focus what you like? be the forth Idiot!

My General Manager in the bank called me on a fine morning in 1981  to say "Iyer, We have decided to transfer you to Kaala Paani"! I was stunned and speechless thinking what wrong did I do for the management to initiate such a drastic action? The Punjabis of North India always considered Madras as the last place of preference and often referred Madras as Kaala pani!  The General Manager smiled once again to say " you stand transferred to Madras as the chief Manager of  the branch"!  It was like Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham scenario. I was behaving like the character Kalia in Sholay and his nervous(save my life) smile, when the notorious Gabbar Singh asks "Tera Kya Hoga Kalia"?  My close friends were joyous to tell me that I can make it big as they were aware that I had a passion for singing and since I was trained in classical music, I could probably end up as a play back singer?  My Punjabi friends were happy that they will have a place in Madras to camp if and when they visited?  I did not have even a single friend in the city and I knew it was quite a hard time that i had to face. Heart of Hearts, Delhi remained close to my heart.

19th august, 1981 was the day I landed at the erstwhile Madras along with my wife, son, mother and my mom-in-law!  My wife's relative was magnanimous in fixing a decent house in Mandaveli where I started living expecting countless events that one comes across in Life?

My Bank job was quite challenging and took me to lots of acquaintances in the business community and from there to developing personal relationships with people.  My singing skills became an attraction for many to become friends with me and the lure of being the Chief of a Nationalised Bank who could also grant loans for furthering business attracted quite a lot of persons and it really took some time for me to create a divide between my personal singing personality and that of a bank Manager!  Every day was a celebration and the invitations to attend functions and parties were numerous!  I was thanking my GM who called this great city a "Kaala Paani" which directly had a reference to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where convicts used to be lodged so that they don't escape anywhere! No North Indian would prefer to work in this state and to support this ideology, this city did not even have a North Indian restaurant serving Tandoori Rotis and other stuff! One had to go miles in search of a Paan-wallah who you can bump into at every nook and corner of Delhi and without whom Life could not go on?  My landlord used to lock the gates at 8pm and many times, I had to jump the boundary walls when I came after attending a get-to-gether or a party!  The streets were deserted after 8pm and e city was more like a glorified village!  My landlord refused to give me a duplicate key for the gates and insisted that I should be back home by 8pm as otherwise, I will be considered a rogue which ignited and invoked the macho-hero  in me to buy an apartment of my own!


One day, a person came to my branch and introduced himself as a leading film producer and insisted that I listen to the audio cassette that he had brought along and went on to say that he has heard from people about my singing capabilities and insisted that I sing all the songs for his forthcoming, under production film in Tamil. I was quite thrilled when i listened to this story and promised him that I will listen to the cassette and give him a date for the recording!  He came the next day and said everything is finalised and that I have to render all the 5 songs in the film to which I readily agreed.  He stood in my room for sometime and I knew he had something to say.  After I finished with my clients, he said that he was in urgent need of Rs1 lac as the shooting was going  on at Ooty and that he would return the money once the film is complete, with interest!  I understood the game plan and expressed my inability to help him in the matter.  The least I could do was not to charge him for the songs that I render!!  He had ready suggestions and ways to  lend him a loan from the Bank.  Luckily, my integrity and commitment to the bank was foremost in my mind and the person was never seen after that?

Some of my journalists friends suggested that I meet the great Mastero  Ilayaraja and arranged for a meeting at the Prasad studios.  I was asked to come on a saturday at 3PM and I was there on dot with enthusiasm and Vigour!  I was off erred a chair at the ground floor and Ilayaraja had his room in the mezzanine floor of the building.  I sat for nearly 3 hours and saw many film personalities like Bharati Raja, Bhagyaraj and many others coming in and going out but my turn never came!  I was asked to come the next Saturday at the same time by one of his assistants known as santhanam.  This procedure was followed and went on for at least 6 months trying to meet him every Saturday and being unsuccessful in my efforts!  At this point of time, I was told by Smt Jaya Chakravarthy (Hema Malini's mother) that I should consider myself  just a plain artiste in search of recognition and shed the image and role of the Bank Manager whenever I met these artistes.  I agreed to her suggestion and went along with her to meet the mastero for a film Pooja at the Prasad Studios.  I saw Ilayaraja and his men surrounding him and training Smt Janaki to sing a song for a film named "Kozhi Koovudhu".  Mrs Chakravarthy told Raja about me and my aspirations to sing for a film under his direction.  He promptly asked me to sing a carnatic song and I sang a Keerthanai which was on Guru and set to Raga Shiva Ranjini.  Everyone around liked my voice and the modulations and Raja cheered me saying that there is something called Karma and if there was a destiny like that I would sing for him!  His expressions in Tamil just went above my head and I just nodded my head in acceptance.  Jaya chakravarthy told me not to give up and pursue with interest and vigour and I rightly did the same thing.  Hema Malini and Kannnan advised me to go to Mumbai and try in Bollywood as my Hindi was chaste and had character as basically I am from Delhi.  One section of my friends introduced me to Director Sakthi who inturn, took me to Shankar-Ganesh, Music Directors who labelled my Tamil as something sounding like Hindi?? Everyone knows and often wonder what these new singers like Udit Narayan, Sonu, KK and Shaaan sound like when they sing Tamil songs, now? Times have changed and the same Music directors who were talking of chaste Tamizh are happy making the Non-Tamil singers sing for their films!

I finally managed to get a break to sing in films in the year 1997 for a Tamil Film called "Seevalaperi Pandi" where I have sung the song Kizhakku cheevakkayile with Sujatha, the noted playback singer.  After nearly 7 constant years of persuasion and belief, I could finally manage  to lend my voice for a film play back. The actor has now become a central Minister in Manmohan singh's cabinet!


I recorded about 20 songs for various music directors including the Oscar winner A R Rehman.  I recorded about 12 Tamizh devotional cassettes for companies like Sangeetha, HMV, Echo and others.  I am happy to have achieved whatever I could with such limited options.  Time was such that it did not give me the options to break away from the Banking career as I was made to carry the responsibility of running the family and performing my sister's marriage which I did with much pride and courage way back in 1973. Somewhere in the corner of my heart there is a a sense of  regret that I did not pursue singing as a career but the educated mind contradicts and says I am much better off in this present position of a businessman earning well unlike a musician whose earning period is restricted and directly proportional  to popularity!

Last week, one lady in her 40s and working for a Foreign Bank came to my house. She has been with the Bank for the past 10 years and earning a decent salary.  Unhappy with whatever she was, she said she is passionate to sing for films and that too for A R Rehman!  Who would not like to sing for him?  I advised her to remove this idea of singing for a film from her memory and explained to her that she would be neither do justice to her Banking profession nor to the playback singing sphere and prompted me to write this blog for the benefit of those who are on the same page as I am?  The moment you say that you are working in a foreign bank, everyone will guess the income that you make and eventually will device methods to milch the hard earned earnings out of your strong room!  You can either be a Banker or a passionate singer! One can not be both!! and I tried to be both?

My advise to the youngsters who aspire to pursue what they like is to believe in themselves and be after  it with passion until you achieve what you wanted to be in your life as Life is only once and live it fully to your happiness and satisfaction!

Har Pal Yahan , jee bhar jiyo,
Jo hai samah, kal ho na ho !

Athithi-Tum kabhi Mat aana!!

The opening of Bandra- worli sea link to 4 lane traffic will be a boon for travellers as it will save time.  At the same time, the ruling party headed by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has created an awkward and embarrassing position by picking an argument as to who invited the Big B for the inaugural function and the high command seeking clarifications from the chief Minister.  Politics have nose dived to a new low in Indian History!  The Chief Minister claiming innocence about not knowing the participation by the legendary Amitabh Bachan does not deserve appreciation at all.  In fact, the congress should know that Amitabh Bachan has been a Mumbaikar and has carved a niche for himself as an Icon of the Film Industry and the Nation for that matter?  Inviting an Athithi(guest) and later creating an unwarranted controversy by the local congressmen does not go well with the party or its political ambitions.  Its time the politicians look at the big B as an Icon of the country and not belonging to any political outfit.  The congress should also know that they derived benefits out of him  a quarter century back when he was elected as a Member of Parliament from Allahabad constituency and represented Congress.  It is idiotic to question his participation specially when he did not come on his own and was invited by a Minister in the Congress!  The function got the star status with the presence of the Big B and the politicians must understand it.  The timing of the newly released film Athithi tum kab Jaoge matches well with the treatment meted to this great man who stands much more taller than any Indian Politician!  Look at the Big B as a human being and a person of respect and regard him for whatever he is worth and feel proud that he is a part of Mumbai?  Jai Hind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IPL bid of Rs1702 crores by Sahara Parivar

The Sahara parivar headed by Mr Subroto Roy has bagged the newly to be inducted IPL Pune team for a staggering amount of Rs 1702 crores.  While I congratulate the group for this successful bid, May I pose a question to the group as to why they chose to sell Sahara Airlines which was also part and parcel of their business?   The Kochi team of IPL has been bought for Rs 1333 crores by some business house based in Dubai.

Mr Sashi Tharoor the Deputy External affairs minister has lent his full support in acquiring this team and also seen speaking to the media from the front leading to suspicions if this team represents his personal investment and involvement?
Elsewhere in the country, there is unemployment and Naxalism and the new born Maoists who are bent upon destruction to the lives and property of the state and the individuals as well.  This inequality of income will give rise to anarchy and its allied provisions which may harm the country in the coming days?  The government should come out with a white paper on such ridiculous investments by people in the IPL leagues and the finance minister will do well if orders a probe and inquiry into these financial deals and bring the investors in open for people to understand.

If investment in IPL is so profitable, it will be good if all the industries are closed and funds used for funding such teams so that we can enjoy the entertainment unabated.  The food consumption and other expenditure may also come down drastically as people will sit glued to the television sets to watch this IPL League year after year!!

We can also think of making peace with our neighbours by floating IPL Taliban team, IPL LeT team, Kashmir jihad team, IPL Nagaland team, IPL Ulfa team and so on and so forth.  All the teams will get tons of money and the players will get rich and popular overnight whereby peace will prevail as there will be  no time left for fighting or politics by the teams participating and these teams will be owned by their leader/politicians.

"God's own country will come to be known as God Save the country"

Jai Ho

chennai super kings lack face!

Its time the owners of Chennai super kings look for a good face to give a face lift to the team and also cheer them from the front?  The Kolkota knight riders have Shahrukh, juhi and a host of film personalities to bring in massive crowds to cheer the team.  The Rajastan Royals have Shilpa shetty and the Punjab team which exhibits Makkhe da roti type of strength, there is Preeti Zinta to add flavour and cheer as sarson ka saag! The Mumbai Indians have the legendary Sachin to lead from the front and also Neeta Ambani who is all geared up to give a run for the Bollywood actors in looks and is present to cheer the team.  The Royal challengers of Bengaluru are not behind with Dr Mallya roping in the hot babe Deepika Padukone and are present during the matches played by the RCB and too cheer them.  The Deccan chargers have some Telugu actors coming in to cheer the players and the owner's daughter is pretty enough to give enough oxygen to the gasping players!  There is definitely some meaning behind hiring the cheer leaders or a leading face to represent the  team and this is pretty much an adapted practice for most games all over the world.  Chennai super kings will do well to look for some pretty, popular face to augment the looks of the team and to cheer them in all their matches so that the boys derive some energy and will to perform Srikkanth who is supposedly the brand Ambassador is often rated as a VIP joker,never taken seriously!  The owners of the team who run large industrial houses should seriously consider giving a face lift to the team by roping in some popular face to enthuse  the team and not think of minimising expenses specially when this game is branded as a sporting extravaganza and the stakes run unimaginably high! Heard that the charming Cine actor Nayan thara was ousted unceremoniously by the owners since she did not attend the opening match as she was busy shooting elsewhere during IPL season I?  The reward and compensation should be such that the actors or the brand Ambassadors are lured first towards the IPL game !

cricket- no longer a gentleman's game!

The IPL T20 match between Chennai Super Kings and the Deccan Chargers was fully charged with aggression and passion that the players were exhibiting!  This game was considered a game for gentlemen by the British has seen the tyranny of times and has come to a situation where players give out challenging stares and looks at each other and bullying them to explosive situations whereby the player is made to lose his cool and make mistakes!

The noise in the stadium is taken to new heights by the live orchestra and drums playing all through the match and in between balls bowled by a bowler.  There are cheer leaders in the form of sexy looking young girls who climb on  to the stage and dance to tunes obviously to cheer their respective teams!  There is so much of noise and diversion,  enough to make the player fault any time?

The game has become a high voltage game with money and  pouring in luring players to provide entertainment or fade into oblivion?  There are so many cameras and other modern gadgets requiring hundreds of persons working back stage untiringly to produce the best visuals and treat to the eyes.
The cheer girls have been hired from abroad who are sincerely dancing to the tunes of the regional tunes without knowing the game or the players who are involved in it.  The Television interview showed one such group who were performing for Rajastan Royals did not know the captain's name but were ready with a big "YES" when the interviewer asked if they knew about  Shahrukh khan!! No wonder, Bollywood is rated higher than the game and retains the charm and  attraction that this wonderful game is associated with!


The game has become a challenge for the young players and must be equally taxing both physically and mentally for the players.  Whatever it is, the time that one spends watching this game live at the cricket grounds is worth Millions and definitely is entertaining.  The way this IPL season is marketed is worth all appreciation but the price that one pays to watch this is something very disproportionate and its hell of a lot of money to spend for an entertainment lasting 4 hours?

sa_re_ga_me!!: and the award goes to?

sa_re_ga_me!!: and the award goes to?

and the award goes to?

The IPL match between CSK and the DC was a big fanfare with thousands of fans who came into the stadium to watch the match live!  The Deccan chargers were too good for the Chennai Super Kings and beat them with 31 runs lead.  Although the DC  could make 9 players out, they could not "ou(s)t" one from the field!  yes, this happened much to the amusement of the fielders, spectators and the security staff present all over the stadium!  There was a stray dog which went all around the stadium making the fielders run after  it all over but would appear again and again on the ground making the whole stadium into a comedy circus!  The IPL boasts of top class  entertainment and this episode comes as a freebie for those who purchased those high priced tickets.
Probably, the organisers would add this kind of entertainment as a freebie for the future on-coming events!?

Tamil Classical Evening- Dr Ganesh & party @ Gandhi nagar club

 Dr R Ganesh accompanied by Sri. V V Srinivasa Rao on Violin and Sri. Nellai Balaji on Mridangam treated the members of the club to an enchanting music of divine, carnatic music on the 6th March, 2010.

The evening started with a Keerthanai set to Charukesi Ragam which set the mood for the evening.  Dr Ganesh should be complimented for his selection of song in which he decorated the swaras in such a manner that one felt the vibration of the Lord's flute which mesmerised the gopikas in his Leelas!

Dr Ganesh rendered a Tyagrajar Krithi in Raga Vanaspathi on Lord rama which reflected his skills in controlling the lower, middle and higher octaves.  Incidentally the Raga is also identified as the 4th Mela kartha.  The fascinating and well greased  voice from within Dr Ganesh justified the name of the Raga Vanaspathi !

The Gopika Manoharam bhaje hum Krithi set to Mohanam was enchanting and brought in happiness in the minds of the audience.  The prelude to this krithi was a descriptive aalaap which reflected the mastery of this young musician over this Raga and the ease with which he could render it. The krithis set to raga Husseini ,Malavasri were pleasing to the ears.

The highlight of the programme was   Dr Ganesh's rendering Thaye Yashodha undan set to Thodi Ragam.  The voice had by then become so controlled and captivating that the singer could present the entire episode right in front of your eyes taking the audience to different levels of ecstasy! Nellai Balaji, Mridangist proved his mettle through his playful fingers which invoked various Nadham from the Mridangam he was playing with and his mastery in 1/4,1/2, 3/4 thisrams was well appreciated by the audience present.  The violinist Srinivasa Rao accompanied Dr Ganesh in an appreciable manner and showed his mastery with the bow and the fingers that caressed the great carnatic instrument to give out soothing music to the ears!

The Krithi on Devi was something very novel and a difficult song to render as it contained as many ragas as the sahityam that it contained! The singer rendered the song so effectively and mesmerised the audience and kept them amazed with his skills to render a song that contained a rainbow of various ragas !

The singer paid his rich tributes to his Guru (late) Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam by rendering one of his Thillanas set in Basant Bahar Ragam which set a colorful mixture and blend of North Indian classical raga and lit up the atmosphere with happiness and bliss. The eyes remained moist when Dr Ganesh sang this song in dedication to the reverred Kanchi Mamuni and composed by his guru Maharajapuram.  The lively Krithi on guru Sri Raghavendra swamy was quite touching as it was composed in Raga Misra Shiva Ranjini which by itself is a melancholy raga which moves your heart and sometimes, tear jerking!

The evening's programme came to an end with a composition set to tune in Neelambari signalling it was time to venture out to taste the Arusuvai virundhu laid neatly on the table representing various tastes of food  that equalled the Innisai virundhu that Dr Ganesh and his party gave for 2 hours.

The Isai virundhu and the Arusuvai virundhu is a welcome combination promoted by the entertainment wing of the club which could see more attendance for the coming seasons if the arusuvai virundhu is made complimentary by the club for senior citizens?  The club will gain popularity and good will by extending this  freebie service as they do such similar things in various other  programmes from time to time!

write up: R-215  Rajagopal K S

--
Raju
9840151819

"Give a handful from your plenty"

Swami Nityananda-disgraced

The expose of Nocturnal Nityananda swami by the Sun T V network is commendable.  It is not understood as to ow the swamiji allowed a camera to film his doings and for that matter how the Tamil heroine allowed herself to be videoed putting all her reputation and life to shame?  No sane person would allow such acts of mistrust to be photographed or video graphed.  In this case, its no less than a popular swamiji who has a large following of disciples and has so much to lose in terms of name,fame and wealth that gets accumulated once they adorn themselves with saffron robes!  It gives rise to suspicion if the incident was all doctored or stage managed?

Some vested interests might  have eyed his property and wealth and by bringing such a false propaganda, the swamiji has absconded and reportedly hidden himself in Haridwar? It will be very difficult for the swamiji to return back and prove his innocence and get back his trust amongst the devotees.  The entire property of the ashram, wealth and money will be cornered by some vested interests who have reasons to celebrate now!!

The expectations of devotees are far too much and they are wrong to expect any swamiji to practice celibacy and keep their sexual interests wrapped and strapped for long.  After all they are also human beings and are no different from any of us!  The devotees and specially the ladies should restrict their belief of blind faith only to the extent of listening words of wisdom and not intrude into the privacy of these god men as it will prove to be disastrous if such advances are made by the swamijis and the ladies would be put in an awkward position   and conflicting mind set whether to give in or wriggle out?  The elders in the house-hold should advise the ladies in the house to watch out for these defined dangers of getting involved with swamijis preaching more than what is essential for spiritualism!  God bless all!

Tamil film called Jakku bhai!

After seeing this film, a person with even little sense would pledge not to see any film of Sarath Kumar and any film directed by  K S Ravi Kumar.  The story which was held close to the chest by the director has no substance to offer.  No wonder, Rajini cleverly elected to opt out citing convincing reasons!

The director has made mockery of the Australian police and the government in the film quite enough for the Australian government to turn down Visa for the director for any future entry into Australia?  The thugs are roaming around Australian cities as if they are in some village in Tamilnadu! Guns galore and shoot outs as if its Diwali and the Aussies are helpless!!

It takes an undercover cop from Tamilnadu in India in Sarath kumar and an assistant in Gounda mani who is always shouting at the top of his voice with his half baked broken English with ugly strands of hair spread all over his head like an octopus!!  Shriya has only shrieked all through the movie instead of acting!  The music is pathetic and the mix down is very unprofessional.  The voice of the singers are compressed for unknown reasons?

The ultimate dig at the Australians comes from the director K S Ravi kumar himself when he assumes the role of an Australian emigration officer who allows the hero to jump the queue just because he eliminates the eluding villain and helps the Australian government to liquidate the dreaded gang whom they could never apprehend throughout the movie!  The film should be nominated for the best junk film of the year and the director for the best junk direction ever made in the history of Tamil films?

They say that the film was pirated and leaked into the web world! may be the director and the producers would have come to know that the film does not stand even for a single show!! As a critic, i would not offer even 15% for this film which wastes your precious 3 hours!!

endoresements done by actors to promote hockey

Many film stars and sports personalities endorsed the promotion of World cup hockey that's being held in the Capital and sponsored by Hero Honda, the leading manufacturers of mo bikes in India.  It seemed well on the small screen and probably would have created some interest in people to go and watch the match in the stadium with a hope of seeing their film personalities, who had endorsed the game, in the stadium!

I watched at least the first 2 matches and i could not spot  even a single person who had endorsed the game in the stadium! Probably, I could have missed seeing them?

It will be appropriate for the Indian Hockey Federation to say if any of the personalities who endorsed the game were present on the inaugural day?  It will be meaningful if the prominent personalities had marked their presence and encouraged our team as they said in the promotional advertisements!

--
Raju
9840151819