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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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