Eminent lyricist-poet Poovachal Khader has passed away following COVID-19 complications on Tuesday. He was 73.
Poovachal Khader had penned many evergreen romantic songs and nostalgic melodies in Mollywood during the late 1970s and 80s. As per reports, the veteran lyricist died following a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for the deadly virus and intense pneumonia at the government medical college hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He is survived by a wife and two children.
Khader started his career as a lyricist with Kavitha, directed by Vijaya Nirmala in 1973. In his career spanning over five decades, Khader wrote nearly 1500 songs in about 400 movies.
“Poomaname” (Nirakoottu), “Etho janma kalpanayil” (Palangal), “Anuragini itha en” (Oru Kudakkeezhil), “Natha nee varum” (Chamaram) and so on were among the hit songs penned by Khader.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan mourned Khader’s death. He said that the death of Khader, who set a record by writing the highest number of film songs in Malayalam, was a fatal blow to the film industry.