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Musician O. S. Arun and dancer Leela Samson have left indelible marks in their arts
‘Music is like democracy’
Photo: N. Sridharan
in synch O.S. Arun and Leela Samson have many shared memories to laugh about
The air throbs with bird song. Vocalist O.S. Arun arrives for a twilight rendezvous with dancer Leela Samson, Director, Kalakshetra of Chennai. Born and trained in a family of Carnatic musicians, Arun’s resonant voice is also acclaimed in emotive bhajans and film songs. Bharatanatyam artiste Leela Samson is known for her nuanced aesthetic sense in every aspect of performance.
Her books testify to her scholarship. GOWRI RAMNARAYAN records their talk as the two retrace their association of many years.
Leela: I’ve known you from childhood days. It must have been tough for you to be the youngest in a family of musicians. I liked the fact that you were ready to try different things. You’ve made a niche for yourself.
Arun: To be the youngest is both a disadvantage and an advantage. However, my father (O. V. Subramanian) and brother (O. S. Thiagarajan) like what I do. I recall how proudly I’d tell friends that Leela Samson came to hear me at New Delhi’s Kamani or IIC. I’ve seen you listening to Seshagopalan, K. V. Narayanaswami, Pt. Jasraj and Amjad Ali Khan.
Leela: In Kalakshetra, we were privileged to grow up among extraordinary musicians like Vasudevachar, Budalur Krishnamurti Sastrigal, M. D. Ramanathan... They were all so simple, generous. Budalur would share his meagre lunch with us because he pitied us for being deprived of home food at the hostel.
Arun: Must have been very special. I was so excited when you asked me to compose music for your production Spanda. A double challenge. Your choreography was abstract, and then you said let’s do a longish tanam!
Leela: I love tanam. The dancers would stand in the wings, nervous, anxious, but the moment they heard your voice, they were energised, confident.
Arun: Your students told me that only two things can make you cut your class short. Chaat and cricket. You finish the varnam and hurriedly ask for the score!
Leela: (
(Mischievously) Time to break your secrets. Remember the time when Asha Bhonsle asked you to sing? Instead of singing a fine kriti , you sang one of her songs, adding your own sangatis to it!
Arun: She said you’re good, but don’t do so many harkatein!
Leela: (Laughing) That’s a loaded word - it can mean embellishments, and also mischief!
Arun: Remember the fun we had when we travelled in Punjab and Rajasthan on a SPIC-Macay Tour!
Leela: Yes. You talked non-stop, imitating all the dancers on tour.
Arun: I like taking risks. You also improvise a lot. Once you even stopped dancing in the middle of the varnam, and enjoyed my singing around the high gandhara.
Leela: I know. That Kalyani varnam had very few words, long melodic phrases.
Arun: For me music is like democracy. No restrictions. When you danced to Samiyai azhaitodi va, I would bring in Odissi style in Vasanta, and move to pure Thanjavur bani with Devamanohari. Wasn’t it difficult to give up your career to go to Chennai? As director of Kalakshetra how much time can you have for yourself?
Leela: In Delhi I was dancing, writing, teaching, researching. I had many friends. Not easy to walk away from all that.
Moving to Chennai ended my career. I had to ask myself if I cared enough about Kalakshetra to give up everything else.
Arun: I too had a full life in Delhi, flitting from hall to hall, singing, composing. But I’m doing fulfilling work here now.
Leela: My dance is definitely on the back burner now.
Administration is tiring though.
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