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Living the responsibility of work and passion for arts together is not an easy task. A person who lives for arts can’t survive without it. Meet banker Chandramohan Pillai, who is one of those who balance their work life and passion for arts with great enthusiasm and flair.
Chandramohan Pillai started his career in Qatar as a fund control clerk in 1982 at a leading bank in Qatar and retired after 38 years serving at different positions. Even though he has spent most of the productive period of his life setting up a successful career in the finance and banking sector, Pillai always has had a strong passion for music and films. He always strived hard to indulge in his passion for art whenever he could eke out time. A significant presence in the socio-cultural spheres in Qatar, he has made strong contributions to the Indian art world.
Pillai’s love for music drove him to become a Malayalam lyricist. He also acted in various musical albums which fall under different genres. Having taken lots of efforts to showcase his talent, he has produced six Malayalam musical albums ranging from devotional songs to romantic songs and has received lots of appreciation for the same.
“My love for music will never die and if I lose music I will lose myself. I always find time to pen down lines that come into my mind and try to produce more and more perfect musical versions,” says Pillai.
He founded Chandrakala Arts, a film production company in India and an art and cultural forum in Doha. Every year he organises a musical event called ‘Hridaya Ragangal’ in Qatar bringing renowned musicians from India to perform in Doha. This is a much-waited musical show for members of the Indian community in Qatar. The event is organised with different themes every year and so far Pillai has conducted seven such shows with the latest one held in 2020 titled ‘Sri Kumaran Thampi Show’, cherishing the songs of Sri Kumaran Thampi, a renowned Malayalam lyricist.
Pillai has also tried his hands in film and acting. Apart from being a lyricist for his albums, he has also acted in these albums which unveils the potential actor in him. Under the banner of Chandrakala Arts, he has also produced a big-budget historic drama film called ‘Veeram’ (Valour), an adaptation of Macbeth. This movie is set in 13th century North Malabar, a province in Kerala in the southern state of India.
The story deals with the life of a Kerala folktale anti-hero Chandu Chekavar, his valiant acts, the women in his life, and the betrayal that haunts him until his death -- this makes it more similar to the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth. The movie, which was directed by Jayaraj and is the fifth installment in Jayaraj’s Navarasa series, is considered one of the most royal treatments an Indian filmmaker has given to Macbeth. Even though the film was released in 2017, it has now been released on Amazon Prime and in the GCC countries for movie lovers around the world. The film first premiered at the BRICS Film Festival on September 2, 2016 in New Delhi before its theatre release.
Kunal Kapoor, a famous Indian actor, played the role of Chandu Chekavar in the film. Many new faces featured in the film and none of them disappointed the audience with their graceful screen presence and performances.
Jayaraj never had a plan to make a super star film so has cast people who are passionate about films and new to acting. The film is available to watch in different languages including Malayalam, English and Hindi.
“This movie was executed with advanced technologies which helped enhance its beauty and naturalness. It is highly enjoyable with a bunch of mesmerising actors and there has never been a film in the Malayalam industry with such technical finesse,” points out Pillai.
He has been fascinated by arts and music since childhood. His inspiration and love for reading and passion for various art forms was inherited from his mother. Pillai approaches everything with sincerity and selfless efforts. Even though he has retired from the banking sector, he is busy building up his own business and is now running a facilities management company in Qatar.
Chandramohan Pillai started his career in Qatar as a fund control clerk in 1982 at a leading bank in Qatar and retired after 38 years serving at different positions. Even though he has spent most of the productive period of his life setting up a successful career in the finance and banking sector, Pillai always has had a strong passion for music and films. He always strived hard to indulge in his passion for art whenever he could eke out time. A significant presence in the socio-cultural spheres in Qatar, he has made strong contributions to the Indian art world.
Pillai’s love for music drove him to become a Malayalam lyricist. He also acted in various musical albums which fall under different genres. Having taken lots of efforts to showcase his talent, he has produced six Malayalam musical albums ranging from devotional songs to romantic songs and has received lots of appreciation for the same.
“My love for music will never die and if I lose music I will lose myself. I always find time to pen down lines that come into my mind and try to produce more and more perfect musical versions,” says Pillai.
He founded Chandrakala Arts, a film production company in India and an art and cultural forum in Doha. Every year he organises a musical event called ‘Hridaya Ragangal’ in Qatar bringing renowned musicians from India to perform in Doha. This is a much-waited musical show for members of the Indian community in Qatar. The event is organised with different themes every year and so far Pillai has conducted seven such shows with the latest one held in 2020 titled ‘Sri Kumaran Thampi Show’, cherishing the songs of Sri Kumaran Thampi, a renowned Malayalam lyricist.
Pillai has also tried his hands in film and acting. Apart from being a lyricist for his albums, he has also acted in these albums which unveils the potential actor in him. Under the banner of Chandrakala Arts, he has also produced a big-budget historic drama film called ‘Veeram’ (Valour), an adaptation of Macbeth. This movie is set in 13th century North Malabar, a province in Kerala in the southern state of India.
The story deals with the life of a Kerala folktale anti-hero Chandu Chekavar, his valiant acts, the women in his life, and the betrayal that haunts him until his death -- this makes it more similar to the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth. The movie, which was directed by Jayaraj and is the fifth installment in Jayaraj’s Navarasa series, is considered one of the most royal treatments an Indian filmmaker has given to Macbeth. Even though the film was released in 2017, it has now been released on Amazon Prime and in the GCC countries for movie lovers around the world. The film first premiered at the BRICS Film Festival on September 2, 2016 in New Delhi before its theatre release.
Kunal Kapoor, a famous Indian actor, played the role of Chandu Chekavar in the film. Many new faces featured in the film and none of them disappointed the audience with their graceful screen presence and performances.
Jayaraj never had a plan to make a super star film so has cast people who are passionate about films and new to acting. The film is available to watch in different languages including Malayalam, English and Hindi.
“This movie was executed with advanced technologies which helped enhance its beauty and naturalness. It is highly enjoyable with a bunch of mesmerising actors and there has never been a film in the Malayalam industry with such technical finesse,” points out Pillai.
He has been fascinated by arts and music since childhood. His inspiration and love for reading and passion for various art forms was inherited from his mother. Pillai approaches everything with sincerity and selfless efforts. Even though he has retired from the banking sector, he is busy building up his own business and is now running a facilities management company in Qatar.
