THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: OVR Mash still remembers the day the 12-year-old girl came to his house holding her father's hand. Music director OV Raphael, who was the person who introduced the Nightingale of Kerala, KS Chithra, as a movie playback singer, opened his mind from his home in Thiruvananthapuram Manikanteswaram.

'I was a casual music composer at Akashvani back then. Chithra was there to sing in the mini choral. She used to sing exactly as instructed. Mohanraj, the director of the Tamil film Athishaya Raagangal, and Prof. Nagappan Nair came to see me one day. "Mohanraj is going to direct a Malayalam movie. Name of the movie, Nilambari. There is only one song in the film. The song sung by the heroine at the age of 12 should be composed by OVR". The lyrics starting with 'Jyotisse.... Divya Jyotisse..." were penned by Nagappan Nair. Mohanraj said that he can call Janaki as she can sing in children's voices.'

'There is a girl who sings well in Akashavani's mini choral, Chithra. Her age is also twelve" - ​​Mohanraj gave his hand to OVR's choice. OVR came to Chithra's house in Karamana and told her father Krishnan Nair about the topic. Krishnan Nair looked at the face of his daughter Bina, who had already sung in a movie. When he said that it was Chithra who should sing, she was beside him with a smile and surprise!

Recording at Chitralekha Studio

The recording was at Chitralekha Studio in Akkulam which had Adoor Gopalakrishnan as a partner. OVR still remembers Krishnan Nair who came to the rehearsal holding his daughter, praying at the Sacred Heart at his house. Sadly, the film 'Neelambari' was not released. OVR's disappointment faded when he heard the film songs composed by his son Ronnie Raphael in the voice of KS Chithra. From the 2004 release Kalyana Kurimanam to Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea, Chithra's melodious voice permeates all of Ronnie's music direction. OV Raphael's autobiography 'Deepame....Shashwatha Deepame...'' will be released by KS Chithra in Thiruvananthapuram on the 20th.