CHENNAI: In January 2004, when Madurai TN Seshagopalan was actively involved in the centenary celebrations of his guru Ramanathapuram C S Sankarasiva Bhagavathar in Madurai, one of his friends had said to him jokingly, “You are doing the job of a secretary here. Why don’t you perform a song, or let’s say, deliver a Harikatha?”
An amused TNS had replied, “Do you think delivering a Harikatha is that easy? Fine, I’ll take it as a challenge. I’ll try my best. But in order to prepare, I need to isolate myself for a day.”
Later, TNS had gone to the Meenakshi Amman Temple, and sat with a pen and paper in front of the goddess to prepare for the Harikatha based on the life and times of his paramaguru Dr Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar. “I readied myself to speak for an hour and a half,” he says. “However, the next day, the session went on for four and a half long hours!” he adds.
What had been rendered as a tribute to his guru that day didn’t escape the notice of sabhas in and around Chennai. “I started getting a lot of offers. Slowly but steadily I earned a name in this field. I’m happy that I’ve been able to reach out to my audience through this art. Rather than saying I went in search of Harikatha, it would be more appropriate to say Harikatha came in search of me,” he says with a smile.
The artiste, who was conferred with the Harikatha Choodamani Award by the Krishna Gana Sabha this month, is also a recipient of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Award (2006) by Music Academy and Padma Bhushan (2004) among other prestigious awards. “This is the second Choodamani award I’ve received from Krishna Gana Sabha. In 1983, I was awarded the Sangeeta Choodamani Award by the same sabha. But what makes me more elated is the fact that I received the title in a grand ceremony from the hands of his holiness Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. It reminds me of the time I was awarded the Bhagavad Katha Pravachana Amruta Naada Varshi title from the hands of the Kanchi seer. I am happy because the title has been given for my contribution to the field of Harikatha,” he says.
TNS reminisces the day, back in 1955, when he had given his first Harikatha recital in school. He says he was an all-rounder and had participated in various competitions like scouts, dance, music, drama and Harikatha. “I was given the Bishnu Ram Medhi all-rounder award on Children’s Day when I was in school,” he recollects. “Though I had been an active listener of talks by great personalities like Embar S Vijayaraghavachariar, Manjakkudi Rajagopala Shastrigal, Tiru Muruga Kripananda Variyar, Ki Va Jagannathan and Annasami Bhagavathar, little did I realise that a day would come when I’ll see myself as a professional Harikatha performer,” he adds.
TNS, who has been in the field of music since 1969, has also acted in two movies — Thodi Ragam (1983) and Jambhavan (2006). “Acting is not my priority. It just happened. Music comes first and it’s the people who have to decide how far I’ll go as a Harikatha exponent,” he says.
He had learnt music initially from his mother and had become a disciple of Ramanathapuram CS Sankara Siva Bhagavathar when he was 16. His guru predicted in 1991 that TNS will be known for Harikatha in the future. “I was intrigued by my guru’s prediction. He had said it in front of a large gathering, and I was worried how the prognostication will come true. But now, you can see for yourself. I sit in front of you as a Harikatha artiste” he says with a smile.
After a conversation that lasts for over an hour, TNS, who does not look a tad exhausted, says, “An artiste should perform art for the sake of art and involve oneself with sincerity, seriousness and dedication. Name, fame and money will then follow suit.”
