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An Interview with Vani Jayaram

Topic started by Neel D (@ 24.98.42.169) on Thu Aug 15 09:10:17 EDT 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Visit http://www.vanijayaram.com

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Tue Sep 10 10:33:48 EDT 2002
  
  Neel D -
  It is my privilege to be so at "home" in two of India's finest cultures, fluent in two of India's richest (metaphorically) languages - tamizh and urdu. I would rather die before I disown either of them.
  The reason for foregrounding my "non-tamizh" status in geneological terms had an entirely different impetus. Just because you asked:
  The hatemail that I received after you uploaded the interview at the webpage zeroed in on two things:
  One was my muslim identity. Of course, we all know that in the last year it has been an open seaon for muslim-bashing all over the world. Two of the messages (out of the half dozen) were particularly noteworthy for their bigotry and diction - Pappaththi VJ and Thulukkan Naaz were garlanded with the choicest of the ku, pu, su, beginning words, and our mothers and sisters were dragged into it all for added excitement. Nothing new, really. One expects this sort of sleaze from a certain segment - both in these forums - and from the whole wide world. Anonymity makes for such spineless eloquence indeed.
  What floated above this muck was a deeper, and more trecherous hostility. To paraphrase the violence in nutshell, this is what I was asked (Insert the The, Lava, and other such words wherever appropriate):
  WHO ARE YOU TO TALK ABOUT TAMIZH AND TAMIZH FILM MUSIC YOU CIRCUMCISED, MOSQUE VISITING PROGENY OF MURDERERS?
  Inspired, huh?
  The "disowning" as you term it, in actuality, was a foregrounding not out of any sense of trespassing, but out of Pride (for those who know urdu know the meaning of Naaz as well.) It was to state in no ambiguous terms that yes, I was a urdu-speaking, tamizhan. And I speak with the authority of a "cultural insider" even though technically I was (without regret or remorse) a "native outsider."
  
  See, it is easy to be provocative, as provocation does not need a philosophy. But pride does not add up to much without that essential perserverance which has to be part of it.
  
  Sorry to share this sordid bit - which really should have been under wraps - with you. I am sure this is no going to stop the hatemail that comes my way. But then, it is not going to stop me from being a tamizh and urdu loving Indian either :-)
  
  
• From: av (@ 132.216.66.65) on: Tue Sep 10 11:38:43 EDT 2002
  
  Neel D:
  
  I cannot agree that a person like Ilayaraaja will make a bad choice. No the award doesnt belong to IR ALONE - Else he would have got it for Azhagi for best music. Sadhana Sargham got it all the way.
  
  I also cannot agree about the racism aspect in Mumbai. I can again (for the nth time) give a list of Southern born/Southern language-speaking singers and music directors who have done extremely well in Mumbai. Suman, Kavitha, hariharan, Bhimsen Joshi, Mallikarjun Mansur,ARR and many more.
  
  I can feel the nativity issue w.r.t. Northern languages as much as u feel it in your language. I feel it when I listen to songs by KJY,SPB,VJ in my languages. But I repeat again, why do you say that the choice of these singers in the North was justified, just because a certain music director chose them? That choice might not have been right too? Thats as per what I feel, but again who decides - the music directors or the listners?
  
  About this:
  **You can split the aspects of singing into items such as clarity, consistency, transition, pronunciation, enunciation, feel, expression, subtleties and nuances that a singer improvises to enhance the composition, etc. **
  
  Nuances, emotions, expression, subtleties are again quite subjective. Yes, I do agree that transitions between contrasting pitches, or clarity are more or less objective.
  
  But here again, who has the right to decide that -the MD or the listeners? I am sure the MD is the person knowing that better? So if an MD does prefer Chitra or SJ to VJ, why must it be termed as politics of ethnicity? How come PS wasnt affected in this way? or KJY?
  
  Anyways, thanks for your response. I respect your opinion, but can't agree. Anyway...continue.
  
  
• From: Kaumudi (@ 136.142.153.250) on: Tue Sep 10 13:20:10 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz
  I am surprised by the kind of hate-mail that you got. Wow, so much hatred towards fellow Indians!! Shocks me, to say the least. I am sorry you had to go through all of that.
  
  
• From: Neel D (@ 24.98.42.169) on: Tue Sep 10 21:26:37 EDT 2002
  
  Kaumudi,
  
  My take is little different form yours. I don't know how to say this wihtout sounding rude. Pardon me. I thought I worded my post very carefully. It begins "Anyone from Tamilnadu". SPB,PS,SJ and KSC are not from Tamilnadu (dont know about Jikki). They are imports. They are not natives or homegrown. Nor are they Tamil speaking people from out-of-state. Had they not been successful in Chennai they would have packed their bags back to Rajamundri, Vijayavada and Trivandrum. But that is not the case with Nagore Haniffa or TMS. They are natives and homegrown.
  
  Also I will not rush into christening any of the imported artistes as a Tamil. It is what the imported people consider themselves to be. I am not going to get emotional, sentimental and mushy over their efforts to adapt themselves to a life in Tamilnadu. In all honesty, they did all that to make a living in Tamilnadu, not for the love of the language or culture. They could develop love for the language and culture later, but I sincerely doubt that it happens (Read the latest statements from Mammootty and Shobana).
  
  When these non-native singers get a big piece of the pie, homegrown singers have to settle for the crumbs? Dont they already get enough of the crumbs in other states where the natives rule? I just want some fairness. At least give the qualified natives a small piece of the pie.
  
  AV,
  
  According to you every MD is a genius, every singer is a legend and every singer-choice is the right choice. You do have a big heart. I appreciate that. But when it comes to HFM/TFM racist politics, VJ and native singers your heart shrinks right off. :-)
  
  
• From: Neel D (@ 24.98.42.169) on: Tue Sep 10 21:36:54 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz,
  
  If someone does not like your personality or if they dont like VJ's singing they do have the option of ignoring your posts and ignoring VJ's songs. Don't fall for flamebaits. You have the option to ignore it.
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Wed Sep 11 01:04:40 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz
  
  Really horrified at the hate mails.I wonder how people manage to link totally unrelated things like VJ s caste and your being her fan.
  
  
  Cowardice!Neju porukkuthillaye intha nilai ketta mandharai ninaithuvittal.
  
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Sep 11 02:31:24 EDT 2002
  
  Neel D, OISG, Kaumudi -
  No big deal, just a bit astonishing, somewhat overwhelming. But thanks, all the same.
  After these many months in TFM page - and particularly in this thread - I know what and who is genuine and what and who is garbage. I am quite a veteran of the auto-ignore mode these days :-)
  
  OISG - the caste-religion link was admittedly an immense leap of faith. Some guys are so well-versed in abuse, it is a stinking marvel indeed. Could also be their medication (or lack of) (Ketta)vaaisolil Veeraradi :-)
  
  Neel D -
  What did Shobana and Mammooty say? And where? Biblio references - and gist if possible - please!
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.170) on: Wed Sep 11 09:03:08 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz- I am filled with horror to see such gruesome, vitriolic hatred. I am really upset that you had to endure this.
  
  To quote Bharathi again- 'Saathiram pesugiraai, Kannamma, saathiram edhukkadi- Aathiram kondavarkke Saathiram undodi?'
  
  
• From: Cinema Virumbi (@ 203.197.220.219) on: Wed Sep 11 09:31:37 EDT 2002
  
  Saravanan,
  
  Where were you? Many of us were anxiously looking for you in the VJ thread for your postings beyond 1976!
  
  >>>>>'Saathiram pesugiraai, Kannamma, saathiram edhukkadi- Aathiram kondavarkke Saathiram undodi?'<<<<<
  
  Pl. pardon my bad habit of pointing out corrections! Bharati had used 'aaththiram' in the context of passion/love! You can see the next few lines:
  
  The famous ' Vaarththai thavaRi vittaay ...'lines
  followed by
  'Mooththavar sammadhiyil vadhuvai muRaigaL pin seyguvOm! KaaththiruppEnOdee! Idhu paar! Kannaththu muththamonRu!'
  
  
• From: Naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Wed Sep 11 10:20:00 EDT 2002
  
  Saravanan -
  Good to see your return to these parts. Informed and engaging posters like you make all the difference to this thread. I Look forward to your lingering lists again!
  
  
• From: Kaumudi (@ 136.142.153.250) on: Wed Sep 11 10:32:19 EDT 2002
  
  Neel D
  I understand that I missed that "Anyone from tamilnadu" part of it. True, we are on slightly different planes. Also, I will agree to the point that may be all these singers did what they did to make a living, initially. But as time went by, they did appreciate the language and culture, so much so, that they read, wrote, spoke fluently in thamizh. To them Andhra (or Kerala) and Tamilnadu are like porandha veedu and pugandha veedu respectively (in the words of one of the non-native singers).
  
  One thing which doesn't get into my mind is "Why would music directors be fascinated with the "others" if they really think the homegrown voices are marketable (barring singers like VJ, UR)?" As I have said previously, it is not just the merit and talent that the singer needs in the eye of the music director, but also whether the singer suits the artist on the screen. Now under this premise, called marketability, don't you think the music directors had to make sure that the producers were happy? May be that is one of the reasons for this....
  
  In any case, please don't worry about sounding rude. It is much better to be frank and constructively argumentative and be rude than to be calling people names and abusing the thread (cf. Nazir and co). If you have to be slightly blunt to get your point across, so be it!
  
  
• From: av (@ 132.206.124.201) on: Wed Sep 11 11:39:07 EDT 2002
  
  Naaz:
  
  No my heart doesnt shrink off at all. And not at all when it comes to VJ...but I just find one thing funny:
  If an MD takes VJ its because she has talent, because she is a great singer. ( I do agree with this part. And that is why Vijayabhaskar, MSV, S-G took VJ.) But suppose the MD's choice is Chitra or Janaki, or maybe Asha or someone else, its always politics. If Ilayaraaja prefers Janaki, it is because he is "jeaous" of VJ. But if Vijayabhaskar or MSV make VJ (and not SJ) their prime-time singer, it is invariably due to politics and jealousy. Maybe it has nothing to do with the talent of Chitra or Janaki at all. And what do you have to say about K V Mahadevan's choice of SPS and SJ too for many many songs?
  
  Moreover why a person like Ilayaraaja (whose style of composition is so very unique and whose speed is so very unbelievable) should feel jealous of VJ or anyone else, is a puzzle for me.
  
  And seriously, your "heart shrinks off" comment wasnt at all nice. Certainly there was no need for such a comment at all.
  
  Thanks.
  
  
• From: av (@ 132.206.124.201) on: Wed Sep 11 11:43:51 EDT 2002
  
  Read the 3rd and 4th sentences as:
  
  If Ilayaraaja prefers Janaki, it is because he is "jealous" of VJ - maybe it has nothing to do with Janaki's talent at all. But if Vijayabhaskar or MSV make VJ (and not SJ) their prime-time singer, the question of politics or jealousy doesnt seem to arise.
  
  Thanks,
  
  

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