World Teachers Day: Artists reminisce on cherished bonds with their gurus

CHENNAI: Today, we honour the guiding forces of our lives, the imparter of knowledge. Today, we honour our gurus. The ones who share a piece of their lives with us, and cradle us with their guidance ceaselessly. For this Teachers' Day, Ankita Nair talks to people from sundry paths in life, who reminisce on cherished bonds with their gurus, and who have made their journey worth seeking

Glimpses of amma in every jathi and bhava

I was born into a family with Kuchipudi lineage. From my grandfather, Padma Bhushan guru Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam, to my uncle, and mother, we are a family full of artistes. Thus, it was no surprise that I too chose to carry the legacy forward. I began my journey under the guidance of my grandfather at the age of two. Unfortunately, I did not get a lot of time with him as we lost him when I was seven. Whatever little I am able to perform is entirely under the guidance of my mother and guru Srimayi Vempati. Right from the sharpest of jathi’s, to the subtle of expressions, it is all amma. Ever since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by amma’s dance. If she played the role of Rukmini, I wanted to be Chinna Ummini. Recently, during the Margazhi season, I had the opportunity of playing a grown up Rukmini- a dreamy experience for which the entire credit goes to my amma. She plays the dual role of my mother and guru. I wish to make her both a proud mother and an even prouder guru.

Real life dungeon master

My life revolves around Dungeons & Dragons. And my dungeon master would be Sriram Mahalingam, who is the co-owner of The Board Room, where I work. The passion he has for board games, and the critical approach to analysing game mechanics has impacted how I approach the game. As much as he is my game guru at work, I have learned some valuable insights about life from him. One such advice which stands out was when he said, “Measure what you give, for there will always be takers who demand more out of you.” I will always revere my favourite moments with him which would be when playing social deduction games like Avalon and Blood on the Clock Tower. I have learnt how to convincingly argue for, or against any in the game arguments from him.

— Thara Srinivasan, dungeon master

Staging the act of brotherhood

Throughout my theatrical journey, I have been fortunate enough to have had numerous mentors guiding me through various phases. But perhaps, Raghavendr Siva, aka Raghav, stands out as an exception. He is the first person to pop up right in my mind when I think of whom I would consider my guiding light. The bond I share with Raghav is special. He is more like my brother. He is someone who can see right through me when something is wrong, without any conversations between us. He has molded me into this articulative human that I would like to vouch for, that I am. He takes greater pride in my accomplishments than myself.

The confidence Raghav has given me to kickstart my theatre company, Rednose Theater, would have just been a dream otherwise. I would like to tell him a big fat thank you, to which he would respond, “Okay! See you tomorrow at 5 am sharp. Don’t you dare be late!”

— Divagar Ravi, theatre artiste

Typewriting guru’s encouragement

For me, the presence of Muruganantham became the turning point of my life. I am a typewriter artist. Muruganantham, my teacher, has been running the Vedhamani Typewriting Institute for the past seven years. I joined the institute in 2019. At the beginning, I was just typing. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I remember asking him with a lot of hesitation if I could borrow a typewriter home, which he instantly agreed to. Using the same typewriter, I drew my first art of India’s map. He was all praises and urged me to continue my journey, which certainly was not accepted by many. Typewriting art can be tedious, which can cause the machine to get broken real quick. No typewriters would take the expense or allow me to continue my craft. It is because of my teacher that I have become the first typewriter artist in my state.

— Dr S Matheswaran, typewriter artist

To teach? Or not to?

Teaching has always felt natural to me. Even as a child, I found myself giving lectures to an audience of my bed, wardrobe, and walls. It was my way of learning, a method to make information stick. In college, I met Padma ma’am, who would later become my research guide during my Master’s in English at Stella Maris College. She played a significant role in shaping my teaching journey. In her classes, she often simplified complex ideas by asking, “So what?” to enable students to understand why we were covering certain points and ideas. Our relationship wasn’t defined by a deep bond, rather by subtle, meaningful exchanges.

One piece of advice from her has stayed with me, especially when I was torn between teaching college students and pursuing a career in performance. She said “Either way, you’re performing for an audience.” Children are incredibly observant, who pick up on everything- from a teacher’s shift in expression in a millisecond to the smallest details, like the shape of the bindi you wear. I still say ‘Thank you’ instead of ‘Thanks’ because my grade six Math teacher taught me it was more respectful. While I believe children should not be pressured in finding a role model because everyone is flawed, and not everything about a person should be emulated, it’s vital they look up to those who embody genuine qualities. I believe my guide was genuine with me.— Nimmy, theatre facilitator