He wiped your tears when you were down and gave you hope when you thought your world had shattered. Yet, a father’s silent vow to protect you from all adversities sometimes goes unnoticed. “He’s the one person who I can go to for anything. It’s impossible to keep secrets from him. My father is the centre of my universe,” said singer Bindu Subramaniam, daughter of noted violinist Dr L Subramaniam. She’s, of course, speaking for her brothers Ambi and Narayana too.
Music has been an integral part of the Subramaniam siblings’ lives. Growing up, there was music playing in their house all the time and they got to interact with top-notch artistes throughout their lives. “Today, through music, we share a powerful connection with each other. My father is open to listening to all kinds of new interesting music and there’s always something to discuss about. I feel that dad has taught us everything, and that extends even beyond music,” said Bindu. Aside from being their guru, guide and friend, Ambi and Narayana, too, feel they couldn’t have asked for a better role model.
According to the trio, Dr L Subramaniam has been a constant source of support, inspiration and endless encouragement. “He believes in doing what one is passionate about and has tried to inspire us to dream big rather than force us to pick something to do. He leads by example. Moreover, his work ethic is very strong and he has ensured that it has been passed on to us, though he is not a strict disciplinarian,” said the siblings.
Similarly, Yashasvi, son of violinist A Subbarao, said that his father was his pillar of strength and has been a tremendous influence in nurturing his own unique style. Coming from a musically-inclined family, the ambience at Yashasvi’s home was enriching to say the least. “My father ensured that I practised every morning. He was a disciplinarian. He never promoted me or requested organisers to give me a platform to perform. Instead, he wanted me to carve a niche for myself,” said the violinist.
As kids, the Subramaniam siblings said that they were not really aware of their father’s acclaimed status. In fact, they were always sheltered from fame and glory.
Likewise, Aviva Bidappa, daughter of fashion guru Prasad Bidappa too felt that her father never let his ‘social status’ affect her in any way. “I had a normal childhood and was raised like any other child.
In fact, I never discussed about my father at school. Of course, he has given me everything. He always taught me to the best in whatever I wanted to do and believed in me. A lot of credit goes to my dad for who I am today. It is an absolute honour to be his daughter,” said Aviva.
Bindu, Ambi and Narayana agreed that it was a wonderful experience travelling with their father and keeping up with his hectic work schedule. They truly believe that they were blessed to be able to travel all over the world, interact with new people and get introduced to different kinds of music and culture. As they grew older, they began to perform together.
And, that is when they realised that they all shared a deep emotional bond. “It was an extremely fulfilling experience to perform together. Moreover, it was always fascinating to interact with different people, and see ourselves and our culture through their eyes,” said Bindu.
(With inputs from A Sharadhaa and Nivedita K G)