MG Radhakrishnan, the musical maestro - My Radhappa chettan

MG Radhakrishnan is from a gifted family of music and has strode on the firmament of the malayalam film music like a colossus. A gifted singer and a music director, par excellence, my all time favourite is his efforts in the movie ‘Thakara’. The music in it has a way of challenging one’s sensibilities and finally, subdue them to its meek acceptance just by sheer quality and the richness of texture.
Radhappa chettan, as he’s known to us, is related to me – my grandmother, the late Mrs. PN Panicker, is his aunt or ‘ammayi’ as we say in our language. Stories abound about his stay at my grandparents’ place in Thiruvananthapuram while he was studying at the Music Academy, Thycaud for his pranks and a good sense of humour. My mother had just returned for prenatal care and after giving birth to yours truly, continued to be under the care of her parents to avoid further post natal complications. My amma and Radhappa chettan got along like a house on fire and their spontaneity in raking up raucous laughter was well known. I believe, he used to carry me around quite a lot those days and has shown a special affinity towards me even to this day and he calls me ‘monay’.
Way back in 1979, when I was a young subaltern at Kochi, he and his entire team(consisting of the gifted Ambalappuzha brothers amongst others) spent an afternoon with me in my mess cabin prior to a musical evening at the Rama Varma Hall. Though I’d an assignment later on in the evening, he insisted on my being at the centre of the front row for his first rendition, which he gracefully dedicated for me and all my future professional endeavours. I really felt proud but self conscious as the audience had me under close scrutiny as they sensed our special bonding.
Years later, we met once again at my cousin Reshmi’s wedding where he had me sit beside him during lunch and taught me the way to secure the banana leaf, after finishing the spread. Usually, people secure the leaf by folding the bottom half over the top half, but he insisted that the correct way was the other way round as the gesture shows respect towards the goddess Laxmi, who’s associated with food, wealth and well being. Ever since that day, I follow his instructions of folding the banana leaf –top half over the bottom half!
Two years back, when I’d gone to visit him at the hospital on his recovery from a serious liver ailment, I was very happy when he told me that I should get him a bottle of ‘cod liver oil capsules’. And I was only too glad to oblige and wasn’t he so very thankful, bragging to one and all that they were given to him by me. In the eagerness of living our lives, we’ve not been in constant touch.
This evening, I got the news that he is battling for his life on account of that erratic liver of his. I’m sure he’ll come out of these trying times with the inner strength that he possesses as he’s a great fighter. O God, please give Radhappa chettan the strength to tide over this difficulty and I promise that I shall be in constant touch with him from now on!