Playback singer Kalyani Menon dies at 80, last rites today

Chennai

Kalyani, the mother of noted cinema director and founder of Mindscreen Film Institute, Rajiv Menon, developed symptoms of stroke and was immediately rushed to the hospital where she breathed her last.

The last rites and cremation would take place at Besant Nagar on Tuesday afternoon.

She began her career in singing in the 1970s as a classical singer. Menon’s famous songs with KJ Yesudas in Malayalam include Rithubheda Kalpana Charutha Nalkiya of 1983 movie Mangalam Nerunnu and Pavanarachezhuthunnu Kolangalennum of Mohanlal-starrer Vietnam Colony released in 1992.

Born in Ernakulam, Menon started singing at the age of five in the ‘Navaratri sangeeth utsav’ organised in the famous TDM hall there.

She began her career as a playback singer by singing in Thoppil Bhasi-directed Malayalam movie Abala.

Besides Malayalam, she has sung in a number of Tamil movies, for top musicians Ilayaraja and AR Rahman.

While she crooned for Ilayaraja in Nallathoru Kudumbam among others, she gave hits under Rahman, including in Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya in 2010.