Sreekumaran Thampi
Sreekumaran Thampi (born 16 March 1940) is an Indian lyricist, music director, director, producer, and screenwriter in Malayalam cinema. He also writes poetry and is a recipient of the Vallathol Award. In 2017, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema. Film career. Thampi was introduced to the Malayalam film industry in 1966 by P. Subramaniam as a lyricist in the film "Kaattumallika". He has produced 25 films, directed 29, and written scripts for 85 films in Malayalam besides writing thousands of songs. He is also the author  of the well-known literary work "Prem Nazir Enna Prema Gaanam". He won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema film (Kanakkum Kavitayum) whilst his films "Gaanam" and "Mohiniyattam" won Kerala State Awards. He is a songwriter, screenplay writer, film producer, director and musician, but says he is more of a lyricist than a filmmaker. His songs include "Chandrikayilaliyunna Chandrakaantham", "Hridayasarasile pranayapushpame" and "Swanthamenna padathinendhartham". His films "Chandrakantham", "Gaanam", "Mohiniyattam", "Maalika Paniyunnavar", "Jeevitham Oru Gaanam" and "Ambalavilakku" became artistic successes. His successful box office films include "Naayattu", "Aakramanam" and "Idi Muzhakkam". Thampi has written four novels - "Kakkathampuraatti", "Kuttanad", "Kadalum  Karalum" and "Njanoru Kadha Parayam" and collections of poems "Engineerayuday Veena", "Neelathaamara", "En Makan Karayumpol", "Sheershakamillatha Kavithakal", "Achante Chumbanam", "Ammakkoru Tharaattu". Puthralaabham and Avaseshippukal. His collection of 1001 selected songs, titled "Hridaya Sarassu", had three editions in two years. Now going to its sixth Edition. His selected Poems are published in Hindi with the title "Sreekumaran Thampi Ki Kavithayem". Personal life. He is a graduate in mathematics from Sanatana Dharma College,Alappuzha and civil engineer, graduated from Institute of Engineering Technology, Chennai and Govt. Engineering College, Thrissur. His siblings are the novelist late P. Vasudevan Thampi who wrote "Sreekrishnaparinthu" (which  became a hit Malayalam film), Advocate P. Gopalakrishnan Thampi, the former Director General of Prosecutions (Kerala), and former Chairman of Kerala Bar Council, ThulasibhaThiruvananthapuram kachi and Prasannavadanan Thampi, former Vice President of Oracle Financial Systems Software Ltd. Thampi is married to Rajeswari, the daughter of Vaikom M P.Mani, and they have a daughter (Kavitha). His wife and daughter have also dabbled in the arts. He also had a son, Rajkumaran Thampi (also known as Raj Aditya) was an erstwhile associate of Priyadarshan and later directed some movies in the Telugu film industry, until his sudden death in Secundarabad in March  2009.