Lyricist Bichu Thirumala passes away

Veteran Malayalam lyricist Bichu Thirumala, passed away on Friday (November 26). The 80-year-old was admitted to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram with breathing problems and had suffered a heart attack as well. He had been on ventilator support after his condition worsened, and passed away around 3.15 am.

Bichu Thirumala started his lyric-writing career with the 1972 film, Bhaja Govindam. He has since penned lyrics for over 5,000 songs. The two-time Kerala State Film Award winner has collaborated with several big music directors from the Malayalam film industry. He has also also worked with legends from other industries like AR Rahman, MS Viswanathan, and Ilaiyaraaja.

Bichu Thirumala is survived by his wife Prasanna and son Suman Bichu, who is also a music director. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and many others from Kerala’s cinema and socio-political sphere have condoled his death.