NJ Nandini

Two years ago, a december evening, a well wisher and friend of mine gave me a call. I was on the stage, about to receive a felicitation, after winning Ragaratnam which was telecasted in Amrita TV. I couldnt answer the call and convinced myself to call him back once the function was over. After a couple of minutes, another call came from the same number. There was no way I could have attended it that moment. I took the call. Once I heard 'hello' from the other side, I conveyed to him in a brisk manner that I was on the stage and would call him back later. But as usual, by the lapse of time, i forgot the incident till he called me the next week. After initial greetings he told me that, the 'Hello' which I heard the other day, was not his, but of someone else whom i wanted to talk to, ever since I happened to hear his Thillana in Sindhubhairavi; a person who mesmerized me with a korvai in Bhairavi and the finesse with which he elaborated a Rasaali, after listening to wh...

The past week was a horrendous one for me. The frequent travel and engagements had taken a toll on my body and the result was nothing short of a fallacious fever coupled with body pain. The antibiotics took its own time to act and by the time i somehow managed to escape from it's grip, came the demon in the form of severe throat pain and infection. This derailed all my preparation schedules. The more saddening thing is that my beloved gurus had adjusted their plans accordingly for my sake this week, which has all gone in vain. Hopefully this week turns out to be better. The probabilities of it becoming better is high as things cannot take a downward route from this low point.