The musical maestro of Tamil Cinema, the thespian Music Director Ilaiyaraaja is mourning the loss of his magical daughter, Bhavatharini who succumbed after a battle with cancer. Bhavatharini who was 47 years old, passed away in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 25 January, where she was undergoing Ayurvedic treatment for cancer.
The South industry has been mourning the big loss, and words are not enough to describe the bounty of charisma and magic that Bhavatharini possessed in her musical acumen.
It is very important to remember and celebrate the charming voice that Bhavatharini, fondly known as Bhavathi to many, had. An extremely unique voice with a rustic charm is what Bhavatharini was known for!! She started singing at a very young age, and made her debut as a singer with My Dear Kuttichathan’s number ‘Thithithey Thaalam’. Given the enchanting concept of the film, the voice of Bhavatharini was perfectly placed in the song and it gave her immediate recognition. ‘Kuyile Kuyile’ from En Bommukutty Ammavuku, proved that she was of a very different class of singing.
Her debut work as a solo playback singer in ‘Masthana Masthana’ from the film Raasaiyya made her father proud. And this was the biggest achievement that young Bhavatharini could think of. The icing on the cake came when she won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her song Mayil Pola Ponnu Onnu in the film Bharathi, which was father Ilayaraaja’s composition. ‘Anjali Anjali Anjali’ was yet another gem in her repertoire as a singer.
Coming from a musically inclined family, Bhavatharini, however, sang mostly for her father’s compositions and for her brothers, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Karthik Raja. If only she had spread her wings further to wander into the musical compositions of other geniuses in the Tamil and Malayalam industry, we would have sat back to listen to more of her gems.
Known to many in the industry as a very friendly and jovial personality, Bhavatharini lingers in the hearts and minds of many in the fraternity now. It is believed that she had a great enthusiasm for dance. Many have witnessed her prowess in dancing when she danced with the Russian artists whenever they called on her father for the Indo-Russian Cultural And Friendship Society.
It is not an age to go, and it is very saddening to see that the man (Ilayaraaja) who brings a smile to millions of faces, with his power-packed compositions even today, is rendered speechless by this irreparable loss of his daughter.
As condolence messages pour in from celebrities all over, musical stalwarts, fraternity colleagues and friends of Bhavatharini, we cherish the personality that she had. Her pleasing smile could captivate any number of fans, and as we look back at her beautiful journey which was cut short by the deadly disease, we pray for the Raja family to bear this loss.
Music was in her blood, and Bhavatharini will continue to live in her songs as well as her father’s!!