Pappukutty Bhagavathar

Pappukutty Bhagavathar
Born
C.M. Joseph

(1913-03-29)29 March 1913
Vypin, Kingdom of Cochin, British India
(present day Ernakulam, Kerala, India)
Died22 June 2020(2020-06-22) (aged 107)
Palluruthy, Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
NationalityIndian
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1949–2020
Spouse
Baby
​
​
(m. 1947; died 2017)​
Children5 (incl. Selma George and Mohan Jose)
Parents
  • Michael
  • Anna
RelativesK. G. George (son-in-law)

Pappukutty Bhagavathar (Malayalam: പാപ്പുകുട്ടി ഭാഗവതർ; 29 March 1913 – 22 June 2020) was an Indian singer and actor in Malayalam cinema.[1]

Biography

Pappukutty Bhagavathar was born as Joseph on 29 March 1913 to Michael and Anna, at Vypin in the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin. He was the second of five children.

He had two brothers, Daniel and Varghese and two sisters, Rosy and Valsala. He studied at Government Boys School, Vypin.[2]

He sang for the 2009 released Marykkundoru Kunjaadu at the age of 95, sixty years after he sang his first song for a movie, which made him the oldest Malayali to sing in a film. The song "Entadukke Varum" was a hit. He was married to Baby. They had five children, actor Mohan Jose, playback singer Selma George, Sabu Jose, Shadhi, and Jeevan. His son-in-law K. G. George was a Malayalam movie director. He turned 100 in March 2013.[3][4] His wife Baby died in 2017.

Bhagavathar died in Kochi in June 2020 at the age of 107 due to an age-related illness.[5]

Bhagavathar was the father of actor Mohan Jose and singer Selma George. Malayalam film director K. G. George is his son-in-law.

Awards

Filmography

As an actor

As a playback singer

  • "Vidhiyude Leela"... Prasanna (1950)
  • "Kallane Vazhiyil"... Karutha Kai (1964)
  • "Kanne Karale"... Aashaachakram (1973)
  • "Entadukke Vannadukkum"... Marykkundoru Kunjaadu (2010)

References

  1. ^ "A voice that still casts a spell - The Hindu". The Hindu. thehindu.com. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Centenarian Pappukutty Bhagavathar honoured - IBNLive". ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  3. ^ Deepthi Sreenivasan (10 January 2016). "102, still going Sa Re Ga Ma". The Asian Age. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  4. ^ Staff (7 May 2017). "When 104-yr-old Pappukutty Bhagavathar sang 'Soja Rajakumari' for Mar Chrysostom". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Veteran actor pappukutty bhagavathar dies". www.thenewsminute.com. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Drama". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Classical Music". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship: Drama". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 25 February 2023.