Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri | |
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| Born | (1950-08-04)4 August 1950 (age 75) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | Devi Antharjanam |
| Children | 2 (includingDeepankuran) |
| Relatives |
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| Awards | |
Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, simply known asKaithapram, is a Malayalamlyricist,poet,music director,actor,singer,screenwriter,music therapist and performer ofCarnatic music. He debuted with the movieEnnennum Kannettante in 1986. He won theKerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist two times. He was awarded India's fourth-highest civilian honourPadma Shri in 2021 by theGovernment of India for his contribution to the field of art.[1][2]
Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri was born as the eldest son of Keshavan Namboothiri (popularly known as Kannadi Bhagavathar, a disciple ofChembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar) and Aditi Antharjanam in Kaithapram village inPayyanur Taluk ofKannur district ofKerala, on 4 August 1950[3] and he is currently residing in Thiruvannur inKozhikode District. He has four siblings, among whom the youngest,Kaithapram Viswanathan, was also a popular Carnatic musician and music director. Kaithapram village is famous for maintaining oldvedic traditions.[4][5] He got hisVeda education from his grandfather. Later on he continued his education under well-known gurus (teachers) including Pazhassi Thamburan (a descendant ofPazhassi Raja) and SVS Narayanan. He pursued his studies in acting and music at Natyagruha.
He is married to Devi Antharjanam who is the daughter of actorUnnikrishnan Namboothiri; they have two children,Deepankuran and Devadarshan. His elder sonDeepankuran is a Music composer as well as singer who has composed Music for various films. Kaithapram Damodaran's youngest brother,Kaithapram Viswanathan, is a Malayalam cinema music director who runs the Sruthilaya Music School at Payyanur.
Kaithapram made his entry intoMalayalam cinema as a lyricist for the songDevadundubhi Sandralayam in the filmEnnennum Kannettante which was directed byFazil and music composed byJerry Amaldev and all of the songs become popular Since then he has written lyrics for more than 346 films. He has also acted in many films, includingSwathithirunal,Aryan,His Highness Abdulla, and the filmTheerthadanam, based on the story of famous Malayalam writerM.T. Vasudevan Nair. He has played the character of a classical or semi-classical singer in most of the films. The songs fromDesadanam, his first film as a music composer, were a hit. The filmSopanam, directed by Shri Jayaraj, was based on a story and screenplay written by Kaithapram.
Kaithapram has established a cherished position in the Malayali heart with his beautiful yet simple artistic renderings. He has written both prose and poems and his books are also widely accepted. His appeal is closer to younger hearts and the success ofKanner Poovinte has brought this aspect into fresh focus. His lyrics often express the deep love and regard that make the average Malayali home sick. He sings in public concerts and for various causes. He has won several awards as a lyricist. His charming and helpful attitude, readiness to help and ability to be one among the music lovers, have made him a legend in his own time.
As a lyricist, Kaithapram made songs with almost all major music composers of his time. But, most of his popular songs were composed byJohnson. The duo made songs for around 35 films, and most of them have superhit songs. He also made numerous songs withMohan Sithara,Raveendran,Ouseppachan,S. P. Venkatesh,Vidyasagar,Jassie Gift and so on.
Shri Kaithapram is also the Managing Trustee of Swathithirunal Kala Kendram (Music School) at Kozhikode, which caters to more than 400 music students. He has received numerous awards from various government and cultural organisations in Kerala. He has popularised and promoted the application of music for therapeutic purposes through the Music Therapy Foundation. Many have benefited from the systematic music therapy sessions conducted all over Kerala.
