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Flautist Sundaram - his esteem for Mali is boundless.... |
Sundaram recalls his golden
days with flautist Mali in an exclusive chat with
Sudha Jagannathan.
Born in 1927, S. Sundaram is one year junior to
the flute maestro late Mali. Among a few privileged
ones to have a close association with flautist par
excellence Mali, Sundaram not only learnt the art
the hard way from the genius but also transmitted
the Mali’s style of flute playing to his children.
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Sundaram came to Madras in 1937
from Ladapuram, his native place in North Arcot
district, to study at Ramakrishna Mission School
at Mylapore. He recalled how Ramakrishna Homes those
days used to conduct music concerts during Navaratri
celebrations. In 1939 when Sundaram was 12 years
old, he happened to listen to a Mali concert. Instantly,
Mali made an indelible impression on Sundaram. And,
he was struck by a burning desire to do like Mali.
That saw him make a beeline for Nungambakkam where
Mali lived. Sundaram pined to become a student of
Mali. But he had to return disappointed. For, Mali’s
father sort of pooh-poohed at his suggestion. Since
Mali was just learning, he advised Sundaram to come
after six months. As time went by, war had seen
him move out of Chennai. Sundaram vividly remembered
a cover picture in the Tamil Magazine Ananda Vikatan
with a title "Mali in the hands of Mali".
The cover carried a picture of flute Mali drawn
by the famous cartoonist Mali. Sundaram preserved
the picture of Mali alongside Kumbakonam Rajamanikam
Pillai. "I had it with me for many years until
one day Mali took it away from me", Sundaram
recalled. Sundaram returned to Madras in 1942. His
search for Mali finally led him to an open ground
near the All-India Radio in Madras where Mali used
to play cricket. Hoping to meet the flutist, Sundaram
had his first face-to-face encounter with Mali,
the cricketer! "He remembered me. And also
recalled how I was sent out by him father. He asked
me to bowl. It was funny. Finally, he gave me his
address", recounted Sundaram. He was living
in Karneswaran Koil Street in Mylapore. His parents
were living some 10 houses down from there. After
enquiring about him, Mali told Sundaram, "I
don’t know how to teach. I am also not quite
sure if I am playing myself right". At that
point, Mali was studying at P.S. High School. Sundaram
recalled how Mali asked him to get into his concerts
using his name. "You can tell them that you
are my student", Mali had told Sundaram. The
principal student even today remembers how Mali
used to address people with lots of respect, women
even more so. Whenever he went out of the city,
he would give Sundaram a task to finish (like cleaning
the windows!). And, Mali never forgot to appreciate
a good work.
According to Sundaram, Mali was not just the genius.
He had a lovely heart, too. He narrated how Mali
felt sad about the sickness of Padmanabha Rao of
Mangalore, who had joined as his student. Rao was
suffering from TB. None would go anywhere near Rao.
"Are you sincere with me Sundaram"? Mali
asked his student one day. "What you say is
Veda for me", Sundaram had told his master.
Mali then asked Sundaram to get Rao admitted at
Royapettah Hospital. After a while, the hospital
authorities asked him to be taken to Tambaram Sanatorium.
"They asked for a payment of Rs.150. I told
Mali. He instantly took his chain from him neck.
I sold and paid the hospital authorities",
Sundaram recounted. "I used to walk from Royapettah
to Central and travel to Tambaram every day to see
Rao", he pointed out. Rao was subsequently
discharged and headed to his native place. He died
soon enough. Rao used to play even the scales so
very nicely on the flute. "I was the only one
who never played in front of Mali. But often he
would sit away from me and listen when I was playing",
Sundaram said.
It was Mali who initiated Sundaram to flute making.
Mali and Dhadapani Desikar together floated Purasawalkam
Arts Academy. Mali used to play there every year.
On a Friday when he was relaxing, his flute dropped
off his hands and broke. "The lower Panchamam
is gone", Sundaram recalled Mali telling instantly.
That told a tale of Mali’s amassing knowledge.
"When I looked at lower Panchamam, it had gone
indeed". Mali had then asked Sundaram to get
a flute ready for the Sunday concert. That was how
Sundaram was pushed to become a flute maker! He
did manage to make a flute by then. When he gave
it to Mali, he asked Sundaram to keep it in the
box. "Even he did not play a `Sa’ with
the new flute", Sundaram remembered. Came Sunday,
he took the flute and played Hamsadhwani. "Even
today, it reverberates in my ears. He played three
hours with the flute. In that concert, the then
district collector of Chenglepattu Bhaskar was there.
After the concert was over the collector asked Mali
the flute and got it from him. "We can’t
see the music. We can only hear it. In Mali’s
music, you can see it also", Sundaram asserted.
For reasons other than music, Mali shifted base
to Bangalore. That saw contacts between the two
disappear except for some occasional letters. It
was during his stay in Bangalore, he got into wedlock
with L.N. Barbara from Rome. Barabara was instrumental
in Mali playing lot of concerts abroad. Sundaram
remembered how he used to visit Mali on his birth
day every year and offer him `prasadam’ from
Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane. On his birthday
in 1985, Mali had chosen to visit Sundaram! If Sundaram
were to go by, Mali, many a time, used to spring
surprise on people. "Once he asked me to send
two kgs of 'ettikkai'. Quizzed why he wanted this
he told Sundaram, "I am like 'ettikkai'. You
have to like me beyond this. My wife wanted to see
that. So I asked you".
Sundaram recounted how Mali was very much attached
to his two sisters. He learnt quite a bit from one
of the sisters, who played violin. One day, after
a flute concert in a marriage, he was told of the
demise of his violin sister. That had a telling
impact on him. Once when he was performing on a
stage, he suddenly remembered his violin sister.
He picked up the flute and instantly walked away.
It was, however, a different matter that Mali had
adapted this (walking off the concert mid-way) method
to keep the rasikas in surprise. That explained
the moody nature of Mali!
Sundaram even today practices like a man possessed
his flute. The word Mali strikes a passionate chord
in him. Sundaram’s sons may have become flutists
of their own standing. His grandchildren, too, have
become flutists by circumstances and practice. Yet,
Sundaram still cherishes that one letter from Mali.
"This is to certify that Sundaram has learnt
flute for four years under my guidance". And,
this indeed is priced possession of Sundaram, the
principal student of genius Mali.
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