'Jayachandran was not as trained in classical music as Yesudas, but he sang beautifully'

Noted lyricist and music director, Sreekumaran Thampi, said he was broken by P Jayachandran's demise. Thampi fondly remembered making his entry into the Malayalam film industry in 1966 along with Jayachandran.

“He was not trained in classical music like Yesudas, but the way he sang classical and semi-classical was out of this world,” Thampi said. “His bhavam, while singing with the stress he gave for each word, made him stand out from the rest of the singers. He sang several of our (V Dakshinamoorthy, M K Arjunan) songs beautifully,” Thampi added.

“Both of us entered the Malayalam film industry in 1966, and though he was four years younger than me, our bond was timeless. My song for Kaattumallika and Jayachandran's Manjalayil Mungithorthi came out at the same time. Starting then, our brotherhood lasted for 56 years. His love for music, humility, and generosity in lifting others up will always stay with me,” Thampi recalled.

He lauded Jayachandran's commitment to his work even though he wasn't keeping well. “I called him just two weeks ago, and he told me he was sick and had fallen in his bedroom. Despite his illness earlier this year, he still found the strength to sing three of my songs for YouTube. I've never met anyone who loved music more than he did. What’s truly remarkable about him is his selflessness — he constantly praises other singers and never speaks about himself,” Thampi said.