The following was hand written in Tamil on a piece of paper by my mother on the 16th of July, 1985 - six days before she left us eternally... I have preserved the paper all these 30 years and thought of presenting this through a Blog. I do not know what she had in mind when she wrote this. I saw it only after her demise...
Dated : 16.07.85
In
my school days, I have acted and sung in stage dramas. While learning Carnatic
music from Shri Kannan, the disciple of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, I dreamt
of becoming a notable Carnatic singer. Opportunities may come to fulfill life’s
ambitions but only when luck and favorable situations are present, they become
achievements. I never even dreamt of acting in radio plays as my ambition was
to become a singer.
From
1949 to 1956, I earned name and fame in Singapore Radio Malaysia as announcer,
newsreader, playwright, actor, producer of weekly women’s programs, and
presenter of listeners’ choice… During that period, in Singapore, my husband
Shri S.Ramanathan
(http://shawbrosramanathan.blogspot.in/) was working as a Director under the famous producers, the
Shaw Brothers. He had directed nearly thirty Malay films.
Due to the
encouragement, enthusiasm and co operation given by my husband, I not only took
part in Radio Malaysia but had also sung on stage in Malaysia. The artistes of
a Dance school named Bhasker’s Academy of Dance run by Shri Bhasker, performed
a Dance Drama, “Sakunthala”. I had the privilege to write and sing the songs
for this dance drama. My knowledge in Classical music helped me to make use of
this opportunity thus adding fame and honor to me again, in a field I loved
(music).
My
husband and I were invited by Indian Fine Arts Society in Singapore to act in
stage plays as they were impressed with our acting in the weekly Radio plays.
While
we were in Singapore, thousands of fans from Java, Sumatra, Indonesia and
Malaysia used to write letters to me. Their letters of appreciation and recognition
deepened my involvement with radio programs.
On
our return to Madras (Chennai) in 1956, I acted in several stage plays produced
by my husband and by Shri Suki Subramaniam and his son Shri MS Perumal.
From
1956 to till date:
In
All India Radio, I have been an Announcer, Regional Newsreader, played pivotal
characters in plays, produced radio
newsreel(radio seithi malar) and several plays –these are a few of the many
divisions I have worked in.
I
have been working as a permanent Staff Artiste in the Tamil Drama Section of
All India Radio, Chennai for the past twenty-five years. I have produced thousands
of radio plays. I have also acted in thousands of plays as a small girl, a
young teenager, and even as an old lady by showing the nava rasas in my
performance.
I
acted with Nadigayar Thilagam Savithri in a play called “Yayathi” which was
produced by me. I produced another play “Thanimai” in which Nadigayar Thilagam
Savithri was the heroine. I can never
forget the interest and co operation shown by her to act very emotionally in
the final scene of the play. She was a great dedicated artiste.
I
played the role of a rich business tycoon’s only daughter in the play
“Kallaraiyum Thannmathiyum”. This was a National play and had one female and
three male characters. I had acted as a hysterically affected girl and emoted
by laughing, crying, singing and shouting. This role is still fresh in my mind.
This play was produced brilliantly with echo effects by my professional guru,
Shri Suki Subramaniam.
“Oru
Geethathin Maraivu” is another memorable play produced by me. It depicted the
affection and love of a small girl towards a deer brought up by her.
“Nambikkai”
– I acted as a lady affected with leprosy and who gets completely cured in the
end. I liked playing this character very much.
“Eekkal”,
a play written by the famous writer Smt. Rajam Krishnan, was a one hour drama,
broadcast about a decade ago, in which I played the role of a very old lady.
This play was broadcast several times on request from the listeners. The
playwright Smt Rajam Krishnan wrote a letter to me in appreciation of my
acting. Several plays like these have been repeatedly broadcast on receiving
requests from fans and radio listeners.
I
am proud to say that I was the first to produce science fiction dramas in
Chennai Vanoli Nilayam. Continuously, I produced 3 science fictional plays - in
1977, “Year 3977”, in 1978, “Vinnvelikkappaal” and in 1979, “Vinnilore Vinthai
Manithan”. These three plays were written by my husband Shri S Ramanathan.
“Vinnulaga Vichithrangal” which was broadcast in this year’s (1985) drama
festival has also been written by him.
Apart
from all these, I have also produced about twenty “oli chithram”. (Oli
chithrams were abridged versions of movies, edited and broadcast for one hour
in the radio).
In
1983 I underwent open heart surgery for mitral valve replacement and the
renowned Dr. Solomon Victor performed the surgery. When I was in the hospital,
I received vibuthi, kungumam, chandanam prasadams, from many places in our
country as well as from all over the world like Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
Srilanka, Malaysia from radio listeners and fans who prayed and sent to me
pictures of Jesus, Velankanni, Kamakshi Amman, Mookambigai and Jagadguru
Sankaracharya. I heard that several volunteers had come to donate blood for my
surgery. All this love and affection touched me immensely that I became
speechless.
My
rebirth on 5th July 1983 was due to Dr. Solomon Victor, Dr. A
Sankaran, my well wishers, my
colleagues, my beloved fans and friends and I am thankful and indebted to all
of them.
My
eldest son Chandra Sekhar, is working as an officer in the State Bank of Mysore.
He is married and has two sons.
My
elder daughter Swarnalatha has a pleasant voice like mine and she lends her
voice to radio advertisements and has sung a number of devotional and light
songs in audio cassettes.
My
youngest daughter Jayasree is working in a Bank. She is also a lover of all
kinds of music.
So,
Annai Abhirami has blessed me, my husband and our children in our professional
as well as our family lives with abundant happiness.
Here
I would like to voice a small suggestion from my heart…
Every
year, the Tamilnadu State Government honors artistes from all professions with
the title ‘Kalaimamani’ through ‘Iyal Isai Nadaga Manram”. Artistes like us are also serving Thamizh
Thai through radio for more than two decades. If our profession is also honored
similarly, artistes like us will feel encouraged and enthusiastic. Why have
they forgotten us?
I
consider the thousands of letters of appreciation from my fans as great awards
and rewards for my acting in radio
plays. Their appreciation and encouragement are the reasons for whatever little
I have achieved in my life...
