Mullanezhi Neelakandan Namboothiri (1948–2011), popularly known as Mullanezhi, was a Malayalam poet, playwright, lyricist and actor from Thrissur in Kerala state of India. He was awarded the Nalapadan Award ( (Nalapaddan Memorial Cultural Society,Kunnathur, Punnayurkulam) in 1989 for his poem "Naranath Brandhan". He was awarded the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award twice: in 1995 for the drama Samathalam and in 2010 for the poetry collection Kavitha. He wrote more than 70 songs for 25 movies and also acted in films like Uppu, Piravi, Kazhakam and Neelathamara.[2][3][4]
Biography
Mullanezhi was born in Mullanezhi Mana, Ollur, Thrissur on 16 May 1948.[citation needed] Though he began to write poems from his childhood, it was Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, who discovered the poet in him and guided him in his life and career.[citation needed] Vyloppilly was also instrumental in prompting him join for Vidwan course, and thus to become a school teacher. He started his career as a teacher from Ramavarmapuram Government High School. He voluntarily retired from Government Model Higher Secondary School for Boys, Thrissur on 2004.[citation needed]
Mullanezhi's important collections of poems are Mohapakshi, Raapattu, Naaranathupranthan and Penkoda. Mullanezhi was also a theatre activist. He led Agragami Theaters and wrote many plays, some of which have been collected in the anthology Samathalam. In theatre, he was inspired by the social reformist movement inaugurated by the likes of V. T. Bhattathiripad, M. R. Bhattathiripad, and Premji.[citation needed] He won the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for his drama Samathalam in 1995 and his anthology of poems in 2010. He served as a director board member of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi from 1980 to 1983.[citation needed]
He became a film lyricist in 1976, by penning the song "Karukaruthoru Pennanu" for Njavalpazhangal by Azeez. He wrote four songs in K. P. Kumaran's Lakshmi Vijayam, under the music direction of Shyam. Mullanezhi worked with G. Devarajan, M. B. Sreenivasan, Raveendran, K. Raghavan, A. T. Ummer, Johnson, Jerry Amaldev and Vidhyadharan. His last film was Indian Rupee. He has written more than 70 songs for 25 movies.[citation needed]
Mullanezhi entered the world of acting through the drama, Chaverppada (1970) in which he acted alongside Premji.[citation needed] He acted in a few films including Piravi, Uppu and Kazhakam.[citation needed]
He died on 22 October 2011 due to cardiac arrest.[citation needed]
