|
The three-year-old showed keen and sustained interest in rhythm and percussion. His celebrity mother used to chide him for the irritating and ceaseless tap-tap on anything flat. How was she to know then that her leftist son (he preferred his left hand for the taps) would soon play with Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in Jugalbandhi features? How could she foresee that her toddler would present an impressive lec-dem on 'Nuances of Mridangam for Dance' before illustrious personages including herself, adjudged the best that year (2000) twenty years after.
The son is Anirudha, the mother -- Padmashri Sudharani
Raghupathy, even now a performing Bharatanatyam celebrity and renowned guru whose dynamic choreography gains lustre by her son's sweet tap-taps, not on one, but three mridangams-
Triangam.
Yuva Kala Bharathi K S R Anirudha remembers with deep gratitude how it was the great scholar, art promoter, freedom fighter Kamaladevi Chattapadyay, who presented him with a number of skin instruments 23 years ago that gave him an affectionate, firm and dynamic push forward, pitchforking him into one of the youngest Kalaimamani award winners, this year.
Anirudha presents his biodata cogently without false modesty and in a matter-of-fact, straightforward manner. No problem, for he is a practising lawyer, a Master Of Law from the University of Madras. Wait, he blows his own conch too, the music producing wind instrument, though quaint! He writes poems in Tamil with 'laya'. He enhances the vahue of dance recitals with special effects through the use of Udukkai, Kanjira, metal bells and of course, the
Triangam!
Not yet convinced about this youngster's unique talents? Please ask AR Rahman (no adjectives needed) who released Anirudha's 'Ashtaruchi - an Octave of Emotions", an album conceived and played by him, well-supported by violin, impressing on the human ear eight representative emotions, with the help of Carnatic music. Rahman lauded it as a 'new concept wave'.
Well, Anirudha, anything more? 'Yes, 1 compose Jathis' for dance. 1 composed the soundscape (Jathi-rhythm-and lyrics) for fellow- Kalaimamani Anita Ratnam , the innovative dancer of international acclaim, who produced 'Vaitharani, Natyavyuham' and other such, that won wholesome audience appreciation.
Naturally, the Tamil Nadu Government conferred on him, on November 24 this year, the prestigious Kalaimamani Award. He is the youngest recipient for 2003 and one of the all-time youngest so far.
"I owe a lot to my guru Sangeetha Kalanidhi Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, who taught me the value of 'Naadham' (dhvani). Once when 1 was having some problem on stage with my instrument, Sivaraman Sir came on stage and corrected me duly. 1 have provided mridangam support for senior danseuses. Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Prof. Chitra Visveswaran, Sonal Mansingh, Jayant Kastuar (Secretary, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi), Anita Ratnam and, of course, my beloved mother Sudharani
Raghupathy".
The Raghupathy family is illustrious. Mother Sudharani has an impressive array of 'firsts'. But, that is material for another
lec-dem.
Mridangam is the king of drums and Anirudha, is the crown prince, today. In his award winning lec-dem at Krishna Gana Sabha, he had, in a scholarly fashion, traced the trials, tribulations, traverses and significance of this instrument in the past. Happily, he has not had frustrating reverses and his percussion journey has been smooth, promising much more for the future. Except on one occasion when Subbudu tore him to pieces-"The drummer spoiled the entire recital".
What about the future, then, Anirudha? "I can certainly practise with equal felicity, both Law and Laya. The genes of my mother, my ancestral lineage and God's grace, in the form of my gurus Padmabhushan Madurai N.Krishnan and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sivaraman Sir, will ensure for me, I feel, an eventful future: Sure enough, his mridangam helped him get a seat in the Law College for ML under the cultural quota. "My childhood taps are winning for me innumerable 'pats' today" - Anirudha smiles.
He says, "Parents should be strict and spend more time with their wards and keep them going on the right track."
But, Anirudha, if your mother had continued being strict with your annoying 'taps', you would not be where you are! Anirudha smiles and his deft fingers 'tap' on the table .rhythmically and naturally, happily. That was his reply.
R Srinivasan
18 A, Fourth Main Road,
RA Puram,
Chennai 600 028.
More
Features
|
