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`Art is an effective therapy'
What happens when you meet two lively ladies on a lazy Sunday morning? You are bound to perk up. As dancer-musician-therapist Ambika Kameshwar and Carnatic vocalist-turned-actress Anuradha Krishnamurthi entered the Chola Sheraton, Chennai, they lit up the atmosphere with their beautiful silk saris and broad smiles. One has diverted her creative energy towards helping special children enjoy the beauty of life through the performing arts at her school Rasa, while the other has inherited a proud musical legacy (daughter of the illustrious musician Palghat K. V. Narayanasamy) and given acting a shot. Anuradha played the role of Indu, a singer, in K. Balachander's serial "Sahana". Ambika's association with Anu-ma (as she fondly calls Anuradha) started a few years ago when they did a Carnatic music talent promotion programme "Ragam Sangeetham" on Raj TV.
The camaraderie and confluence of thoughts made Take Two sound like Take One. For, throughout the 60-minute chat there was never a discordant note. Chitra Swaminathan tuned in...
Ambika: Oh! I have exactly the same sari. Luckily, we had discussed what we would be wearing. Imagine if I had walked in wearing the same blue, then our picture could have been captioned `uniform artistes'. (Ha, ha, ha... )
Anuradha: If you feel we are on the same mental plane, I am truly honoured. Because I have always been in awe of your commitment to the cause you have chosen to pursue. I wonder how you thought of channelling your artistic talent in this direction.
Ambika: One small event helped me discover the joy of interacting with special kids. One of my father's friends asked me to do a dance piece with the students of the Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind in Bangalore. It was a great challenge at that point of my life. The sessions were like lessons for me too. I would hold their hands and measure their footsteps. I helped a few master even fast-paced movements. I realised they had an amazing sense of sound and space. On the day of the performance, I was nervous, but they didn't let me down a bit. Later, I could see a tangible change in their attitude - from coping with life to living it to the fullest.
Anuradha: And it opened a new facet of art for you.
PHOTO: S. R. Raghunathan
Ambika: Absolutely. I always felt dance and music are more than just performing arts. After marriage, I moved to Madras and started teaching at the Spastics Society of India, which was started by my sister-in-law. I began to experiment on the concept of theatre for holistic development (THD). I remember the spontaneous response it drew from children with cerebral palsy.
Anuradha: Their happiness must be more fulfilling than the sound of applause after a recital.
Ambika: Actually I love art in all its forms. It's rasanubhava that inspired me to start "Rasa" in 1989. I realised that I could do very little alone. So I roped in like-minded people and today there are 21 teachers and 20 helpers working with me. Initially, we just had music and dance sessions, as art itself is therapeutic. Simultaneously, I structured the programmes to suit their specific needs. These are now being imparted through dialogue, drama, dance and music. We even organised the arangetram of two children with Down's Syndrome.
Anuradha: I too faced a big challenge after marriage. I had to initiate my husband and in-laws into the classical arts. Their open mindedness came as a blessing. Another advantage, of course, was they could never fault my singing (with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes).
Ambika: How did they react to your taking to acting?
Anuradha: That was the first question Balachander sir asked me. "Are your in-laws okay with it?" I was zapped. Imagine a man of his stature enquiring about such things. It was actually my husband who told me to accept the offer. And I am happy I did "Sahana". Because at that time I was going through a low as my father had passed away. Whenever I sat with my tambura, tears would roll down my cheeks. The serial worked like a therapy for me to get over my grief. Balachander sir has the magical ability to change people's outlook. Post-"Sahana" I felt a world of difference in my singing. There was more emotion. Learning to live the character also enabled me to feel the ragas more intensely.
Ambika: Are you open to acting in films?
Anuradha: I am now doing a film called "Amrutham" where I play Girish Karnad's wife. You know I have to wear a madisaar and a tilakam in the film.
Ambika: So henceforth you will be shuttling between studios and sabhas?
Anuradha: Yes. Because I cannot give up music for acting.
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