Lyricist Mankombu Gopalakrishnan passes away; Adapted ‘Baahubali’ and other hits for Malayalam

Veteran Malayalam lyricist and screenwriter Mankombu Gopalakrishnan has passed away.


According to News 18 Malayalam, the veteran lyricist breathed his last at a private hospital in Kochi.

Mankombu Gopalakrishnan collaborated extensively with director Hariharan, writing lyrics for most of his films. The majority of his songs were composed by M.S. Viswanathan, adding to his legacy in the Malayalam film industry. Over his illustrious career, he penned lyrics for more than 700 songs across 200 Malayalam films. His debut film as a lyricist was ‘Vimochana Samaram’ which was directed by Mohan Gandhiraman and starring Sathyan and Sheela in lead roles.


Born in Mankombu, Alappuzha, he was the only son of Govindan Nair and Devakiyamma. In addition to his contributions to Malayalam cinema, he was instrumental in translating Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films into Malayalam. He also wrote the dialogues for several dubbed films.

Notably, Mankombu Gopalakrishnan played a significant role in adapting pan-Indian hits for Malayalam audiences. He wrote the lyrics and dialogues for both Malayalam versions of SS Rajamouli’s epic drama Baahubali and also worked on films like Ram Charan’s Magadheera, Sri Rama Rajyam, and Nani’s Eega, seamlessly adapting these big-budget Telugu films for Malayalam audiences. He collaborated with leading music composers such as M.S. Viswanathan, Devarajan, M.K. Arjunan, Ravindra Jain, Bombay Ravi, K.V. Mahadevan, Baburaj, Ilaiyaraaja, A.R. Rahman, Keeravani, Harris Jayaraj, and Yuvan Shankar Raja.

From the golden era of Prem Nazir's films to modern-day cinema, Mankombu Gopalakrishnan's lyrics spanned generations, leaving an ever-lasting mark on Malayalam film music. Some of his most famous songs include Ividamaaneesha Sannidhanam, Laksharchana Kandumadangumbol, Ilammanjin Kulirumaayi, Sreekovil Chumarukal Idinjaveenu, Rajasoo-yam Kazhinju Ente Rajayogam Thelinju, Kunkumasandhya Kshethrakulangare, Kalidasante Kaavya Bhaavanaye, Gangayil Theerthamaadiya Krishnashila, Palaruvi Naduvil, Oru Punnaram, Sharapanjarathin Ullil Chirakittadikkunna Sharike, Sugandhi Sumukhi, Palazhiman-kaye Parinayichu, Varnachirakulla Vanadev-ate, and Navaneetha Chandrike Thiri Thaazhthoo.