At a OMR community concert

Anuja in concert at Navarathri celebrations.  Photo by -  Mr Lakshmanan (my D block neighbour)

I am not into music of the Carnatic kind, but  on wife's recommendation, I attended Anuja's rendering of concert music as part of Mantri Synergy Navarathri celebrations at our clubhouse. Anuja's approach, presentation, and the way she addressed the audience appealed even to the uninformed among us, says my wife. It is this quality,  more than anything else,  that empowered Anuja (H-block) to teach music to the 4-year-olds.

Talent alone isn't enough. It takes poise, stage presence and ettiquette to make a musician. And, in my book, Anuja (H block)  makes the grade in all departments. What's more, she has the temperament to put up with other hassles of a community gathering during Navarathri.

For many us in the audience music is a  side-show. On such occasions we are more into socializing, social networking. Artistes often find themselves performing for an uncaring audience, or empty chairs. Anuja handled with grace the irritating rings of audience cell-phones; incessant back-row chatter; and hyper active toddlers who barely sit in one chair for more than 17 seconds at a time. Children appeared to have a free play in the hall; and if singers find this a distraction, they simply  grin and bear it. I wonder if organisers or anyone else can do much about this. After all, the children escorting elders need to be engaged.

Ms Karthikaipavai of cultural programme committee  could, perhaps,  do with some volunteer baby-sitters to run a cartoon films show or some thing elsewhere at the clubhouse during Navarathri  song and dance evenings. Ms Pavai would also do well to put up a proposal to the Association,  for sanction of a few pedestal fans in the clubhouse.. A packed hall without air-conditioners adds to the discomfort of children and women, notably, those in heavy silk sari.

As I said at the start, carnatic music is not quite my cup of tea. Realising this, presumably, Anuja wound up her concert with a touching Tamil number  - Ethanai janmum eduthalum..... The pull of one's own soil has been the theme of poets and lyricists in every language. My own favourites in this genre include Chhod Aaye Hum Oh Galian ... and  O Yaaro Maaf Karna ...

As they have done so well in identifying in-house talent in carnatic music, Ms Pavai and friends in her committee should scout for  talent within our complex to make an evening of  movie  songs.

Ladies prefer a male tailor

Women at  Mantri Synergy can have this cloth sent to them from Surat in three days. And Anuja (H-205) can get it for them. It's pure cotton, she says. But then they have to get it stitched themselves . Each chudidar set ordered  comes  with a photo of the design  for reference by tailors.
Most women buying chudidar sets have their own tailor. And I have known women going miles, even to other towns, to have their outfit stitched,  though tailors are found in every neighbourhood. Anuja at Mantri's, I understand,  gets her tailoring done from a  professional at Adyar.

My wife gets her blouses stitched from a tailor at Vidyaranyapuram, Mysore, though the chap never delivers on time. At times, the cloth she hands in for stitching during a Mysore visit doesn't get done until our subsequent trip. Her elder sister, at Kotturpuram , relies on Murugesan, a tailor at Mylapore.
This is something neither my wife nor her sister would explain. Why do they, and most other women I know go to a male tailor ? It is because ladies prefer a male tailors those specializing   in chudidar and other women's outfit are mostly men. Mrs Geetha Viswanathan (C-block) can correct me if  this isn't so. She can tell us if more men than women sign up for tailoring courses in her school of fashion technolgy , Adyar.
Anyway, Anuja has a friend in fashion textiles in Surat, who has sent a consignment of chudidar sets. And she would be happy to share what she has with others at Mantri, and also take orders for delivery from Surat,  to be made in three days. A chudidar set costs a little over Rs.500 and one could choose from a catalogue of over 80 designs.
Anuja - Apt. H-205, Mantri Synergy - can be contacted at 044 29856074