Renowned poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passed away late on Sunday evening at a private hospital in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram. He was 55-years old. While the exact reason for the death is yet to be established, Anil was first admitted at a private hospital in Kayamkulam and Karunagapally before being taken to Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in the city.
Anil Panachooran shot to fame back in 2007 with Sreenivasan-starrer Arabikkadha for which he penned songs. His songs including Chora Veena Manil and Thirike Nyan which he sung himself, grew beyond the film and were played at several events. The song Thirike Njan also became very popular among NRI Malayalis as it spoke about the pain of living away from home. His success with Arabikkadha was followed by other achievements, including penning a viral song, Vyathyasthanam Oru, from the film Kadhaparayumbol. He went on to pen several songs in the Malayalam industry.
In the 1990s, Panachooran, a lawyer by profession, wrote and published poems such as Anaadhan or orphan. The poem is about a woman with mental health concerns giving birth to a child on the streets. The poem became so popular that it was used as a song in the film Makalakku later on. Some of his other works are Kaneerkanalugal, Pranayakalam, Oru Mazha Peythengil etc.
Some of his other notable works in Malayalam cinema include songs in Bhramaram, Mulla, Cocktail, Madambi, Cycle and Velipadinte Pusthakam.
His song Jimikki Kammal from Velipadinte Pusthakam with its catchy lyrics was perhaps the most viral of Panachooran’s film songs. The 55-year-old was working on his first film directorial when he passed away.
Expressing his condolences, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that as a lyricist, Panachooran had penned several soulful songs. All his songs have been accepted by the people of Kerala who have taken it to their hearts. Chennithala also added that Panachooran was his close friend and that his death is a huge loss among the poets and lyricists from the current generation.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Panachooran’s songs especially Chora Veena Mannil will always be remembered by Malayalees.