THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The lines had poured on to the paper quite effortlessly and Dr Naresh Babu found a songful verse fill a warm May evening in 2008 as if it had always been in the offing. The intensely romantic ‘Ankhon mein tere jadoo’ had not given the slightest inkling of its coming and nor had the medical doctor-turned-hospital administrator fancied himself as a poet.
Set to music, the song was revelatory for him and brought forth a string of love poems. Three years later, a set of six romantic songs penned in chaste Hindi have been complied into a music album titled ‘Rangon Sitaron Mein.’
Says Naresh, who now heads the administration wing of SK Hospital, Pangode, “the poem had sounded quite right for a musical composition and I remembered meeting Vincent and Abhilash, who were foraying into music direction at that time. They captured the essence of the song beautifully and it was inspiring for a novice poet.’’
The polished Hindi is the result of Naresh’s long stay in the industrial town of Bhilai with his parents as his father was employed in the steel plant there. It was after completing MBBS from Raipur Medical College that he returned to his hometown in Kollam.
The six songs, says Naresh, can fill in a love story that has long been taking shape in his mind. “It is also the story of unethical practices in the medical field. But, there is also a love triangle in the tale. I have almost finished writing a novel which is in English. While penning the songs, I was spontaneously picturing scenes from the novel and if it is ever made into a movie, the songs can fit right in,” he says.
His wife Priya, a practising lawyer trained in music, served as his copy taster while the verses were in the making. “She would help me mend the lines so they sounded more musical,” he smiles.
The chemistry between the couple obviously lends a Midas touch to their lives. Naresh had once bought a black georgette saree for Priya which suddenly looked an inviting canvas for the painter in him. “Black is her favourite colour and I decked up the saree with silver sequence work. Soon, I began doing hand work on sarees as a hobby,” he says. The couple now has a website, www.nareshhanmades.com, where orders for exclusive designer sarees could be placed. “I have also designed dresses for our daughter Ruhi. She is learning the keyboard and chipped in with suggestions for the album,” he smiles.
The songs have been rendered by playback singers Gayathri, Anwar, Padmakumar, Shwetambari, Jose and also Prabhat and Atul. Dr Viswanath, a Pune-based friend from the medical college days, had flown down just to record the song ‘Chahe Rahe....’, composed by Bombay S Kamal.
So, is there a poem or a saree that he plans to gift his wife on Valentine’s Day? “Well, she has worn a hand-painted saree for every special occasion for a while now. Every day can be special in its own way if you look at life that way,” says the versatile doctor.