Date:29/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/29/stories/2008032950560200.htm

Kerala

The sweeter melodies of love

ONV surprises and delights you with his imageries of love.

O.N.V. Kurup has written some of the best romantic lines in Malayalam in his poems as well as songs for films and plays. Reading ‘Ghazalukal Pookkunna Rathri,’ a collection of his ghazals and lyrics about the Nila river, is an enriching experience. The book has been published by Olive Publications, Kozhikode.

The ghazals have already been brought out as music albums, but reading them has a special charm. As Keats said, ‘Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard/ Are sweeter…’ ONV surprises and delights you with his imageries of love and the myriad ways in which it manifests itself. The book also has tributes to Vayalar (Onam pinneyum vannu poyi), Tansen (Puthiyoru ragam paduka Tansen), Bismillah Khan (Ozhukum kalathin), Mohammed Rafi (Sukharathriyodungakayai), K.L. Sehgal (Paduka Sehgal) refers to the singer’s immortal lullaby So ja rajkumari…

Ghazalukal Pookkunna Rathri won’t take you long to finish reading, but its beautiful lines will stay with you for a long, long time.

P.K. Ajith Kumar