Homi Bhabha — a legend lives on

Source - http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2008103050161500.htm&date=2008/10/30/&prd=seta&

Homi Bhabha — a legend lives on

He enunciated a three-stage nuclear programme to meet the energy security of the nation

— Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Exemplary: He was a multifaceted personality — scientist, visionary and institution builder.

Homi Jehangir Bhabha was a multifaceted personality — scientist, visionary and institution builder. He was born on October 30, 1909 in an illustrious family with a long tradition of learning and service to the country.

His father was Jehangir Hormusji Bhabha, a well known lawyer and mother was Meheren. Bhabha was exposed to fine arts, music and painting, which moulded his artistic traits.

Bhabha was an intelligent, hard working and sincere student. After finishing schooling, Bhabha’s parents sent him to Cambridge University, U.K. for higher education in mechanical engineering.

Burning desire

They had dreams of Bhabha becoming a successful engineer but, in 1928 he wrote to his father “…I seriously say to you that business or a job as an engineer is not the thing for me… I am burning with a desire to do physics... I earnestly implore you to let me do physics…”

In response, his father assured him support for further studies in theoretical physics, provided he completed his mechanical engineering.

In 1930, Bhabha completed mechanical engineering in first class and his father supported extended stay for the degree in physics. This is an example of the respect Bhabha had for his parents to pursue what they wanted him to do but, not compromising on his passion for physics.

After completing his degree in 1932, Bhabha continued his research at Cambridge University. His first paper appeared in 1934, based on theoretical explanation of shower production in cosmic rays.

Bhabha scattering

His name is associated with Bhabha scattering, which involves relativistic exchange scattering of electrons and Bhabha-Heitler theory, dealing with production of electron and positron showers in cosmic rays.

Thus, it was no surprise that at an young age of 31, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, London. Bhabha rubbed shoulders with great physicists like Bohr, Pauli, Dirac, Cockcroft and others, who later became Nobel Laureates.

This period was crucial for Bhabha for capacity building and leadership qualities.

Bhabha was on vacation during 1939, when the Second World War broke out and he could not go back abroad to continue his research. He then joined the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, as a Reader in the Department of Physics, headed by Sir C. V. Raman and set up a cosmic ray research unit.

Raman had great admiration for Bhabha and at the Nagpur Indian Academy meeting in 1941, while introducing Bhabha, said “… Bhabha is a great lover of music, a gifted artiste, a brilliant engineer and an outstanding scientist… He is the modern equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci…”

It was from Bangalore in 1944, Bhabha wrote his historical letter to the Tata Trust for support in setting up a centre for research work in nuclear science, which could play a central role in the development of nuclear energy.

This was just two years after 1942, when the first experimental demonstration of a nuclear reactor was made in the U.S.

All the more so, the country was still under the British rule and industrially undeveloped. There was a clear similarity in vision between the great Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata and Bhabha with respect to the need for education, scientific research and human resource development for economic prosperity.

Based on this letter, the Tata Trust supported him in setting up a laboratory at Kenilworth, Bombay.

TIFR founded

Subsequently, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was founded and large scale research in physics, chemistry, electronics and mathematics commenced.

Thus, Bhabha had converted the difficulty of not going back abroad to a great opportunity of setting up of front ranking research facilities within the country.

Bhabha was instrumental in the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1948 and the Department of Atomic Energy in 1954 and he chalked out a focussed research and minerals exploration programmes for nuclear energy.

Way back in 1950s

He was such a visionary that he had realized the importance of a nuclear power programme way back in the 1950s, and enunciated a three-stage nuclear programme to meet the energy security of the nation.

It consisted of utilization of natural uranium, plutonium and abundant thorium resources in thermal, fast and advanced nuclear reactors with closed fuel cycle.

He also had a balanced perspective on the role of other energy resources such as coal, oil and solar.

A significant factor that contributed for the growth of nuclear sciences and its applications was Bhabha’s rapport with the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who reposed complete confidence in him.

Great synergy

This was possible because Bhabha had the deserving credentials and his passion matched that of Nehru’s vision for a modern India.

There was a great synergy in thinking between Nehru and Bhabha with respect to industrialization and scientific research, evolving hand-in-hand.

Bhabha gave utmost importance to the development of quality human resources. The commencement and continuation of BARC Training School for the scientific manpower over the last 50 years is a real tribute to Bhabha’s foresight on quality manpower.

Bhabha, a person of perfection, purpose and excellence, ensured these qualities in all his endeavours viz., research, management, buildings and environment.

His total conviction, never-accepting mediocrity, never compromising on excellence, meeting the challenges head-on with confidence made him a unique personality.

Bhabha was a great scientific manager and followed the mantra of ‘the right man for the right job.’

Many awards

Bhabha received many prestigious national and international awards and recognitions. In 1954, he was conferred the Padma Bhushan for outstanding contributions to nuclear science. In 1955, he was elected the President of the first International Conference on the ‘Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy’, organized by the U.N. at Geneva.

At a young age of 56, Bhabha suddenly passed away in 1966 due to a plane crash in Switzerland.

A vibrant and robust organization, that he had left behind with many signal achievements in nuclear science and technology as well as a dedicated and talented pool of human resources, bears testimony to the visionary zeal of Bhabha.

His life was an example for all of us, which stood for ‘deserve, desire and demonstrate.’

BALDEV RAJ

& G. AMARENDRA

IGCAR, Kalpakkam

Tamil Nadu

Celebrating Bharatam

Source - http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/01/09/stories/2009010951200600.htm

SRI THYAGA BRAHMA GANA SABHA

Celebrating Bharatam

RUPA SRIKANTH

A panel of distinguished dancers brought out many unknown facts about Bharatanatyam.

Photo: M. Vedhan

Informative: (From left) Jayanthi Subramaniam, Nandini Ramani, B.M. Sundaram, Adyar K. Lakshmanan and Indira Rajan at the Symposium.

A discussion on ‘Aesthetic Purpose of Bharatanatyam’ led by eminent music and dance scholar, Thanjavur B.M. Sundaram, with a panel of distinguished practitioners such as gurus Adyar Lakshman, Indira Rajan, Nandini Ramani and Jayanthi Subramaniam last Sunday, turned out to be a very lively and informative one. It was organised by Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha and as the secretary said, “It is through symposiums like this that sabhas educate the art world.”

The discussion began with the name of the dance form, Bharatanatyam, which is supposed to have come into being when Sadir was ‘renamed’ in the 1930s by social activist E. Krishna Iyer and others.

This was contested by B.M.Sundaram who says the name Bharatanatyam was in usage much before that. His earliest reference is from a book by Raghaviah Chari dated 1806 that says, ‘The dance of the Devadasis is called Bharatanatyam.’ He also quoted Pudukottai Ammalu, a famous devadasi, whose descendants are his neighbours in Thanjavur. A letter was found in her belongings that read, “... I went to Ramanathapuram to dance Bharatham.”

One more clarification came from the musicologist, this time about the name of nritta pieces- according to him, sequences ending with ‘thadinginathom’ adavus are theermanams and those ending with ‘kitathakatharikitathom’ are jatis.

Discussion moved to the performance arena and Guru Lakshman was emphatic that the Thanjavur Quartet-streamlined margam was still the best way to plan a programme. It allowed the dancer to unveil her skill in stages. He also underlined the role of music in dance and quoted the famous abhinaya-exponent Balasaraswathi who believed that a musician’s ‘kalpana’ should not be hindered.

Balamma’s style

Balamma’s style was to allow the music to soak in before the dance began. She would have the musicians sing the pallavi once and begin her dance only in the second repetition. Senior dance critic and student of the abhinaya maestro, Nandini Ramani, said that veteran Guru Kandappa Pillai, Balamma’s guru, introduced Thiruppugazh singing during the Alarippu. There were many who did not approve, but it found acceptance in time.

Guru Indira had an explanation for this change of heart. She feels that singing alongside in the Alarippu has gained acceptance because sollus are no more sung like before but recited. She had an opinion on the sancharis - she feels that the simple ‘kai’ is enough to explain the sahitya especially in a varnam, though she admitted she too includes stories to maintain audience interest. And what about nritta? The panel agreed that bhava cannot be incorporated into pure dance, but dancer Jayanthi Subramaniam wanted exceptions to be made in special cases such as ‘Ravana Pravesham’ or an equivalent keeping ‘ouchithyam’ or appropriateness in mind. Jayanthi also made a point about executing adavus in their proper manner.

The experts also agreed on the futility of dancers coming on stage to render explanations. Some felt it was wrong to submit the rasikas to watch the mime twice over. Another opinion was stronger, ‘The dancer is not educating the public; she is brainwashing them!’ The alternative? Print pamphlets or announce from the wings... Nandini went a step further, “The greatest thing about Bharatanatyam is that it should communicate without words. Why not elevate the audience by dancing with feeling?”

Anecdotes

Besides the animated discussion, B.M.Sundaram’s anecdotes about the devadasis he met and about the legendary nattuvanar Pandanallur Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, to whom he is related, were most interesting.

He related an instance about the nattuvanar’s star student, Pandanallur Jayalakshmi. During one of her recitals, the guru sitting in the audience thought of a new theermanam. This he communicated to Chockalingam Pillai who was handling the nattuvangam on stage. When Sundaram questioned the wisdom of a new, unrehearsed theermanam, the guru brushed it aside. The new sollus were recited; there was a moment’s discomfort on the dancer’s face. In a few seconds she caught on and understood the sequence to follow. When she finished, the guru turned to Sundaram and said, ‘See, thats my Jayam!’

There was another tale, this time about a devadasi from the Tirunelveli district, Shanmugha Vadivu Amma, whom Sundaram met to collect material for his books. She was an old woman with a crinkled face drying her wet sari outside a very modest dwelling. She turned when addressed, and Sundaram was struck by her expressive eyes... ‘Who are you,’ they asked. ‘I am not free, go away. Come later!’ The whole conversation took place without a word being uttered. This is the depth of our cultural ancestry where such artists live unsung, in obscurity.

Transcending reality

Source --http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/09/12/stories/2008091250730300.htm

Transcending reality

DAVID SHULMAN

The staging of ‘Ashokavanikangam’ proved to be a unique, evocative experience for teachers and students of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

What happens on the stage is so thick with associations, layers of meaning, memories, dramatic action...

Team work:Koodiyattam is a complex interactive work utilising the synergy of actors, drummers and the spectators who put their own imaginations to play .

It was in many ways an exquisitely unique experience. For 15 nights we, the teachers and students of Sanskrit and Malayalam from Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and one actor and playwright from New York watched the unfolding of the single act ‘ ;Ashokavanikangam’ from Shaktibhadra’s play ‘Ascharya-chudamani’ in the Koodiyattam tradition of Ammannur, with Margi Madhu taking the lead, primarily in the role of Ravana. Madhu embodied gracefulness, precision, fined-tuned sensitivity and an astonishing richness of feeling and imagination.

Synergy

But Koodiyattam, is not the work of a single performer but rather a complex interactive work utilising the synergy of actors, drummers and the spectators who put their own imaginations to play in the space opened up by the performers on stage. Over these 15 nights, our own sensibility deepened and expanded.

We felt that Koodiyattam is an art of great intricacy and complexity, at times reaching levels of perception and emotion that are far beyond any ordinary intellection.

Koodiyattam, at times, is thought of as a ‘slow’ art form with each night’s performance lasting between two to four hours.

But, in our experience, the time involved was actually short, indeed too short, a mere 50 hours or so.

What happens on the stage is so thick with associations, layers of meaning, memories, dramatic action, allusions, inter-textual references, segments of text, the expressivity of abhinaya and laya, and sheer visual wonder, that our attention was fully engaged throughout and the time passes very rapidly.

Saktibhadra’s play is named after the Chudamani jewel that Sita was given by sages in the forest. The jewel allows its bearer to distinguish whoever he or she touches in their true form or true self. Thus, when Ravana, who has turned himself into a Maya-Rama, attempts to touch the kidnapped Sita the Chudamani dispels the deceptive surface and reveals his true nature.

Theme

This theme of piercing the veil of surface reality and seeing through to a deeper truth is also enacted by the Koodiyattam style itself, which brings the hidden recesses of the mind and the heart into a very tangible, visible form. Within this strangely intensified space flitting between the future and the past, a reality is allowed to emerge that resists the usual, somewhat trivial questions such as: Is this true (or false)? How true? Is there illusion operating in our minds as we watch? Where are we, inside the drama or outside it? And so on.

This particular dramatic reality, a glimpse into the world of the gods slowly materialising before our eyes, is probably never achieved in Western drama. Except, maybe in ancient Greek tragedy where the god Dionysus sat in the midst of the audience as the prime spectator. It is also something quite different from the classical (Kashmiri) modes of analysis of Abhinavagupta and rasa theory.

Koodiyattam is a profoundly serious medium requiring the utmost discipline of its performers and its spectators, but it also is replete with moments of humour, direct and highly accessible dramatic events, and a recurrent lightness of touch and heart. Over the 15 nights, there was a constant accumulation of emotional and cognitive experience, a kind of ripening into a state of lucid receptivity. We witnessed a performance mode that in some ways goes back to the earliest levels of Sanskrit drama as recorded in the ‘Natyashastra,’ but in other ways has cut itself free from the ancient theoretical norms and has evolved its own highly charged system in which the actor’s freedom to improvise and play is central.

Indeed, this degree of freedom, within the strong visual and aural language and meticulous training demanded by the tradition, is perhaps unparalleled in other, more modern forms of theatre.

(The author is a Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.)

Sridhar Will Live on ....

Source- http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/10/24/stories/2008102451180600.htm

Sridhar will live on …

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

Those with a penchant for healthy humour and classy romance will always remember him.

Photos By Special Arrangement.

CONNOISSEUR OF MUSIC: Sridhar and (right) With musician Balamuralikrishna recording the song ‘Thanga Radham…’ for Kalaikkovil.

The boat with two figures and the flag bearing the name Chitralaya flying aloft … C.V. Sridhar’s banner at the beginning of a film was enough to tell the audience that a worthy fare awaited them. More than four decades ago, when chaste Tamil was the language of the screen and social themes in a natural milieu were rare, came a young man who ushered in a new and appealing trend in filmmaking. And for the first time a star struck audience sat up and took notice of a director and the technical crew!

The first film under his Chitralaya banner was ‘Thaen Nilavu,’ with Gemini Ganesan and Vyjayanthimala. And when the beauty of Kashmir, where he had shot the film failed to woo the audience, he gave them a story on just a single set — ‘Nenjil Oru Aalayam’ and ‘Dil Ek Mandir’ in Hindi, and both turned out to be runaway hits. His stories were strong and his treatment ever fresh.

Sridhar began his film career as story and dialogue writer of ‘Rathapaasam’ and was catapulted to success with his first directorial venture, ‘Kalyana Parisu’ — a bi-lingual in Tamil and Telugu, both blockbusters. A love story with well etched characters played by Gemini Ganesan, Saroja Devi and Vijayakumari, ‘Kalyana Parisu’ had excellent performances from the cast.

Looking back, very few have dealt with romance, particularly, triangular and unrequited, in its various dimensions as Sridhar has.

Triangular love

Beginning with ‘Kalyana Parisu,’ be it ‘Nenjil Oru Aalayam,’ ‘Avalukkendru Oru Manam,’ ‘Nenjirukkum Varai,’ or ‘Ilamai Oonjaladugirathu,’ the basic strand of the story was three-sided love. But his story and treatment for each were amazingly different. And he tried out unique genres — ‘Nenjam Marapadhillai’ is a classic example. And without exception, the creations spelt class.

The serious storyteller who came out with excellent narratives was also a connoisseur of music. With M.S. Viswanathan’s scintillating compositions as bolstering factors films such as ‘Policekaaran Magal’ and ‘Kalaikkovil’ have gained immortality.

Then you have the ever-popular Ilaiyaraja numbers for ‘Ninaivellam Nithya’ — the launch pad of Gemini Ganesan’s daughter Gee Gee. You can go on and on …

Sridhar introduced a host of noteworthy actors to the Tamil screen, even as he directed giants such as Sivaji Ganesan and MGR. From Jayalalitha and Kanchana to ‘Vennira Adai’ Murthy and many more, his finds exemplify his acumen for talent spotting.

Healthy humour was also Sridhar’s strong point. Decades may pass but the comedy element even in a serious story such as ‘Nenjil Oru Aalayam’ remains unforgettable.

Nagesh’s fun fare in the film with Manorama, juxtaposed with the staid and sedate performances of Devika, Muthuraman and Kalyan Kumar, weren’t just a comic relief but an evergreen treat.

And who can forget the humour ride Sridhar offered with ‘Kadhalikka Naeramillai?’ The carnival feel and gaiety, the freshness of the cast, the hill station back drops in Eastman colour and the comedy that every actor projected so well, with Nagesh and T.S. Balaiah at the helm in ‘Kadhalikka Naeramillai’ will live as long as Tamil cinema does!

Even today the Thangavelu-M.Saroja track in ‘Kalyana Parisu’ is a stress reliever you can recall and enjoy!

None can say Sridhar is no more — the auteur will live forever through his films. Those familiar with the wealth of his repertoire will vouchsafe for the fact that he’s a winner nonpareil!

A land of idyll

SOURCE -http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/12/08/stories/2008120850790300.htm

A land of idyll

Holiday Forests, waterfalls, a palace and even a tiger safari, Shimoga offers something for everyone

Nature’s bountyAt Jog Falls

Sparsely populated is not a word one associates with any part of the Indian sub-continent. Yet, driving to Agumbe, on the road that leads to Mangalore, those were the words that came to mind.

“Where have all the people gone?”- we asked ourselves. Rural Shimoga was identifiably Indian, yet curiously not. Bamboo groves, paddy fields, arecanut plantations followed one another, with an occasional small village that ended almost as soon as it began. Everywhere, there was an overdose of green.

Agumbe is known for its magnificent sunsets, word of which had lured us from our homestay, 60 km away, near Mandagadde village.

“The sunsets are superb; from the view-point, you can see all the way to the sea at Mangalore,” the husband told me excitedly, remembering what friends had told him.

Whether or not this was true, we could not say, for while the sunset was a spectacular explosion of light, the evening fog was heavy and did not allow us to see beyond a few hills in the distance.

For the devout, Tirthahalli (62 km from Shimoga town), is fairly close to Agumbe and home to the well-known Sri Rameshwara temple.

We got too late while returning from Agumbe to visit the temple, but did manage to verify that Tirthahalli serves up some fairly good road-side chaat!

We returned to our base at Mandagadde, where we were staying at the Inchara Homestay, a family-run place, with a few guest rooms on the home-and-plantation property. Inchara, we learnt, means the sound of birds, an apt name for a place where you can wake up to the raucous cries of peacocks and the sweet voices of other birds, unknown to city-dwellers.

Our hosts, Uncle Ramesh and Aunty Chandra allowed us to roam around their plantation and plied us with home-made food, including delectable kadabus, akki rotis and the distinctive beans-and-coconut curry native to this part of Karnataka.

Wild encounters

Mandagadde

In this pristine corner of the Western Ghats, walking around necessarily involves encounters with leeches and spider-webs larger than human arm-spans.

Mandagadde is known for its bird sanctuary, where migratory birds crossing to Europe are known to land. Sadly, September-end, when we visited, is not on their calendar.

Our local driver informed us that December and January is when they flock here. The sanctuary is small, but home to a lake where boat-rides are available. Seeing only a solitary bird in the distance, we decided to skip the ride and head on to Shimoga town instead, an hour’s drive away.

Driving in from the countryside, Shimoga’s arrival is something of a surprise. One moment you are driving through fabulous views of groves, fields and the backwaters of the Gajanur dam; the next minute, what appears to be a regular town with all its attendant noise is upon you.

While there, we called up a friend who belongs to the region, and mentioned that we were searching for the Shivappa Nayaka Palace, a visit our host had recommended. “Palace!” he exclaimed and burst into laughter.

This told us that the palace did not figure on most visitors’ agenda, something confirmed when we got there and realised that we were the only tourists at the time.

The word ‘palace’ may be too grand a name for what is essentially a two-storeyed wooden structure with inner courtyard and rooms; but, this 400-year old erstwhile princely home has been put to good use by the ASI and deserves more visitors. The palace and its spacious lawns have been converted into a museum housing a splendid collection of Hindu and Jain idols, found at different sites in Shimoga district.

Another attraction in Shimoga is the Tyarekoppa lion and tiger safari although the big cats look bored and inured to human society.

Shimoga district offers more, in a something-for-everyone kind of way; the well-known Jog falls continues to attract many tourists, while Honnemardu is for the new kind of Indian traveller — adventurous and physically active.

As for us, we boarded the train back to Bangalore, certain that we had not seen the last of this verdant land.

APARNA V. SINGH

Song of real India

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Song of real India

ANJANA RAJAN

The classes and the masses meet in our films. From Begum Akhtar to M.S. Subbulakshmi, melody has known no barrier.

Akhtari Bai’s first film, “Ek Din Ka Badshah,” was directed by Tahir Hussain.

Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

A Classic is forever :Noted film director Muzaffar Ali (second left) with Jyoti Sabharwal (left), publisher Stellar, Prof. Rita Ganguly, musician, and Pawan Verma, Director General, ICCR, releasing the book ‘Ae Mohabbat… Reminiscing Begum Akhtar,’ in New Delhi.

When it comes to ghazal fans, there are those who swear by Begum Akhtar and then those who prefer the more modern version, as represented by, say, Pankaj Udhas, Hariharan and Ghulam Ali.

Over the decades, as melody and instrumentation embroidered the poetry, critics of the metamorphosing ghazal felt it was entering the realm of film music. And Begum Akhtar was hailed as the epitome and the bastion of classicism.

Indeed the divide between classical and ‘filmi’ music is quite entrenched, to the extent that when classical singers even sing playback for films, it is considered an event. But, as the recently released biography of Begum Akhtar, “Ae Mohabbat… Reminiscing Begum Akhtar,” penned by her disciple Rita Ganguly, shows, the Mallika-e-Ghazal herself spent a considerable part of her career as a film actress-singer as well as a theatre star.

Begum Akhtar was not the only singer of her time to blaze across the silver screen. M.S. Subbulakshmi not only starred in “Meera” in Tamil and in its Hindi remake “Bhakta Meera”, but also captured hearts in the title role of “Sakuntalai”, a Tamil film based on the story of Shakuntala, in which her co-star was the eminent Carnatic vocalist G.N. Balasubramaniam (see picture below). Her other films were “Sevasadanam” and “Savitri”

Another set of legends of classical music — vocalist Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, violin maestro Mysore T. Chowdiah and mridangam vidwan Palghat Mani Iyer — acted in a film called “Vani”, recalls an old-timer.

“Begum and films”

Ganguly, who has been assiduously keeping the memory of her guru alive over 33 years — this event marks the 34th — promises that while this year her birth anniversary celebrations focused on the book release, next year the focus will be “Begum and films”. The process has already begun though.

Film personalities like Muzaffar Ali, Naseeruddin and Ratna Pathak Shah, Sushma Seth and others were present at the book launches in various cities.

From the days when singers feared they would lose their life as the air of their lungs would be sucked out by the recording machines of a studio, to today’s reality shows where youngsters across the country vie for recording contracts, India’s singing industry has come a long way.

In the book, brought out by Stellar Publishers, Ganguly relates with interesting and compassionate detail the journey of her guru from being the daughter of a ‘respectable’ Saiyyad family — whose love for music so distressed her mother — to Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, and then to Begum Akhtar.

Akhtari Bai signed a contract with Corinthian Theatre for Rs.300 a month. She made her theatre debut with “Nai Dulhan”, a new production of the well known scriptwriter Agha Munshi. The play had music composed by Jhande Khan, who later entered the Bombay film industry.

Renowned for having composed 62 completely distinct songs in a single raga — Bhairavi — he was later famous for his hit songs for the film “Chitralekha” based on the novel by Bhagwati Charan Verma.

It was surely the distilled classical training that produced such masters and their masterpieces. The song Akhtari Bai opened with in that first play was in Soheeni, a dawn melody, a raga she had learnt under Ata Khan’s rigorous methodology.

Akhtari Bai’s first film, “Ek Din Ka Badshah”, was directed by Tahir Hussain. She sang seven songs in the film. Her other films included “Ameena”, “Mumtaz Begum”, “Roop Kumari”, “Jawani Ka Nasha”, “Naseeb Ka Chakkar “and “Anaarbala”, all made, the book tells us, between 1934 and 1940 by East India Films of Calcutta. Her last film was “Roti”.

While the films of yesteryear did not require the singers to materially change their musical style, film music today is a genre of its own.

The ‘purists’ feel the form gets diluted in the popular medium. “I don’t think so,” says Ganguly. “One has to understand, anything that has reached a classical status cannot be harmed by a little experimentation. The ghazals which Ammi sang as Akhtari Bai Faizabadi and what she sang in the 1960s were different. A healthy change is very important in a classical form.”

Healthy change

The very fact that youngsters are singing ghazals today, she points out, shows this healthy change. “We often make the mistake that something classical has to be very difficult,” she remarks. “Something which has rules, which has a science, which has seen the test of time — it is classical.”

Therefore, she concludes, “Any classical form is in no danger whatsoever from any experiment.” Besides, the oral tradition which is a part of Indian culture ensures that things change even as they are preserved. “That’s how our Vedas survived.”

And if audiences can’t recognise a thumri but can sway to the same song when Madhuri Dixit skips along with it, so be it. “There is no need to tell them, if they are liking it, that it is a thumri or a ghazal. Why should they know it?”

In tune with tradition, Rita Ganguly too appeared in Pradeep Sarkar’s “Parineeta”. But her parting anecdote somehow brings the divide back into focus.

Once, recounts Ganguly, she performed in Bihar. The audience was 35,000-strong. To ‘balance’ the effect of classical music, the organisers had invited a film band to perform too! “I was about to leave. But my musicians said, at least sing for a while. We will be paid.” So she relented. But the moment she began singing, the crowd was in raptures, remembering an old album of hers featuring thumris and dadras and making requests. “I thought they were hooting, but they were not. I was so happy. You see, this TV and all is available only in a few metros.”

Welcome, then, to the melody of real India.

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Of tragic lives and loves - Eugene O’Neill

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Playwrights Parade

Of tragic lives and loves

RANDOR GUY

American dramatist Eugene O’Neill’s plays, mostly autobiographical, are dark worlds full of agony and despair.

Inspired Hollywood: Eugene O’Neill and (right) his play, Long Day’s Journey into Night.

Eugene O’Neill (1886-1953) was a celebrated American playwright of Irish origin. Most of his inimitable works have been made into films by Hollywood, which gave his plays an international exposure.

Some of these films have become classics and are studied as lessons in converting stage plays into the celluloid medium.

His body of work was mainly autobiographical, dealing with the tragic lives and loves of his family.

His father, a famous stage star of his day, was more interested in perfecting his art and so neglected the family.

Readers can feel the despair, frustration, impotent anger and agony in his writings. . He sought relief in alcohol, which only pushed him deeper into problems, which were reflected in his plays.

His most famous work, ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night,’ also autobiographical, was brought on to the screen by noted filmmaker Sidney Lumet, and became a classic.

In it, Katherine Hepburn played the mother, whose tragic life was laced with drugs and alcohol. Lumet, a brilliant technician, used an excellent metaphor to convey her slow descent into despair and mental degeneration.

Nobel prize

In 1936, O’Neill received the Nobel prize for Literature. His plays were among the first to introduce to American drama the techniques of realism, associated with great playwrights such as Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, and August Strindberg. His plays were also among the first to have used the American style of speech.

His plays revolve around characters on the fringes of society, engaged in depravity, while trying to maintain their hopes and aspirations, but ultimately sinking into disillusionment and despair.

O’Neill wrote only one comedy ‘Ah, Wilderness!’ O’Neill spent several years at sea, during which he suffered from depression and alcoholism.

His parents and elder brother Jamie (an alcoholic, who drank himself to death at age 45) died within three years of one another, and he took to writing as an escape. His deep love for the sea became a major theme in most of his plays.

O’Neill was married three times. His daughter Oona married Charlie Chaplin against his wishes. (Oona was 18 and Chaplin, 54). He promptly disowned her and never saw her again.

The films based on his plays include, ‘Anna Christie’ (1930 with Greta Garbo, a classic), ‘Strange Interlude’ (1932), ‘Emperor Jones’ (1933, with Paul Robeson) and ‘Summer Holiday’ (1948, a musical version of his play ‘Ah Wilderness’ directed by Rouben Mamoulian with Mickey Rooney in the cast.)

Then there was ‘The Long Voyage Home’ (1940, a classic Western made by John Ford, it was an amalgam of four short plays of the dramatist. It had John Wayne in the lead and won several Oscars, including Best Picture).

After that came ‘Mourning Becomes Electra’ (1948, it was the modern version of the immortal Sophocles play and had, Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave and Kirk Douglas in the cast.) Next came ‘Desire Under The Elms’(1958, Sophia Loren and Tony Perkins were in the cast).

O’Neill died in Boston, on November 27, 1953, at the age of 65.

His final words, reportedly, were “Born in a hotel room, and God damn it, died in one!”

Treasure trove of history - Hanumankonda

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INSIDE STORY

Treasure trove of history

LAKSHMI SHARATH

Heritage A trip to the cradle of the Kakatiya dynasty

Photo: M. Murali

Rich architecture The 1,000-pillar temple

It is like Hyderabad and Secunderabad,” says my driver, Salim interrupting my reverie as we enter Hanumakonda. Warangal, the town’s twin, is less than 10 km away. My guide book says that Hanumakonda was the capital of the Kakatiyas before Warangal. The towns, however, merge with each other as you drive past the busy market road with retail brands jostling for space.

Hoardings scream for attention, but I hardly see any heritage relevance. Huge sacks of onions and potatoes are being piled up in the local grocery shops. It is nowhere close to the idyllic historic town that I had painted in my mind.

The Kakatiyas were ancient rulers of today’s Andhra Pradesh and some historians refer to the period somewhere in the middle of the 7th Century where Hieun Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim has referred to the kingdom of Danakaktiya.

However, early records show them as feudal lords of the Western Chalukyas around the 10th Century.

The beginning

The reign probably starts with Betaraja 1, followed by his descendants, Prola Raja1 and Thirubhuvanamalla Beta 11. Hanumakonda, which was secured as a grant by Prola Raja 1 from the Western Chalukyas, was the capital of the dynasty which had just started establishing itself.

There is history at the end of every street. Salim stops in front of a lane that and we follow him. The narrow congested lane leads to the Veyyi Stambhala Gudi, better known as the 1,000-pillar temple, built in the 12th Century. The temple is now under renovation.

A local said the temple has been under renovation for a while now and that a mandapam with over 400 pillars has been dismantled. Many wells were discovered here and it is believed that the temple may have been built on water, and taken more than 70 years to build.

The ASI board gave us more information. The temple built by Rudra Deva 1 or Prataparudra in 12th Century was dedicated to the deities, Shiva,Vishnu and Surya.

The pillars graced the mantapa and the area between the main shrine and the mantapa was a pavilion for a massive nandi.

The priest explains: “The Kakatiyas wanted the first rays of the sun to fall on the Linga. So, while his shrine faces east, the others face South and West. The Nandi looks Eastward.”

We move on towards Warangal and arrive at the Bhadrakali temple in Hanumakonda en route to old Warangal.

The priest tells us that the patron deity of the Kakatiyas is goddess Kakati. A town called Kakatipura was the earliest fiefdom, even before Hanumakonda. It is assumed that Kakatipura is present-day Warangal.

We proceed to the old town that even Marco Polo has written about in his travels.

Academy keeps a promise

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Academy keeps a promise

V. SRIRAM

The Music Academy and the Tag Corporation have embarked on a unique exercise of making a rich collection available for listening. The digital library opens today.

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The collection has been built up by Mr. Chari over three decades.

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Photos: V. Ganesan

BOON to music LOVERS: The entrance to the library (below) and the interior with Rajam’s painting adorning the wall.

Eighty years after its founding, the Music Academy is fulfilling one of its original objectives – that of forming and maintaining a library of music. With the inauguration of the TAG Digital Listening Archives at the Music Academy, Carnatic music rasikas will have a treasure trove of music at their disposal, all available at the touch of a finger on an electronic screen at the Music Academy premises.

Over the years, the Music Academy has steadily built up its archives. Recordings include concerts held under its auspices, lecture-demonstrations and speeches. In addition several private collections, including most notably, that of The Hindu’s G. Narasimhan’s, which was perhaps one of India’s finest, have been donated to the Academy.

But these have never been available to the public except for a brief while in the 1980s when through an arrangement with a private label, excerpts of concerts during the season used to be released as commercial tapes.

Of course, recordings of Music Academy concerts of various stalwarts have regularly done the rounds among music collectors and some are also available on the internet.

Past committees of the Academy have regularly spoken of their intention to get on with cataloguing and digitising the collection, but it is only now that intentions are being translated into action.

The process begins

The process of converting into digital format of around 6,000 hours of music has begun at the Music Academy.

Coinciding with this is the decision of R.T. Chari of Tag Corporation, to make available through the Music Academy to the public, around 6,000 hours of music available in his collection. These comprise 2,000 hours of music by late maestros, 1,500 hours of music by senior artists of today, 1,000 hours of performance by junior artists, 1,000 hours of special thematic concerts organised by Mr. Chari and others and 500 hours of lecture demonstrations.

None of these are commercially available recordings. The collection has been built up by Mr. Chari over three decades and comprises recordings of programmes he has organised and also recordings that he has sourced from other collectors.

The Music Academy and the Tag Corporation have embarked on a unique exercise for making this music available for listening.

The erstwhile exhibition space in the Academy premises, which used to house an art gallery, has been made over to the archives. In an aesthetically done up listening chamber, ten touch screen kiosks link up to a central server which houses all the music. The entire set of equipment, costing around Rs.15 lakhs, has been donated by Ramu Endowments, a charitable trust run by Mr Chari and his brother R.V. Gopalan in the memory of their father.

All other facilities, by way of furniture and lighting, costing a further amount of Rs.10 lakhs, have also been donated by Tag Corporation. The data-entry and digitisation have been done by employees of Tag Corporation.

User friendly

The software, created by Giri Trading, Chennai, allows for searches artist-wise and song-wise and provides details of raga, tala, composer and artist.

In addition, it allows listeners to select a full concert, opt for excerpts from a concert or build a bank of songs from various concerts by various artists and then listen to them, one by one.

The Academy has not yet made public the rules and regulations to be followed for usage of this listening archives. It is obvious that this will be a reference library with no downloading, copying or borrowing of music as such activities will be in violation of copyright laws.

To start with, around 1,000 hours of music will be made available. Further digitisation will go on till the middle of 2009 by which time, the entire Chari collection and the Music Academy’s archives will be in the server which has a capacity to hold around 15,000 hours of music. The Academy will enhance this capacity should the need arise.

The archives will be inaugurated by S. Rajam, artist, musician, musicologist and senior-most member of the Experts Committee of the Music Academy, today (December 12). The acting U.S. Consul General Frederick Kaplan will be the chief guest. Visitors to the Academy during the Music Season will be able to access the archives on an experimental basis. The listening facility is expected to be fully functional by February 2009.

A friendly staff will be in place to assist those who are unfamiliar with computer screens.

Visitors are welcomed by a large painting, executed by Rajam, depicting various composers through the ages. The air-conditioned area, with the portraits of the principal awardees of the Music Academy gazing benignly at the listeners, promises to become the gathering place for all Carnatic music lovers very soon.

And with Ariyakkudi, Musiri, MS and their likes singing into your ear literally, there is very little left to ask for!

(The author can be contacted at srirambts@gmail.com)

HIGHLIGHTS

• 6,000 hours of music to be made available by February, 2009

• 10 touch screen kiosks link up to a central server

•The software allows for search by artist and song

• Large painting of various composers by Rajam add value

• The software provides details of raga, tala, composer and artist’s details

• It allows listeners to select a full concert or just few songs

On the horns of an artistic dilemma

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On the horns of an artistic dilemma

SUGANTHY KRISHNAMACHARI

Koothu To pursue or not to pursue… is the theme of Purisai Sambandam’s new production.

Photos: S.S. Kumar

Delightful: Lakshman’s Dream being visualised.

The scene is a koothu school, where one of the pupils has decided to quit, because he sees no future in Koothu.

His friends persuade him to remain, for they have a show coming up.

The teacher (Purisai Sambandam) shows them how to perform as monkeys in Rama’s army. But even as he rehearses for the show, the teacher dies. The grief-stricken students gather round him. The boy, who is to play the role of Lakshmana (Cordis Paldano), has a dream, in which he battles Yama, the God of Death, and finally vanquishes him.

Substitute the teacher for art, koothu to be specific, and the symbolism comes alive in “Lakshman’s Dream, But Today We Are Playing Indrajit,” at the Alliance Francaise on September 13 and 14. It was presented by Indianostrum Theatre in association with Purisai Duraisamy Kannappa Thambiran Parambarai Therukoothu Manram.

More a nightmare

Lakshman’s dream is therefore more in the nature of a nightmare. He manages to save his art in his dream. But is it as easy in real life?

The inroads that modern life has made into traditional/folk art are indeed deep. Can the onslaught be stopped through commitment alone? What can we do to preserve our arts from being overtaken? These are questions the play addresses and concedes that it is not easy to get the answers.

What happens when tradition is diluted and even distorted? How can people be sensitised to the purity of art? Shown when intrusions happen inflicting crudity on style? This is where a play like “Lakshman’s Dream” comes in. It shows the dangers of making a mockery of traditional art, in the desire for popularity. And holds out hope. It is a wake up call to those who are complacent in the belief that nothing can substantially affect an art, simply because it is centuries old.

Student’s questions

The questions that the disgruntled student asks in the beginning of the play are just the sort every student of an art, whether classical music or classical dance, is bound to ask himself at some point in his life. Will his art put food on the table? Can he completely ignore material considerations? Should he continue practising his art at all? And what happens if there is no audience appreciation?

Delightful: Lakshman’s Dream being visualised.

Cordis Paldano’s Tamil diction was perfect. None would ever guess that he can’t speak Tamil. Aswini Kasi and Gowri’s singing of the songs “Vandaal Dhaanyamalini” and “Mannar mannar vanangum” was peppy. Vasanth as the angry student and Kumar as Indrajith played their roles with aplomb. Munuswamy as Yama danced delightfully.

Catch ‘Lakshman’s Dream…’ at Kalakshetra, September 27, 10.30 a.m.

Flight of a nightingale - Vasanthakokilam

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ENCORE

Flight of a nightingale

SRIRAM VENKATKRISHNAN

N.C. Vasanthakokilam’s music offered plenty to attract audiences. The voice was high-pitched and clear and she had a large repertoire of Tamil songs.

Courtesy: Sruti magazine

DULCET VOICED: N. C. Vasanthakokilam

The Hindu dated November 8, 1951, carries a small news item. Captioned “Death of Srimathi N.C. Vasanthakokilam” it states: “The death occurred of Srimathi N.C. Vasanthakokilam, the well-known South Indian musician, last evening at her residence in Gopalapuram. She was ailing for the past two weeks and was in a private nursing home till November 6. She was 32.”

The star had been suffering from tuberculosis and it was only a matter of time before death came a calling. On November 21, there was an even smaller news item. It stated that “at a meeting of the Indian Fine Arts Society held on November 10 under the presidentship of Mr. K.S. Ramaswami Sastri, a condolence resolution touching the death of Srimathi N.C. Vasanthakokilam was passed.” And with that, N.C. Vasanthakokilam was history. It was a very quiet farewell to a person who for some time was considered to be a leading Carnatic musician.

Named Kamakshi at birth, she was from Irinjalakkuda in present day Kerala. Her career however began in Nagapattinam where the family had relocated. Her father Chandrashekhara Iyer had placed her under the tutelage of ‘Jalar’ Gopala Iyer, an accompanist in Harikatha performances. In 1936, the family moved to Madras, when based on the encouragement given by film director K. Subrahmanyam, it was believed that young Kamakshi stood a good chance in films. Her name was changed to N.C. Vasanthakokilam (the nightingale in spring). ‘N’ was for Nagapattinam and ‘C’ of course was her father’s initial.

The film career of Vasanthakokilam’s is well documented and so this article looks at her Carnatic music performances. It was a time when Brahmin and other upper-caste women were just realising that a career awaited them on stage. C. Saraswathi Bai had shown the way as early as in 1908 and following her came Vai Mu Kothainayaki Ammal and D.K. Pattammal. It was a strange new world where men still played an important role in career management. The guru, the father or the husband had to be manager and chaperon. Vasanthakokilam came on sans any of these appurtenances. Her marriage had been a failure. In later years, she found a life-partner in a lawyer turned film-maker, CK Sathasivan, who was popularly known as Satchi. It was a tempestuous relationship that endured till her death.

Musician in demand

Almost the first big singing opportunity was at the Music Academy’s annual conference of 1938, presided over by Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar and declared open by the Yuvaraja of Mysore. The first prize in vocal music went to Vasanthakokilam. From then on, she became a musician in demand. While the Academy was her launch-pad, it was the Indian Fine Arts Society, with its long tradition of supporting women artistes, that gave her many concert opportunities. Yet another Sabha that featured her often was the Nellai Sangeetha Sabha in Tirunelveli.

Apart from the glamour of the silver screen that she brought with her, Vasanthakokilam’s music offered plenty to attract audiences. The voice was high-pitched and clear and was easily able to bring off brigas. She had a large repertoire and sang plenty of Tamil songs. She made several of Shuddhananda Bharatiyar’s songs famous. The Tamil Isai movement, gaining ground in the 1940s found in her a ready supporter. She was a regular at the festivals of the Tamil Isai Sangam. The Tyagaraja Aradhana also saw her perform each year between 1942 and 1951.

Perhaps remembering her own sacrifices in making it big, Vasanthakokilam was particularly encouraging of young women artists. She was so impressed with a girl whom she heard in the temple at Sholingur that she offered to teach her music. This disciple, Andal, would later make it big for a short while in playback singing. When PR Thilagam, a Tiruvarur-based artist sang, Vasanthakokilam gifted her a tambura.

Comparisons with MS

Her rise to the top coincided with that of another star – M.S. Subbulakshmi. Comparisons are odious but were perhaps inevitable in this case. Both had high voices. Both were recording successes and were given prominence in the advertisements for gramophone records. Both had men named Sadasivam in their lives though it must be admitted that Vasanthakokilam’s Satchi was no match to T. Sadasivam when it came to career management. Both acted in films and both had played the role of Naradar. If M.S. Subbulakshmi was felicitated in Kumbhakonam and given the title of Isai Vani, Vasanthakokilam also was at the same town and given the title Madhuragita Vani! Even today, there are many who swear that the stakes between the two were evenly poised, though by 1951, M.S. Subbulakshmi had gone far ahead in terms of public image and adulation.

But then, 32 is hardly an age to die and who knows, if only Vasanthakokilam had lived…

(The author can be contacted at srirambts@gmail.com)

Rich repository of kritis

Source -http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/04/06/stories/2007040600090300.htm

Rich repository of kritis

SULOCHANA PATTABHIRAMAN

In spite of his deep vidwath, Thiruvengadu Jayaraman sported a low profile and was never after opportunities, name, fame or lucre.

Thiruvengadu A. Jayaraman.

In recent months it can be said that Carnatic music has received several blows in the passing away of senior musicians — K.R. Kedharanathan, Vidhooshi T. Muktha, mridangam stalwart Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer and now Thiruvengadu A. Jayaraman.

Jayaraman who hails from Thiruvengadu near Sirkazhi in Tamil Nadu was born on September 6, 1933.

Extremely passionate about classical Carnatic music, he opted out of school after basic education.

Natural talent

Initiated into classical music at the age of 10 by Melattur Swaminatha Dikshitar, Jayaraman's natural talent and sensibilities were finely honed by none other than the redoubtable Madurai Mani.

He stayed with his guru for over 20 years as part of his gurukula vasam and increased his repertoire of kritis and absorbed all the finer nuances of Carnatic music. He provided vocal support to Mani Iyer in many concerts.

A performing artiste of All India Radio since 1958, Jayaraman was ranked as a Top Grade Artiste by Prasar Bharati.

He was featured in the national programmes and Sangeet Sammelan concerts. Organisations all over the country invited him to perform.

Jayaraman was a repository of a wide range of compositions by the Trinity, Sivan, Muthaiah Bhagavathar, Oothukkadu Venkatakavi, Arunachala Kavirayar, Muthu Thandavar, Marimutha Pillai, Swati Tirunal, Purandaradasa and so on.

Jayaraman was an authority on the compositions of the Siddhar fraternity and this scribe remembers him with gratitude for his contribution to her archival project of All India Radio where he sang a concert of rare `Siddhar Paadalgal.'

Jayaraman was a treasure house of virutham, largely comprising sage Agasthya's verses in Tamil and his soulful rendition created a serene atmosphere.

He never traded traditional values for glitz, glitter or glamour. Although he strode the path of Madurai Mani Iyer faithfully for decades, he also evolved his own style of musical expression with sruti alignment, involved singing and captivating sarvalagu kalpanaswara.

Following the practice of his guru, Jayaraman always included a Navagraha kriti of Dikshitar in his kutcheris. Jayaraman, in spite of his deep vidwat, sported a low profile and was never one to elbow his way seeking opportunities, name, fame or lucre. The vidwan was a great devotee of Devi and his deeply religious bent of mind was perhaps the reason why he was performing the aradhana of Tyagaraja at Thiruvaiyaru for several years.

Jayaraman was the recipient of many awards and titles including the Sangita Kala Praveena, Gana Kalanidhi, Dikshitha Kirtana Gana Mani, the Bodhaka award from the Music Academy, Chennai, and the national eminence award for excellence in fine arts from Sri Jayendra Saraswathi.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2005 was perhaps the ultimate recognition of this great vidwan.

He has trained many students who are being recognised in the performing sphere.

A vidwan of great dignity, Jayaraman maintained an impeccable sense of decorum on the concert stage.

Wonderful human being

In the demise of Tiruvengadu Jayaraman, I have lost my elder brother, and the entire musical fraternity, which held him in high esteem, has lost a gem of a musician who commanded respect as a great scholar, teacher, performer and as a wonderful person.

He came into our family fold when he was 14, (I was five years old then) and became the eldest son to my parents, preceding me so naturally and remained that way till his last breath. He was the stern, but caring elder brother to me and my younger sister.

He taught me cycling, swimming, etc., and groomed us as it were. We had such fun together during those days.

Jayaraman was a true `Guru Bhakta Shiromani' and his bhakti for my uncle Madurai Mani Iyer and my father T.S.Vembu Iyer and his loyalty and affection for my family were quite out of the world.

He was very orthodox, pious, had the courage of his own conviction, would never compromise on traditional values, was a conservative to the core and had no use for new fangled ways and ideas.

Jayaraman was totally devoted to Goddess Meenakshi.

My wife Vijayalakshmi, sister Shantha and myself were at his bedside singing "Meenakshi Me Mudam Dehi," a kriti he loved. We were told that he attained Her Lotus Feet peacefully just ten minutes after we left. A poignant end indeed!

To our family and to me personally, his passing away has left a vacuum that cannot be filled and a loss that cannot be compensated.

T.V.SANKARANARAYANAN