Rajeev Alunkal

Rajeev Alunkal
Born (1973-08-17) 17 August 1973
Alappuzha, Kerala, India
Occupations
  • Poet
  • lyricist
  • music director
Years active1993–present

Rajeev Alunkal is an Indian poet, lyricist, music director and orator. Now, He is the vice chairman of MACTA (Malayalam Cine Technicians Association). He is the former chairman of Kumaranashan Smarakam, Pallana, Govt of Kerala and Member, Central film censor board.[1] He is best known for writing lyrics on romantic and philosophical themes. He has written poems and songs. He has penned lyrics for over 350 songs in about 130 movies, including Vettom, Mallu Singh, Kanaka Simhasanam, Oru Marubhoomikkadha, Romans, Sound Thoma, Chattakkari, Nadodimannan, Aamayum Muyalum, Happy Wedding, Kuttanadan Marpappa, and Aanakkallan. Over the past three decades, Rajeev Alunkal has written more than 4,200 songs across theatre, albums, and films. In terms of his contributions to lyric writing over nearly thirty-five years, there is no one else from his generation who can be compared with him.

Life and career

Alunkal was born to the late Kandanatt S. Madhavan Nair and the late Karuvally R. Indira hailing from Kadakkarappally Village in the Cherthala Taluk of Alappuzha District, Kerala State on 17 August 1973 and settled in the same place.

Alunkal published his first poem in 1987 at the age of 14 in the Nair Service Society's (NSS) Service Weekly. The poem won the Mannam Trophy for best upcoming poet. He became a professional lyricist in 1994 in drama through Cherthala Shylaja Theatres. He made his debut in Malayalam film industry in the 2003 movie Hariharanpillai Happiyanu.[2] The music was composed by Stephen Devassy and the song "Thinkal Nilavil" became iconic.

Rajeev Alunkal represented the Malayalam language at the World Poets Conference held in Singapore in 2016 and in Russia in 2026.

For about a quarter of a century, he has been to many universities, colleges and schools in India, interacting with scholars and intellectuals. As a motivational speaker, he has delivered about 1000 speeches in and outside India, on topics such as cultural diversity and heritage of India, and advocating for the importance of languages and art.[3]

Alunkal has written and tuned many patriotic songs, group songs, light music songs, nursery rhymes (kids' songs), and lullabies, which have crores of viewers on YouTube.

Another arena is devotional songs for village temples. Thousand of temple managements have used Alunkal's devotional song for their first song venture.

His poems are now part of the Kerala syllabus in the school college level classes.[4]

The composition by Alunkal for Energy Management Center (EMC), an initiative that advocates conservation of energy and environment, is a widely accepted and celebrated song.[5]

Filmography

Notable songs

  • "Thinkal Nilavil" (Hariharanpilla Happiyanu)
  • "Munthiri Vave" (Hariharanpilla Happiyanu)
  • "Priyathame Shakunthale" (Kanakasimhasanam)
  • "Sundarano Sooriyano" (Kanakasimhasanam)
  • "I Love You December" (Vettam)
  • "Iniyum Kothiyode" (Bharya Onn Makkal Moonu)
  • "Chembakavallikalil" (Arabeem Ottakavum)
  • "Kakka Malayile" (Mallu Singh)
  • "Oru Kinginikattu Vann" (Mallu Singhv)
  • "Arthunkale Palliyil" (Romans)
  • "Kanni Penne" (Sound Thoma)
  • "Machan Ente Mathramalle" (Nadodimannan)
  • "Eetho Priyaragam" (Aarya)
  • "En Premathin Kopam Kanum" (Aarya)
  • "I'm very sorry ഒരു നാലായിരം" (പ്രണയമായി)
  • "Samavedam Navilunarthiya" (album - Swami Ayyappan - MG Sreekumar)
  • "Ishtamanennadhyam Cholliyatharanu" (album - Ishtamanu)
  • "Pathirulla Nazhoori" (album - Chithravasantham - P Jayachandran)
  • "Nila Mazha" (album - Heart Beats)
  • "Pazhavangadi Ganeshan" (album - Ohm Gananadham - KJ Yesudas)

Published books

  • Nilavilitheyyam – collection of poems (2008) – Paridhi Publications, Thiruvananthapuram
  • Ente Priyageethangal – 1001 selected songs (2009) – H&C Publications, Thrissur
  • Verukalude Vedantham – collection of poems (2015) – DC Books, Kottayam
  • Pallotti Mittayi – collection of children's poems (2021) – Poorna Publications, Kozhikode.
  • Kanalpennu – collection of poems (2022) – Maani Books, Alappuzha
  • Iniyum Kothiyode – selected 130 film songs (2023) – Lipi Publications, Kozhikode

Poems

  • "Ekakikalude geetham"
  • "Achanum Njaanum"
  • "Theresamma"
  • "Naaniyamma"
  • "Aaro oral"
  • "Enik Ammayilla"
  • "Kannaki"
  • "Verukalude Vedantham"
  • "Anaghashayan"
  • "Iniyetranaal"
  • "Enikkammayilla"
  • "Kanalpennu"
  • "Gangashankaram"

Awards and recognition

He won an URF National Record[6] in 2021 for writing 4200 songs in three lyrics areas (Drama, Album, and Cinema).[7][8]

He received a Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award in 2012 for lifetime achievement as a lyricist.[9][10][11]

Alunkal co-operated with music directors of three to four generations, including V. Dakshinamoorthy, M. K. Arjunan, A. R. Rahman, Raveendran, M. Jayachandran and Gopi Sundar. He has also worked with many Indian singers.

He won the Kerala State Award for Best Lyricist in 2004, 2025 (Drama), and he won the Kerala Film Critics Association Awards three times (in 2006, 2012 and 2018).[12]

Alunkal worked with A R Rahman for the album One Love which acted to ensure the position of the Taj Mahal among the seven wonders of the world, on the behalf of the government of India.

During the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa at the Vatican, Pope Francis released the poem "Theresamma" written by Alunkal, and the Indian pop singer Usha Uthup rendered her voice for the same. This poem has also been translated into other languages including English, Bengali, Albanian, Latin and Tamil.[13]

YearAwardsNotes
2025 Kerala State Award (Drama) For Best Lyricist
2025 Kerala Hom Minsiter’s excellence award For the Anti-drug movement
2025 Ramayana Deshiya Puraskar for his overall contribution to arts and cultural society
2023 Poovachal Khader Film Award Best Lyricist – "Kannil Aake Pookal" (Nalla Samayam)
2022 Ashan Bharathi Deshiya Sahithya Puraskaram[14][15] for his contribution to arts and cultural society
2021 URF National Record[6][7][8] for 4200 songs in three lyrical areas (Drama, Album, Cinema)
2020 Kedamangalam Sadanandan Kalasagara Puraskaram[16][17] for his overall contribution to the writing industry
2019Gurusree AwardMumbai Sree Narayana Samithi for his 25 years of contribution

to art & cultural society[18]

2019Kerala Film Critics Association AwardBest Lyricist – Aanakkallan "Vettam Thattum"[19]
2018PN Panicker Memorial Yuva Prathibha Awardfor his overall contribution to the writing industry[20]
2017JC Film Awardfor the song "Madhyana Sooryante" from the film Aaradi
2016Kaumudi Teacher Awardfor his contribution to arts and cultural society[21]
2016Kavyasree AwardBy Indo Malaysian Cultural Forum for "Verukalude Vedantham"
2015Sambashivan Memorial AwardFor 20 years of poetic contribution to Film, Arts & Cultural society[22]
2015Thikkurissi AwardFor Best Lyricist Angry Babies in Love – "Mele Chelode"
2012Kerala Film Critics Association AwardsFor Best Lyricist Oru Marubhoomikkadha – "Chempaka Vallikalil"
2012Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (Kalasree)Lifetime Achievement Award[23]
2012Rajan P Dev AwardBest Lyricist for Drama
2012S L Puram Sadanandan AwardBest Lyricist for Drama
2012Lohithadas AwardBest Lyricist for Drama
2011Asianet Mini-screen AwardFor Best Lyricist – serial Harichandanam
2010Kaladarpanam AwardFrom Art & Cultural movement of India
2009Vayalar Ramavarma Film AwardsFor Best Lyricist – film Bharya Onnu Makkal Moonnu, song "Iniyum Kothiyode"
2007Jeevan TV AwardBest Lyricist – album – Eakakikalude Geetham
2007Haripriya AwardBest collection of poems – Nilavili Theyyam
2006Kerala Film Critics Association AwardsFor Best Lyricist Kanaka Simhasanam – "Priyathame Shakunthale"
2004Kerala State Awards (Drama)For Best Lyricist
2002EMS AwardBest Lyricist for Drama
1997Nana Gala POL Award Best Lyrics in Drama
1988Mannam TrophyBest Upcoming Poet

References

  1. ↑ "രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കൽ കുമാരനാശാൻ സ്മാരക സമിതിയുടെ ചെയർമാനായി". ManoramaOnline. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Short-lived happiness". The Hindu. 27 November 2003. Archived from the original on 21 January 2005.
  3. ↑ "രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കലിന് ഗാനദീപ്തി പുരസ്കാരം". Deshabhimani (in Malayalam). Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "വിക്കിനെ അതിജീവിച്ച് ആദ്യ പ്രസംഗം; വയറിങ് ചെയ്ത ഹോട്ടലിൽ ഇരുന്ന് പിന്നീട് പാട്ടെഴുത്ത്: ജീവിതം പറഞ്ഞ് രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കൽ". വിക്കിനെ അതിജീവിച്ച് ആദ്യ പ്രസംഗം; വയറിങ് ചെയ്ത ഹോട്ടലിൽ ഇരുന്ന് പിന്നീട് പാട്ടെഴുത്ത്: ജീവിതം പറഞ്ഞ് രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കൽ (in Malayalam). Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  5. ↑ "Energy Management Centre song to be released on Thursday". The Hindu. 2 November 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 URF National Record
  7. 1 2 Daily, Keralakaumudi. "യൂണിവേഴ്സൽ റെക്കാർഡ് ഫോറത്തിൻ്റെ ദേശീയ അംഗീകാരം കവിയും ഗാനരചയിതാവുമായ രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കലിന് ഗോവ ഗവർണർ പി.എസ്. ശ്രീധരൻപിള്ള സമ്മാനിക്കുന്നു". Keralakaumudi Daily. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  8. 1 2 "രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കലിന് യൂണിവേഴ്‌സല്‍ റെക്കോര്‍ഡ് ഫോറത്തിന്റെ ദേശീയ അംഗീകാരം – Rajeev Alunkal Got National Recognition From The Universal Records Forum". Canchannels. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  9. ↑ "Akademi awards announced". The Hindu. 21 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "നാലുവരി കൊണ്ട് പാട്ട് ഹിറ്റാകില്ല". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Kerala Culture – Official Website of Department of Culture, Government of Kerala". keralaculture.org. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "Kerala Film Critics Awards announced". The New Indian Express. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  13. ↑ "Canonisation of Mother Theresa". Manoramaonline. 22 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Daily, Keralakaumudi. "തമിഴ് കൾച്ചറൽ റിസർച്ച് സെന്ററിന്റെ ആശാൻ – ഭാരതി ദേശീയ സാഹിത്യ പുരസ്‌കാരം രാജീവ്‌ ആലുങ്കലിന്". Keralakaumudi Daily. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "തമിഴ് കൾച്ചറൽ റിസർച്ച് സെന്ററിന്റെ ആശാൻ – ഭാരതി ദേശീയ സാഹിത്യ പുരസ്‌കാരം രാജീവ്‌ ആലുങ്കലിന്". Mathrubhumi. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കലിന് കലാ സാഗര പുരസ്‌കാരം". Mathrubhumi. March 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "കലാസാഗര പുരസ്‌കാരം സ്വന്തമാക്കി ഗാനരചയിതാവ് രാജീവ്‌ ആലുങ്കല്‍". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  18. ↑ "Gurusree Award for Rajiv Alunkal". Manoramaonline. 13 September 2019.
  19. ↑ "Kerala Film Critics Awards announced". The New Indian Express. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "PN Panicker Memorial Yuva Prathibha Award". Manoramaonline. 18 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "Kaumudi Teacher Award". Manoramaonline. 18 June 2016.
  22. ↑ "രാജീവ് ആലുങ്കലിന് സാംബശിവൻ പുരസ്‌കാരം". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Light Music, Awards, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi". keralaculture.org. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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