Strings of Enigma
A rare insight into the life and art of a musical maestro
Some great people are very easily forgotten. While alive, their very presence was enough to create awe, hero worship, love and fear but once they faded away, they don’t remain with us. One such character in the Indian performing arts is S. Balachander. It is easier to describe what he was not rather than what he was: Prodigy, genius, perfectionist, innovator, self-obsessed, honest, kind, generous. Now what is left!
To write about someone like Balachander is difficult as there are so many layers to his personality and contribution to art that the author has brought out in a vivid manner without any loose ends. It is a magnificent ride to watch the sitar player, chess champ, film actor, director, producer, composer finally become S. Balachander, “Voice of the Veena”. Laced within are the multiple encounters and controversies Balachander courted through his life. The book is engaging and definitely gives you a rare insight into one of the most enigmatic figures in Indian performing art.
As a reader I never felt the sheer beauty of his music while reading this book. Maybe it’s impossible to bring that out and I wouldn’t fault the writer for it. As much as Balachander wanted to forget his film days, the author has not ignored Balachander the actor, composer, producer and director. But one wishes he had included thoughts of later directors like K. Balachander or Mani Ratnam who admired his iconic Andha Naal.
While the author has tried to create a social and musical context for the reader, sometimes this intrudes into Balachander’s story. There are errors regarding musical history that the author could have avoided. For example, the mention that Kallinatha regards Carnatic music as the music particular to the region bounded by the rivers Krishna and Kaveri is wrongly interpreted. Kallinatha refers to the Karnatadesa, the land ruled by his patron king Immidi Devaraya, and not the music. The mention that the journals of Tachur Singaracharlu published compositions attributed to Swathi Tirunal is erroneous.these publications only refer to Kulasekhara Maharaja as the composer and this distinction is important, especially when dealing with both sides of the Swathi Tirunal controversy.