Johnson

Johnson popped into the world on March 26, 1953, in Nellikkunnu, Thrissur—right in the heart of Kerala. This guy? Seriously, he wasn’t just some regular dude from the block. He straight-up shaped the soundtrack of Malayalam cinema for decades. I mean, people still talk about his music like it’s the holy grail of background scores. If you’ve ever caught yourself humming the haunting tunes from Manichitrathazhu (1993) without even realizing, yeah, that’s Johnson magic right there. The guy had this wild ability to turn a simple melody into something that just sticks in your brain, looping around for days. Let’s not forget Ponthan Mada (1994), either. That film had a raw, earthy vibe, and Johnson’s music just soaked right into the story—like, you couldn’t imagine those scenes without his touch. And Angane Oravadhikkalathu (1999)? Ugh, don’t even get me started. He knew how to tug at your heartstrings and then, when you least expected it, he’d drop a tune that makes you grin like an idiot. Johnson wasn’t just cranking out tracks; he was basically narrating the film with his music, wrapping up all the emotions and tossing them right at you. Sadly, the curtain dropped way too soon—he passed away on August 18, 2011, in Chennai. But man, the legacy? Still blasting through speakers all over the place. You can’t talk about Malayalam film music and not mention Johnson. It’s just not possible. The dude was—and still is—a legend.