In her centenary year, remembering Mrs. YGP, a connoisseur of arts

Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy or Mrs. YGP, as she was popularly known, was an educationist who understood the importance of culture. She believed culture was part of education, a reason why she set up Bharat Kalachar, inside her popular school Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, T. Nagar. It doubled-up as a performance space all through the year, and especially during Margazhi, featuring not just music and dance performances but also theatre. She nurtured artistes, especially young and promising ones. She was also a great rasika and till almost the end of her life, she could be seen seated in the front row, enjoying performances not just at Bharat Kalachar but at other venues too.

Mrs. YGP, whose centenary is being celebrated, was Rajamma to those close to her.

Theatre artiste A.R. Srinivasan shares interesting anecdotes about Mrs. YGP.
| Photo Credit:
VINO JOHN

Veteran actor ARS, popular on stage and in cinema, has many anecdotes to share. “When I became a part of the drama troupe United Amateur Artists (UAA) in 1963, their script writer Pattu, who had delivered many hits, had just left. Y.G. Parthasarathy was shaken. But, it was Rajamma who gave him the courage to move on. She said that UAA was not dependent on any individual. She was YGP’s counsellor many a time. For instance, we had already started rehearsing the first half of the play Padma Vyuham, when Mouli said he needed more time to complete the play. But YGP said he wouldn’t ask for a postponement as he had already booked the performance dates. So, I sought Rajamma’s help. She told YGP that the reputation of the group was because of the quality of their plays, and that postponing an inauguration would do less harm than a poorly-done play. The end result was a huge success.”

Mrs. YGP was known to be present for most rehearsals. “She never hesitated to compliment or criticise an actor. We would turn up for rehearsals at least an hour before time, because her exchanges with writer Cho (Ramaswamy) were quite interesting. The topics they argued about ranged from politics and personalities to cinema, theatre and religion. Cho and Jayalalithaa were her favourites,” adds ARS.

Veteran actor Lakshmi.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

Actress Lakshmi remembers a different facet of Mrs YGP. “I was only 14 when Rajamma asked me to help with actors’ make-up. She had a great dress sense, and never tolerated shoddy dressing. I once wore a new saree for the play Kannan Vandaan. But, at the end of the first scene, Rajamma told me to change the saree, because the ends had not been hemmed,” she recalls. “When YGP passed away, I was in Udupi for a shoot. Rajamma called to convey the news. When I began to cry, she said, ‘He lived a full life. Don’t cry and disturb the soul which is on a peaceful journey.’”

As the founder of the Padma Seshadri group of institutions, Mrs YGP had a devout student following. Actor Lakshmi remembers a Rotary Club meeting when the invitees, all highly placed professionals in their fifties, rose respectfully when ‘Rajamma’ entered.

Venkat shared how Rajamma’s explanations helped him write the script for Ragasiyam Parama Ragasiyam with ease.
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S_NARAYANA SWAMY

Venkat, who wrote many plays for UAA, recalls how Rajamma had the knack of explaining things in an easy-to-understand manner. “When I was writing Ragasiyam Parama Ragasiyam, I told Rajamma that I meditated for half an hour every day, although I couldn’t understand its purpose. She said: ‘A man runs every day for health reasons. He might not think there’s any other practical purpose served. But, what if a thief stole something from his house one day, and he had to chase him? That’s when his daily practice of running will come in useful. In the same way, meditation will build your spiritual strength, and when you face a crisis, you will be able to deal with it.’ My experience has shown me that she was right,” adds Venkat.

As a patron of the arts , Mrs YGP was known for her ability to encourage all. Dancer and guru Chitra Visveswaran says: “A word of appreciation from Mrs YGP meant a lot to artistes. Despite her stature, she was never intimidating.”