IF being down to earth had a name, local music sensation, melody king, Dhilip Varman, would be one of those individuals to fit in perfectly!
He never fancied titles or additional weight to lift him in the industry, as all he wanted to do was sing his heart out and create a lasting impact for listeners who enjoyed melodies.
However, it was only fitting for someone like Dhilip to be awarded a medal, especially to honour his tremendous contributions to the music industry in Malaysia.
Dhilip was conferred the Pingkat Kelakuan Terpuji (PKT) medal in conjunction with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang’s 84th birthday celebration during the state’s investiture ceremony at Dewan Sri Pinang on July 28.
Speaking to Buletin Mutiara after receiving the medal, Dhilip thanked the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, and the Penang government for the recognition.
He also mentioned a special thanks to the state Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu, who played a pivotal role in Dhilip being conferred with the PKT medal.
“This honour, I believe, is to recognise my music contribution to the country, and I am thankful for this,” Dhilip said.
Dhilip debuted in 2002 when he was offered a chance to sing in an album called ‘Rogkwave Naveenam’, and the song’s title is ‘Iru Kangal Pesum’.
Subsequently, he started working with notable directors in the Tamil industry in Malaysia, and sang several songs that gained instant hits, including ‘Uyirai Tholaithen’, ‘Meendum Meendum’, ‘Kanavellam Neethaney’ and many others.
Throughout his 20-year journey in the music industry, Dhilip has bagged numerous well-deserved awards.
Among the most recent ones were the Swami Vivekananthan Award 2025 and the Parambaraiya Kalaikalacharam Viruthu 2025.
Previously, he was conferred with the title of ‘Uprising Composer Ezhuzimigu Music’ by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam People Welfare from India (2022), ‘Kalaimaamani Award’, which is the highest civilian award in the state (2022), and many others.
In 2023, he won the ‘Popular Music Composer of 2023’ at the Astro Ulagam Award ceremony.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar