A doyen's doyen
TRYST OF THE TITANS President APJ Abdul Kalam paying a call on Subbudu.
The visit of American President George W. Bush to India may be creating waves across the country, though not everyone is prepared to play the gracious host. But this was one presidential visit anyone would envy. And one that took place without fanfare. Veteran music critic, musician and composer P.V. Subramaniam, more commonly known by his pen name Subbudu, received a surprise this past weekend when he got a call from the Rashrapati Bhawan to inform him that President APJ Abdul Kalam wanted to pay a call on him. The octogenarian columnist who has been ailing for some time and is not much seen in public, recently suffered a heart attack but is now at home.
The first citizen - also, arguably, India's most popular citizen - came to look him up with a bouquet of 101 roses from the Mughal Gardens, remarking that it was his way of wishing Subbudu a healthy life of 101 years. When he asked the witty Subbudu about the health of his heart, India's senior most critic, known for his hard hitting reviews of classical dance and music and famous for his effortless punning in multiple languages, retorted, "I don't have a heart, so how can I have a heart problem?"
President comments
The President was greatly amused and commented on his ability to laugh even in adversity. Snacking on dosai, chutney and sambar, washed down with buttermilk, Kalam, whose erudition in literature and the arts and interest in music is a matter of pride for Indians, exchanged notes with Subbudu on cultural affairs. When Subbudu hesitatingly asked him whether he could release the news of this visit to the press, adding by way of explanation, "I have many fans," the President, who conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi award on Subbudu not long ago, immediately asked to be counted among them. It was obviously a meeting of true titans.
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