Producer: Baba Movies
Director: Shajoon Karyal
Cast: Mohanlal, Padmapriya, Biju Menon, Balchandra Menon, Murali, Kalabhavan Mani and others
Music: Ravindran

Film: "Vadakkumnathan"; Music: Raveendran; Lyrics: Gireesh Puthenchery; Director: Shajoon Karyal; Music Company: Johny Sagariga.

The music of "Vadakkumnathan" is the swan song of composer Raveendran, who died March 3.

Gireesh Puthenchery has given the lyrics for "Vadakkumnathan" in which Mohanlal plays a Sanskrit scholar.

The theme gave ample scope to Raveendran to compose music rich with classical tones and he did not waste the opportunity.

In the film, Raveendran achieved a fine balance in his music that will be pleasing to even those uninitiated in classical music.

The album has eight tracks - excluding a jingle for a brand of tea - out of which three are in dual versions.

"Gange... Thudiyal", a fast-paced song rendered in a sonorous tone by K.J. Yesudas, begins the album. The use of percussion here depicts a kind of restlessness. The same song is rendered in a sharp voice by K.S. Chitra on the B side of the album.

"Oru Killi Pattumulave" is an innovative duet by Yesudas and Chitra. The use of wind and string instruments gives a romantic resonance to the song. The solo version of the song in Chitra's voice is repeated in the album.

"Kalabham Tharam", a unique love-devotional song on the lines of a Meera bhajan, in two solo versions, rendered by Chitra and Biju Narayanan, is the pick of the album. If we think it is a love song in Chitra's voice, then Biju Narayanan's rendition gives it a devotional dimension.

"Pahi Param Porule" is a 'Shiva stuthi' (religious chant) in the voices of Manjari and Sindhu Premkumar.

"Thattaka Thattaka", a folksy song by M.G. Sreekumar and Machad Vasanthy, marks the culmination of the album.

At the end of last year, Raveendran had rued the fact that he did not get enough opportunities to compose good music in 2004.

His only release during the year "Greetings" had failed miserably. He had expected to be back in form with "Vadakkumnathan".

We can surely vouch that he achieved his goal in the end.