Thiruvananthapuram: The shifting landscape of Malayalam film music took centre stage at the Mathrubhumi Festival of Letters on Friday, as veteran and contemporary lyricists clashed over the rise of "violent" and "meaningless" lyrics in modern cinema.

During a panel discussion, at the Kanakakkunnu Palace grounds, former Chief Secretary and lyricist K. Jayakumar and award-winning songwriter B.K. Harinarayanan addressed the growing trend of children singing macabre verses, such as the viral and controversial line: "I will make juice out of clotted blood."

The "Samson" of Literacy

The session highlighted a stark generational divide in how lyrics are crafted and consumed. Jayakumar delivered a stinging critique of current trends, attributing the decline in lyrical quality to a lack of literary depth among new-age filmmakers.

"The tragedy of modern lyricists is that they have to descend to the ignorance of ill-informed directors," Jayakumar said. "We have writers who studied in English medium schools trying to compose in Malayalam. First, the rhythm (vrutham) vanished, then the soul. There was a time when poetry and song were like children of the same mother."

Jayakumar fondly recalled learning complex Malayalam vocabulary through the works of legends like Vayalar Ramavarma, noting that words like Indugopam (velvet mite/firefly) were introduced to the masses via the silver screen, a phenomenon he fears is extinct.

Defending the "New Age"

Harinarayanan, representing the contemporary era, offered a more pragmatic defence of the craft. He noted that while he dreams of a "Kinasery" (dreamland) where poetic words like Indugopam can still thrive, the reality of modern production is vastly different.

"I have written 99% of my songs to pre-set tunes," Harinarayanan explained. "Sometimes I am even tuning the lyrics to a visual."

Addressing the audience's concern about violent lyrics like the "clotted blood" song being popularised by three-year-olds, Harinarayanan pointed to a grim societal shift. "Directors demand these ideas for specific characters or villains. We live in a time where a ninth-grade student can be trained to take a life with a single stab. The songs often reflect this dark reality," he said, citing a recent tragedy in his own neighbourhood.

The Persistence of Romance

Despite the friction, both panellists agreed on one enduring truth: music remains the ultimate vehicle for human emotion.

  • The Reality Check: Jayakumar pointed out that while violent songs trend on social media, children in reality shows still gravitate toward the "evergreen" classics for their melodic substance.
  • The Future of Love: "Do today’s lovers not need new love songs? Is it enough to rely only on what the old masters wrote?" Jayakumar asked, urging new writers to find poetry in modern romance.

The session, moderated by Lijeesh Kumar, concluded with a call for filmmakers to respect the literary heritage of the Malayalam language, even as they innovate for a digital-first audience.