K. J. Yesudas
Biography
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian Carnatic musician and film playback singer. Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional and cinematic songs. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in a number of Indian languages as well as Russian, Arabic, Latin and English during a career spanning more than five decades. He has performed in most Indian languages except Assamese, Konkani and Kashmiri. He also composed a number of Malayalam film songs in the 1970s and 1980s. Yesudas is fondly called Gana Gandharvan (The Celestial Singer). He is considered to be a cultural icon of the Malayalam language - as well as of its ethnic group spread across the world - due largely to the fact that his songs have been profoundly ingrained into the minds of Malayalam speaking people for five decades. Yesudas has won the National Award for the Best Male Playback Singer seven times, the Filmfare Awards five times, and the State Award for the Best Playback Singer forty-three times, which consists of awards by the state governments of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1975, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan (second-highest civilian award) in 2017 by the Government of India for his contributions towards the arts. In 2011 Yesudas was honoured with the CNN-IBN outstanding achievement award having recorded over 20,000 songs in a five-decade career. In 2006, he sang 16 film songs in four South Indian languages on the same day at AVM Studio, Chennai
Known For & Full Filmography5 Titles
Movie - 2005, 2h 15m • as Himself
Home Minister Nateshan tries to molest Nandini the government servant, who files a criminal case against him (a throw-back on the Neelalohidadasan vs. Nalini Netto case?). In the mean time her son Manikuttan becomes the college champion and is scheduled to receive the trophy from the Chief Minister. As chance would have it, it is the Home Minister who turns up to give away the trophy. In the course of his speech he insults Nandini. Provoked by his words, Manikuttan assaults the minister and is arrested, but cannot be traced after that
Movie - 2002, 2h 15m • as Himself
Balamani, a housemaid and a devotee of Lord Guruvayurappan, falls in love with the householder's grandson, Manu. When the whole family is against their union, Balamani seeks the Lord's help to make her forget Manu.
Movie - 1966, 2h 15m • as Tanzen
Prince Salim, son of Akbar falls in love with Anarkali. Akbar forbids Salim to prolong this affair as he wanted his son to marry a Rajput princess and thereby strengthen communal harmony.
Movie - 1966, 2h 15m • as Khader
Kochunni dislikes moneylenders, misers and landlords as he grew up in extreme poverty. He and his friend Ithikkarappakki steal from rich travellers and give to the poor.
Movie - 1973, 2h 15m • as Self
Vasu struggles to manage his family after the death of his father. When he comes to know that his sister is in love with a man hailing from a rich family, he refuses to endorse their relationship.