said.
Menon is survived by her two sons, Rajiv Menon and Karun Menon.