Remembering art connoisseur Smt. YGP on her centenary year

She was not just an educationist but also a patron of the arts. Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy or Mrs. YGP as she is popularly referred to, especially believes in nurturing young and promising artistes. He believed that culture is part of education, which is why he started a dedicated auditorium called Bharat Kalachar inside his popular school. Later it doubled as a performance venue throughout the year, and in particular Margazi offered not only music and dance performances but also theatre. She was also a great rasika to such an extent that almost till the end of her life she could be seen sitting in a wheelchair enjoying performances not only at Bharat Kalachar but at other places as well.

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

Theater artist AR Srinivasan shared interesting anecdotes about Mrs. YGP. , Photo Credit: Vino John

ARS, a veteran actor popular on stage and cinema, has many tales to share. “When I became part of the drama troupe United Amateur Artists (UAA) in 1963, their scriptwriter Pattu, who had given many hit films, had just left. YG Parthasarathy was shaken. But, it was Rajamma who gave him the courage to carry on. She said that UAA is not dependent on any individual. She had been YGP’s mentor many times. For example, we had already started practicing for the first part Padma VyuhamWhen Mauli said that she needed more time to complete the play. But the YGP said it would not seek a postponement as it had already booked the protest dates. So, I asked Rajamma for help. He told YGP that the group’s reputation was due to the quality of their plays, and postponing the opening would cause less damage than a poorly performed play. The end result was a huge success.”

Mrs. YGP was known to be present at most rehearsals. “She never hesitated to praise or criticize an actor. We used to come to rehearsals at least an hour before time, because her exchanges with writer Cho (Ramaswami) were quite interesting. The subjects they debated on ranged from politics and personality to cinema, theater and religion. Cho and Jayalalithaa were her favourites,” says ARS.

Veteran actor Lakshmi. , Photo courtesy: The Hindu

Actress Lakshmi remembers a different side of Mrs. YGP. “I was only 14 years old when Rajamma asked me to help in the make-up of the actors. She had very good taste and never tolerated poor dressing. I once wore a new saree for a play kannan vandanBut, at the end of the first scene, Rajamma asked me to change the saree because the ends of the saree were not tied,” she recalls, “When YGP passed away, I was in Udupi for a shoot, Rajamma called to give the news, When I started crying, she said, ‘He lived a full life,’ Don’t cry and don’t disturb the soul who is on a peaceful journey,

As the founder of the Padma Seshadri Group of Institutions, Smt. YGP had a devoted following of students. Actress Lakshmi remembers a meeting of the Rotary Club, when the invitees, all high-ranking professionals above fifty, stood respectfully when ‘Rajamma’ entered.

Venkat shares how Rajamma’s explanations helped him write the script Ragasiyam Param Ragasiyam with ease. , Photo Courtesy: S_Narayan Swamy

Venkat, who wrote several plays for UAA, recalls how Rajamma had the ability to explain things in an easily understandable manner. “When I was writing Ragasiyam Param RagasiyamI told Rajamma that I meditated for half an hour every day, although I could not understand its purpose. He said: ‘A man runs every day for health reasons. He cannot think that any other practical purpose is served by it. But, what if one day a thief steals something from his house and he has to chase him? Only then will his daily practice of running come in handy. 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,” says Venkat.

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