No music lover can ever forget the immense contribution of the legendary music director Johnson Master to Malayalam cinema. He gifted us countless timeless melodies that continue to touch our hearts even today.
I had the privilege of meeting him for the first time during the grand finale of the second season of the music reality show Swaramanjari produced by me for Surya TV at Kochi, where he was the Chief Guest. We had a long and memorable conversation about music, musicians and life itself. During our discussion, he expressed his desire to visit Mumbai for a musical programme.
The moment I returned to Mumbai, I decided to make it happen. In 2005, I organised “Devasangeetham”, a grand live orchestra at Chembur Fine Arts as a tribute to the legendary Devarajan Master. Johnson Master graciously accepted my invitation to be the Chief Guest. The programme featured renowned playback singers Unni Menon, Sudeep Kumar, Rashmi Madhu, Kallara Gopan and several other talented artistes.
That evening became unforgettable when Johnson Master shared his memories of working with Devarajan Master and, to the delight of the audience, rendered the immortal song “Periyare Periyare.” The thunderous applause that followed still echoes in my ears. The programme was later telecast on Asianet on a Sunday from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
After the event, we spent almost the entire night in his hotel room at Chembur, talking about music, life and many shared interests. As I accompanied him to the airport the next morning, he once again requested me to organise a full-fledged programme dedicated to his music in Mumbai. Without hesitation, I promised him that I would.
Sadly, fate had other plans.
Johnson Master left us before that dream could become a reality.
But I was determined to keep my promise. Later, at Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai, Raagalaya organised a special programme to honour the great maestro. His wife and their two children attended the function and received the Raagalaya Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf. Playback singers Madhu Balakrishnan, Kallara Gopan, Swetha Mohan, Preetha Kannan and others presented a beautiful musical tribute by singing his evergreen compositions.
Life, however, dealt another heartbreaking blow. Soon afterwards, his son tragically lost his life in an accident in Chennai, and not long after, his daughter too passed away. It was a devastating loss—not only for the family, but also for everyone who admired Johnson Master and his music. Today, his wife lives quietly in their hometown of Thrissur.
These are not just memories. They are moments that remain deeply etched in my heart.
Over the years, I have been blessed to meet and work with many legendary personalities, and each one has left behind unforgettable memories and touching experiences.
There are many more such stories that I would love to share with you.
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By….. Vijaykumar