Jerry Amaldev

Jerome Thomas Veleeparambil, more popularly known by his stage name Jerry Amaldev (born 15 April 1939) is a three-time Kerala State Film Awards winning Indian composer of film scores who has given music to some of the most important motion pictures of Malayalam cinema. He is noted for his lyrical and expressive melodies together with simple but rich tonal compositions of Indian music.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Jerry Amaldev
Jerry Amaldev at a function in November 2019
Background information
Birth name	Jerome Thomas Veleeparambil
Also known as	Jerry
Born	(1939-04-15) 15 April 1939 (age 86) Kochi, Kerala, India
Genres	Film score choral music
Occupation	Music director
Instruments	Piano violin guitar
Years active	1965–present
Website	jerryamaldev.com

Biography

Jerry Amaldev was born ^[6][7]on 15 April 1939 in Kochi, Cochin State, to V. C. Joseph and Mary Joseph. He completed his high school education in 1955 at St. Albert's High School, Ernakulam.^[8] He Obtained the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy from the Papal Athenaeum, Pune. He is considered one of the evergreen music directors in Mollywood, even though he worked for a small span. His notable films as a music director are Manjil Virinja Pookkal, Aparahnam, Ennennum Kannettante, Ente Mamattikkuttiyammakku, Nokketha Dhoorathu Kannum Nattu, and Guruji oru Vakku.. He received "Kerala State Film Awards" three times as a music director. However, he suddenly disappeared from the Malayalam industry in and around the time of the millennium, for unclear reasons, leaving his rich composition for Malayalam films.^[9]

Film career

Jerry Amaldev debuted in the Malayalam industry through Fazil's Manjil Virinja Pookkal in 1980 and won the Kerala State Award for Excellence in Music Direction for the same. Before that, he used to work as an assistant to the great Indian Music Director Naushad. He was trained in North Indian Vocal Music under Madhusoondan Patwardhan of Vishnu Digambar Sangeet Vidyalaya, Pune. Since the debut was a hit in Malayalam he got really busy in Mollywood and had worked for around 75 films. He conducted a musical ceremony during the Pope's visit to India with a choir of 500 and an orchestra of 40. He also composed songs for some Bollywood movies.^{[citation needed]}

But during the early time of the millennium, he suddenly disappeared from Malayalam industries. No.1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North is the last known film that he had composed for any Malayalam films. After quitting the Malayalam film industry he started teaching music at the American International School, Chennai. He is now working at Choice School, Cochin, where he teaches school students music along with composing music for various socially relevant films and television serials. He now teaches at the Asian Christian College of Music – www.accm.org.in, Kottayam as the professor of History of Music & Conducting where he is the academic adviser.

He made a comeback in 2016 by being the music director for the songs in the film Action Hero Biju directed by Abrid Shine, and starring Nivin Pauly.

Family

He was married to Jolly Jerry Amaldev and has three daughters Meera, Sangeeta and Dahlia. His wife died in 2008 due to cancer. Currently, he lives in Palatty, Kannachanthodu Road, Kochi.

Awards

• Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director – 1980 – Manjil Virinja Pookkal
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director – 1990 – Aparahnam [ Shared with Perumbavoor G. Raveendranath – Innale ]
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music – 1995 – Kazhakam
• Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Light Music – 2001^[10]
• Several Critics Award

Partial Discography

Year	Film	Lyricist	Notes
1980	Manjil Virinja Pookkal	Bichu Thirumala	He won Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director. Background score was done by Guna Singh for which he won Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music
1981	Dwandha Yudham	P. Bhaskaran
1982	Pooviriyum Pulari	Poovachal Khader
1982	Oru Vilippadakale	P. Bhaskaran
1983	Swapnalokum	O. N. V. Kurup
1983	Ente Mamattukkuttiyammakku	Bichu Thirumala
1984	Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu	Bichu Thirumala	Background score is done by Johnson.
1985	Kaanathaya Penkutty	Sebastian Paul
1985	Puli Varunne Puli	Bichu Thirumala
1985	Scene No. 7	P. Bhaskaran
1985	Punnaram Cholli Cholli	O. N. V. Kurup	Background score is done by Johnson.
1985	Koodum Thedi	M. D. Rajendran	Background score is done by Johnson.
1985	Guruji Oru Vakku	Bichu Thirumala	Background score is done by Johnson.
1985	Adhyayam Onnu Muthal	M. D. Rajendran
1986	Aalorungi Arangorungi	Poovachal Khader
1986	Adukkan Entheluppam	Bichu Thirumala
1986	Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam	Mullanezhi	Background score is done by Shyam.
1986	Vivahithare Ithile	Bichu Thirumala
1986	Sunil Vayassu 20
1986	Oppam Oppathinoppam	Bichu Thirumala
1986	Neela Kurinji Poothappol	Kavalam Narayana Panicker
1986	Ennennum Kannettante	Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, Madhu Muttam, Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan
1991	Aparahnam		He won Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director, shared with Perumbavoor G. Raveendranath.
1991	Ganamela	Sasi Chittanjoor, Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri.
1995	No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North	Girish Puthenchery
2016	Action Hero Biju	Santhosh Varma, B K Harinarayanan	All songs except, Muthe Ponne Pinangalle, were done by him. Muthe Ponne Pinangalle were done by V Suresh Thampanoor. Background score is done by Rajesh Murugesan.
2025	e valayam	Santhosh Varma, Rafeeq ahmed

Notable Malayalam songs

• Aayiram Kannumayi Kathirunnu

- Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu

• Raave Nilaave – Raave Nilaave
• Pookkal Panineer Pookkal- Action Hero Biju
• Oonjalilaadi Vanna – Action Hero Biju
• Deva Dumdubi – Ennennum Kannettante
• Poovataka – Ennennum Kannettante
• Vaachalam En Mounavum – Koodum Thedi
• Penninte Chenchundil – Guruji Oru Vakku
• Alorungi Arongorungi – Ente Mamattykuttiammaku
• Manjanikombil – Manjil Virinja Pookakl
• Kiliye – Nokketha Dhoorathu Kannum Nattu
• Mizhiyoram Nananjozhukum -Manjil Virinja Pookkal
• Athapoovum Nulli -
• Pavizhamalli Poothulanja – Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam
• Kanninu Ponkani -
• Kur Kur Kurmozhikal – Ariyathe(1986 Film Not Released)
• Poomukile – Ariyathe(1986 Film Not Released)
• Poovalla poonthaliralla – Kaattupothu(Film Not Released)
• Mele mele maanam – No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North
• Kokkorusumen- No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North
• Ponnambili pottum – No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North
• Apom chuttu – No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North
• vellodin kingini - e valayam
• Kaalamam nadi alakale - e valayam
• Manamayakkum (Thillana) - e valayam