Legendary Playback Singer P Jayachandran Passes Away at 80
Playback singer P Jayachandran, affectionately called ‘Bhava Gayakan,’ passed away on the evening of January 9, 2025, at a private medical college in Kerala. Hospital sources reported that the singer breathed his last at 7:55 PM while undergoing treatment. He had been unwell for some time and was admitted to the hospital after collapsing at his home earlier on Thursday.
A Musical Icon: The Life and Legacy of P Jayachandran
P Jayachandran, a celebrated figure in Indian music, recorded over 16,000 songs across multiple languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. Widely acclaimed for his soulful voice and emotive singing, he garnered numerous accolades, including five Kerala State Film Awards, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and a National Award for the iconic song “Shiva Shankara Sharana Sarva Vibho” from the film Sree Narayana Guru.
Born on March 3, 1944, in Ernakulam, Jayachandran hailed from a distinguished lineage as the third son of Ravi Varma Kochaniyan Thampuran from Tripunithura Kovilakam and Subhadra Kunjamma from Chendamangalam Paliam House.
His tryst with music began during his school days, where he excelled in playing the mridangam and singing light classical music. In 1958, he won first place in the mridangam competition at the state school kalotsavam.
After earning a degree in Zoology from Christ College, Irinjalakuda, he briefly worked at a private firm in Chennai. His musical talent was soon discovered by producer Sobhana Parameswaran Nair and director A Vincent, who offered him his first opportunity to sing in a film.
Jayachandran made his playback singing debut with the song “Oru Mullappoo Malayumayi” for the movie Kunjali Marakkar in 1965, penned by the legendary lyricist P Bhaskaran. However, his first released song was “Manjalayil Mungithorthi” from the film Kalithozhan.
Over the decades, Jayachandran collaborated with legendary composers such as G Devarajan, M S Baburaj, V Dakshinamoorthy, K Raghavan, M K Arjunan, M S Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja, A R Rahman, Vidyasagar, and M Jayachandran, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cinema and music.
Final Farewell
As per reports, Jayachandran’s mortal remains will be brought to his residence at Poomkunnam, Thrissur, on Friday and laid at the Sahitya Academy Hall for the public to pay their respects. The funeral is scheduled to be held at 3 PM on Saturday at his ancestral home in Chendamangalam.
The passing of P Jayachandran marks the end of an era in Indian music. His timeless songs and extraordinary contributions will continue to resonate in the hearts of music lovers for generations to come.
