Talented thoughts

Music as a bond – “Sarojini Trust in Rajasthan and Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya near Dharwad may be quite apart geographically, but have a common passion and focus. While the trust in Rajasthan aims to support the musically rich but economically and socially backward Mirasi community, the school near Dharwad aims to empower disadvantaged children through education and Hindustani music” – Hindu news paper today.

Talent is something someone gets as a gift by birth. People will not get it by practice alone. Music is just one example.

I had thought I had talent in music till the age of 9. We used to get those leisure periods in school and that time was effectively used by our teacher to make us show our extra talent. First occasion I volunteered myself and sang a Malayalam movie song “Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil….”. Second occasion came I sang another song “Karimukil Kaattile…..”. These two songs went on for almost 3 months in whichever leisure period we got. I was honestly thinking I was doing a great job. Finally my teacher came to me and said “Sundar, why don’t you learn and sing a new song next time?” I was innocent enough to tell this new finding by my teacher to folks back at home, even now I am ragged for that incident whenever I open my mouth in attempting to sing a song!  Now I know - for a song, it needs tune, rhythm and correct lyrics, bare minimum requirement. I don’t think I was no way near to any of these parameters while trying to sing a song those days. Or even now!

Showing talent sometimes puts you in trouble.

I had acted in a play too, to show my talent. It was the play by our batch for the annual day at college. Our final year in the college. The play had portrayed some of the funny things happening in an around our college as witnessed by Sri Narayana Guru who visits our college. My role was for just 30 seconds on the stage at the beginning, as the Guru enters the college I being a student guides him to Principal’s office. The play was a big hit, people had a hearty laugh.

Next day morning, we- all the actors and script writers were asked to go and meet principal. We thought, yes we are in trouble. In the play, there was a scene where we took a dig at our vice-principal. ( Vice-principal enquires to the attendant “Has the principal come?”  Attendant : “Why sir, any document to be signed ?”. Vice-principal : “No, I just wanted to go and sit on his chair if it is vacant today”.)  

We entered principal’s room. We found vice-principal sitting there! The principal was on leave!!

“Your play was very good”, as vice-principal told this, we felt we were on top of the world. We thought some token appreciation or gift were on the cards. “What ever you told about me, I took it sportively”. Our gift is just a few moments away, we thought. “But there is a small problem. The junior staff got offended with your remarks on them. I suggest you to go and beg pardon!” (In the play there was a reference about a romance happening in the junior lecturers’ room, I am still not sure whether there was any truth in it to make them so annoyed. Probably one of our ever enterprising, snoopy script writers would have smelt the rat!). Anyways, we did that - telling sorry to our junior lectures standing in front of them – from the top of our hearts, most insincerely.

Talent will be displayed inadvertently when one is extremely happy and emotional.

I was returning from Singapore to Chennai by Singapore airlines. Window seat, comfortable. As the flight was nearing Chennai, the gentle man sitting on the aisle on my row just got up. “Namma Naadu Vandaache, pattu aandu aachu naadu paathittu“ ( my land has come, 10 years since I had seen ) the lungi clad fellow started dancing. I knew for sure he was not drunk, as he was sitting beside me. He just could not control his happiness! And, that dance was as good as the “lungi dance” in the movie Chennai express. Only difference was instead of one Deepika Padukone dancing with Sharukh, many airhostesses around our hero were not dancing, but trying to control the talented effort, as seat belt warning was about to glow any time!

At times, talent needs to be demonstrated for administrative purpose!

My friend was attending visa interview at US consulate in Chennai. As he was waiting for his turn to be called for the interview at the counter, he heard some unusual noises – haa, hooo, heee! Then he saw one person at the counter practicing karate. This champion was supposed to travel to US to participate in a karate competition. The officer at the consulate asked him to demonstrate his skills then and there itself to ascertain the genuineness. Luckily for my friend, this person was not a champion in archery! Rather broad frame of my friend’s body would have easily taken a couple of arrow hits!

I have seen many parents send their little ones to too many art/sport classes. On Saturdays and Sundays the kids will be much more loaded with violin, guitar, tabla, mridungam, drawing, cricket, tennis, bhartanatyam, break dance etc – one class after another. This is a good thing to have- at early stages to spot the talent. As the kids reach high school level, almost all classes will be discontinued, it will only be academics then onwards, even after they were found good in one or two areas. Then on their talent will get displayed only in limited occasions such as annual day functions. One can’t blame them. Unless one sees a good career path, that too in abundance, this is bound to happen.

Would this ever change in our country? Or is it that this change is not necessary at all? I am not talented enough to answer these questions.