The Life Of An Indian Legend – Baalondu Bhaava Geethe

R.N. Jayagopal 84th Birth Anniversary Tribute Video

Ravi Jayagopal on August 22, 2019

I’m Ravi Prashanth Jayagopal – the son of legendary Kannada Lyricist, Writer & Director, late Sri R.N. Jayagopal. I made this video to celebrate his 84th birth anniversary on August 17, 2019.

Honestly, there was no way I could do justice to his 10,000+ song resume over his lifetime, including movies, janapada geethe, and devotional songs. And if I even tried, it would be over 10 hours long, and you probably won’t ever watch it :-).

So I did the best I could to summarize some of his greatest work, interwoven with stories from my childhood.

I am blessed that I was born to not just one of the most talented writers and lyricists ever, but also one of the, if not THE, greatest human being to ever walk this earth.

Lalita Jayagopal – 4th Anniversary

Ravi Jayagopal on June 13, 2014

Gosh… she was so beautiful!

Dearest Amma, in my teens, we clashed a lot – like a mother and son should! And I always thought I was “Daddy’s Pet” 🙂

I never got a chance to tell you that it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

I fought with you more, only because I was exactly like you. I have both your good traits – and the not-so-good ones too 🙂 I do so many things subconsciously even today, just like you used to.

It rips me apart every time I remember what a painful last few years you lived through. I’m so, so sorry I couldn’t be there for you as much as I wanted to, and should have been.

It’s been 4 years since you left me. I think of you every day, I cry thinking of how lonely you were towards the end, and pray for your peace every day.

I love you so, so, SO much. Hope you are pain-free and at peace wherever you are.

Say hi to appa for me.

Your loving son,

Ravi “Manu” Jayagopal

RNJ 6th Anniversary

Ravi Jayagopal on May 19, 2014

[3 generations: Me, my late grandfather R. Nagendra Rao, and my late father, R.N. Jayagopal (more pictures further below)]

Dearest Appa,

It has been 6 excruciatingly long years since you moved on.

I just wanted to tell you that I think about you every day, multiple times a day.

I watch the Oscars, I think about you.

I listen to a beautiful song (like when Veena just played me one on Youtube barely an hour ago), I think about you and how you would have enjoyed it. I even wonder if my expressions of enjoying something so beautiful are subconsciously mimicking you.

I watch a fantastic scene in a movie, and I think about you.

I read or listen to beautiful poetry or lyrics, I think about you.

You will always be in my heart, my beloved beloved father.

You never left, and you never will.

Hope you are having a great time with Amma, wherever you guys are.

– Ravi, your one and only son.

RNJ with two of the greatest singers in Indian films, S.P.Balasubrahmanyam and S.Janaki, who are getting ready to sing one of his legendary songs that he penned, taking notes and listening intently as he explains the situation, the emotions behind the song, the meaning behind the lyrics, so that they can do justice to the masterpiece that he created.

Attending a song recording with my father, who is sitting next to one of the all-time greats and beloved music director G.K. Venkatesh

Oscar Night Special

Ravi Jayagopal on March 4, 2014

Post by Ravi Jayagopal.

RNJ 5 Year Anniversary

Ravi Jayagopal on May 19, 2013

It’s been 5 years since my father passed away (May 19th, 2008).

And I still haven’t found the guts to mourn his death.

I still pretend sometimes like he’s there back home in India, and that I just haven’t spoken to him in a long time. Maybe we’re not on talking terms or something.

Here’s a picture from one of the few movies he acted in, where he was the “Villain” (I am sure you wouldn’t have guessed otherwise 😉

He never smoked anything of any kind his entire life. So it was funny when he first showed me this photo, where he has a smoking pipe in his mouth. He knew enough to huff-and-puff a few times when the yelled “Action”, but I’m pretty sure he washed his mouth 20 times after the scene was over 🙂