In many ways
2014 had been a year of surprises – sullen and sweet.
On the
sullen side, there were several losses that included an indifferent career with
equally indifferent income but escalating expenses.
On the
personal front I had lost a few persons whose loss would always leave an
unfulfilled void.
Dear
Narasimhan maama passed away after a brief illness. Will I ever come across
another fan of my writings and ‘English’, who always had a sparkle in his eyes
and who always was not only fond of my daughters, who were ‘Tittu’ and
Tittutoo’, for him, but also my parents and especially my dear dad who to him
was a replica of ‘Malcolm Adiseshaiah’ the erstwhile Vice Chancellor of
University of Madras?
Then the
untimely (is it a time to die?) demise of the young international celebrity
Mandolin U Shreenivas (http://www.mandolinshrinivas.org/), (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._Srinivas), who apparently succumbed to a liver ailment with which
he was battling for some time. How much physical and psychological pain he must
have been enduring behind that docile smile and eternal humility of his?
Mandolin U
Shreenivas and his father were known to me personally and to my family, since
he was about 10 years of age or so. I have seen him diligently practicing on his
mandolin. I shall always cherish the time when his father asked me to tutor his
son in English but which I could not take up for fear of my own fallible
inconsistencies in the language.
Though he
reached many summits in his career, his much written and spoken about humility
was experienced by me every time I met him. Wherever and whenever I met him he
used to pay obeisance with both hands with that unforgettable smile on his
face. What did I ever do to him to deserve that respect, will always be an
unanswered question.
The Ganesa
Temple in our colony will miss his daily circumambulations and his devoted
concerts during the Ganesa Festival. Maybe, he has been recalled by Lord Ganesa
to be nearer to him in the heavenly abode than being merely present in his
temple? His family stays just a couple of lanes away from our place but I am
yet to find courage in visiting his family and condole / console the
bereavement, as also has been the case with several other cases including the
demise of Narasimhan maama and Ramanathan Iyer.
I,
especially, owe one to Ramanathan Iyer who was briefly ill and succumbed. He
was the one who had confidence in my photography (more than I myself had, I
should say) and gave me an opportunity, the first one, to do industrial
photography when he was associated with Goodlass Nerolac Paints in Chennai.
They needed some photographs and transparencies (photo-slides) in a jiffy and I
stood up to the challenge.
After
submitting my bill for the services, he took one look at it and said without
mincing words, that I was unfit to do any business on my own. I did, indeed,
try once to do business after that advice, but as predicted, really did not
make it up. And henceforth, I faithfully followed Mr. Iyer’s advice and kept
away from any business ventures of my own. He was not much of a talker, but I
was sure that he liked me.
Balu
Mahendra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balu_Mahendra), who passed away in February, was not only residing close to my residence
but was also close to my heart through his visual work. Many a time, I thought
of approaching him to seek apprenticeship under his tutelage. But every time I
made up my mind, he used to get involved in some legal case / issue and I used
to be put away as I did not savour getting entangled in any of his problems or
issues. But just a couple of years before his demise I did have occasion to
meet him in person and talk to him. But by that time, my interest in the
subject was no longer kindling.
Another
person whom I admired much but never met, though he too was residing quite
nearer to our place, was ‘Meesai Murugesan’ originally known as Dr. I. S.
Murugesan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meesai_Murugesan), (http://www.google.co.in/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=jQOsVNmyGarV8gfs1IGwCw#q=meesai+murugesan+photo). The bereavement by his demise was almost unsung. Here was a great
person who invented so many music instruments from everyday materials like
coconut shells etc., and ran a one-man band called ‘Apoorva Thala Vathiyangal’
(Never before rhythmic instruments). He also acted in over 100 Indian films. Popular
for his huge handle-bar moustache, Meesai Murugesan’s was a persona nonpareil.
‘Koothapiran’
known as ‘Vanoli Anna’ (Brother on the Radio) (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/vanoli-anna-voice-that-made-waves-on-air-fades/article6720149.ece), was a person I sort of grew with.
He was a dramatist and a master story teller and in his demise at an age of 83,
the future children have lost an understanding and empathising ‘brother’
'Bapu' the doyen of the Telugu arts and film industry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bapu_(film_director) ), passed away to join his all time friend Mullapudi Venkataramana.
'Bapu' the doyen of the Telugu arts and film industry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bapu_(film_director) ), passed away to join his all time friend Mullapudi Venkataramana.
On the
personal front I had lost my aunt, married to my maternal uncle for over 6
decades.
My favourtie
city of ‘Visakhapatnam’ or ‘Vizag’ and “the city of destiny” was battered beyond
recognition by the ‘Hudhud’ cyclone putting a spanner into the spokes of my plans of my life in the city.
While these
have been some irreparable losses, all was not bad.
The sweeter
side of the year was that my children kept doing reasonably well. My first
daughter seems to be bent on filling her passport with a collection of Entry
and Exit seals from different countries. My second daughter could get about
three job offers even while in college. My parents and siblings are doing well.
There were
friends so many and a few relatives who stood by me whenever and wherever I needed
them, with trust and tolerance.
The
indifferent jobs kept me rooted to home mostly and to spend more time with my
wife so much in trying to ‘understand’ each other; after a married life of 26
years.
My car of
over 11 years vintage is still carrying me and my family members to any
destination, near and far, without much ado, though it suffers from ‘age
related health issues’.
I could pursue my favourite work of researching and reading anything and everything.
I had gifted
my daughters with slates when they were young and my first daughter repaid the
debt by gifting me a Microsoft ‘Surface’ tablet which, I am sure unintentionally
(?), was indeed of the same size of a
writing slate. I became a child again to play games and read books on it. She also
had graciously left her ‘Kindle Fire’ at home and I could put quite a lot of
free downloadable books onto it and could read them.
My faithful
mobile phone of about 6 years died after frequent ailments, leaving me stranded
without the knowledge of several contacts. But Facebook gave me several new contacts though various groups and
I have been hitting off well on that score. I also could keep my overseas
connections in good order.
But the
biggest and gratifying fact is that I have fairly succeeded in ‘hunting’ and ‘re-locating’
several of my ‘lost’ school-time classmates. Guys like V. Someswara Rao and V. Umakanth
(who notched his own points as a renowned Kannada film director) (http://paaru.in/directors/v-umakanth), and gals like Varalakshmi Devi Koilaada were
discovered almost after a gap of 42 years. While the hunt will continue in 2015
also, I have to say that 2014 had been very kind where I could connect with
some three lost guys in one single day! The pleasure I derived out of it cannot
be expressed in words and so I am not even attempting it. And we did have a
couple of social meetings among some of our school friends who could make it.
I also could
re-connect with some of my colleagues from earlier assignments.
I could
continue writing this blog and as occasion provided, I could teach a bit here
and there. And, I was recognised in the Photographic Society.
2014 taught
me one interesting lesson though; I was always looking out to retire early from
my professional life. But I have discovered that it is very difficult to laze
around and kill time despite getting involved in quite a few multi-various activities.
Borrowing Robert Frost’s poem and tinkering with it a bit, I should say that
“The ‘hols’ were lovely and restful to sleep
But there are so many promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep”
Being 'Static' in
life is not as interesting as 'Dynamism' or 'Change' is.
After all ‘Change
is the only Constant’
Now, what do
you think? You tell me!
Till then,
Krutagjnatalu (Telugu), Nanri (Tamil),
Dhanyavaadagalu (Kannada), Nanni (Malayalam), Dhanyavaad (Hindi), Thanks
(English), Dhonyabaad (Bangla), Gracias (Spanish), Grazie (Italian), Danke
Schon (Deutsche), Merci (French), Obrigado (Portuguese), Shukraan (Arabic),
Shukriya (Urdu), Sthoothiy (Sinhalese) Aw-koon (Khmer), Kawp Jai Lhai Lhai
(Laotian), Kob Kun Krab (Thai) and Asante (Kiswahili), Maraming
Salamat sa Lahat (Pinoy-Tagalog-Filipino)
Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy
Chennai, India
