The translated version of My mother's autobiography...

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 5^th 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...