{{short description|Indian poet (1934-2015)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox person | image = | name = Yusufali Kechery | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1934|5|16}} | birth_place = Kechery, Trichur district, Kingdom of Cochin | death_date = {{death date and age|21 March 2015|16 May 1934}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Malayalam film personality Yusufali Kechery dead|date=22 March 2015 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/malayalam-film-personality-yusufali-kechery-dead}}</ref> | death_place = Kochi, Kerala, India | occupation = Film Director, film producer, poet, film lyricist | relatives = | years_active = }}
'''Yusufali Kechery''' (Yūsaphali Kēccēri; 16 May 1934 – 21 March 2015) was a poet, film lyricist, film producer, and director from Kerala, India.<ref>{{cite news |title=Words and poetry turned into music in the hands of the late poet and lyricist Yusufali Kechery| newspaper=The Hindu| date=26 March 2015| url=https://thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/connoisseur-of-words/article7031785.ece}}</ref> He wrote during the modern era of Malayalam poetry and won the Odakkuzhal Award, the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award and the Vallathol Award.
==Career==
K. P. Narayana Pisharody was Kechery's Sanskrit teacher and taught him free of cost for four years.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=The bard of Kechery|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/music/the-bard-of-kechari-malayalam-film-lyricist.amp.html}}</ref> Kechery's poetic works include ''Sainaba'', ''Aayiram Navulla Mounam'', ''Anchu Kanyakakal'', ''Nadabhramam'', ''Amrithu'', ''Kecheri Puzha'', ''Anuragagaanam Pole'', ''Aalila'', ''Kadhaye Premicha Kavitha'', ''Perariyatha Nombaram'' and ''Ahaindavam''.<ref>[http://news.entecity.com/vallathol-award-for-kecheri/ "Vallathol award for Kechery"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203838/http://news.entecity.com/vallathol-award-for-kecheri/ |date=14 July 2014 }}. Entecity.com. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.</ref> He was a lawyer by profession<ref name=":0" />.
He also directed the films ''Vanadevatha'' (1977) and ''Neelathamara'' (1979). He wrote the lyrics for the songs in the film ''Dhwani'', which were composed by musician Naushad. In 2000, he was awarded a National Award for a Sanskrit song written for the Malayalam film ''Mazha'' (''Rain'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Yusufali Kechery, Kavishala|url=https://kavishala.in/sootradhar/_yusufali-kechery}}</ref>
Kechery died on 21 March 2015 at Amrita Hospital in Kochi, aged 80.<ref name="death">{{cite news|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/466998/renowned-malayalam-poet-yusufali-kechery.html|title=Renowned Malayalam poet Yusufali Kechery passes away|date=21 March 2015|access-date=22 March 2015|work=Deccan Herald}}</ref>
==Awards==
===Literary awards=== * 1985: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award — ''Aayiram Naavulla Maunam''<ref>[http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/ml_aw2.htm "List of Kerala Sahitya Academy Award Winners - Poetry"]. Kerala Sahitya Academy. Retrieved 11 December 2012.</ref> * 1987: Odakkuzhal Award — ''Kechery Puzha''{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * 1988: Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram — ''Kechery Puzha''<ref>{{cite news|title=Yusufali Kecheri gets Asan poetry prize|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BYZlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mZ4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1883%2C2526209|access-date=17 February 2018|work=The Indian Express|date=26 September 1988|page=3}}</ref> * 1990: Asan Smaraka Kavitha Puraskaram{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * 2001: Deviprasadam Trust Award<ref name="Deviprasadam Trust">[https://www.namboothiri.com/articles/awards.htm "Awards, Trusts and Scholarships: 2: Deviprasaadam Trust"]. Namboothiri.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.</ref> * 2012: Vallathol Award<ref>{{cite news|title=Yusafali Kecheri bags Vallathol Puraskaram|url=http://www.kaumudiglobal.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=26724|access-date=10 December 2012|newspaper=Kerala Kaumudi|date=3 October 2012|archive-date=19 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219080713/http://www.kaumudiglobal.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=26724|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2012: Balamani Amma Award<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/balamaniamma-award-for-kecheri/article4180770.ece|title=Balamaniamma award for Kecheri|date=9 December 2012|work=The Hindu|access-date=10 December 2012}}</ref> * 2013: Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship<ref>[http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/pdf/Akademi%20Award%20-%202013_final.pdf "2013 Kerala Sahitya Academy Award"]. Kerala Sahitya Academy. Retrieved 24 December 2014.</ref>
===Film awards=== * 1993: Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics - ''Ghazal''{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * 1994: Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics - ''Parinayam''{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * 1998: Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyrics - ''Sneham''{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * 1999: Asianet Film Award for Best Lyricist -''Deepasthambham Mahascharyam''{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * 2000: National Film Award for Best Lyricist - ''Mazha''{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * Prem Nazir Award{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} * Kunchacko Memorial Award{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0444243}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927182433/http://www.devaragam.com/vbscript/MusicNew.aspx?ArtistID=19&Msg=Hits%20of%20Yusaf%20Ali%20Kechery Hits of Yusaf Ali Kecheri] *[http://video.webindia123.com/interviews/musician/yusufalikechery/index.htm Interview with Yusaf Ali Kecheri] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222004903/https://video.webindia123.com/interviews/musician/yusufalikechery/index.htm |date=22 December 2019 }} {{National Film Award Best Lyrics}} {{Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kechery, Yusuf Ali}} Category:1934 births Category:Indian male songwriters Category:Indian songwriters Category:Indian Muslims Category:Malayalam poets Category:Malayalam-language lyricists Category:Writers from Thrissur district Category:Kerala State Film Award winners Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award Category:2015 deaths Category:Screenwriters from Kerala Category:20th-century Indian musicians Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Category:Film musicians from Kerala Category:20th-century Indian poets Category:Indian lyricists Category:20th-century Indian male writers Category:Best Lyrics National Film Award winners Category:20th-century Indian male musicians