S.RAJAM-HIS LIFE AND ACHEIVEMENTS-SWATHI DVD

[cacm]

I am starting this new thread based on the NEW& BRILLIANT DVD appropriately titled "S.RAJAM- SAKALA KALA ACHARYAR" released recently in Chennai with Sri.Lalitha Ram & Sri. S.B. Khanthan as the main authors. I feel this is a VERY DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION and covers not only details about S.Rajam but in a broader sense has managed to cover the GREATS & GREATNESS of the BEST of Twentieth Century in our Culture, Fine Arts,and Music especially of South India.
I am hoping to cover this subject area using this monumental DVD & what it has covered in SEVERAL SEGMENTS & request the authors as well as others to freely comment & participate with their comments, ideas as well as other details that I may not be covering.
Before I start describing my capabilities in handling this subject let me repeat the relevant parts of the email I sent both of the authors (with tears in my eyes & joy in my heart):
" Herewith my IMMEDIATE & SPONTANEOUS REACTIONS:
The amazing DVD on Sri.S.Rajam is perfect as far as content & technical execution aspects are concerned. But the MOST IMPORTANT attributes to me are the Depth, Dedication, and attempt at details as well as the Perfection you have managed to acheive.
As one who knew him well I take great pride in what you have acheived and am sure THE PERFECTIONIST AS WELL AS THE CREATIVE GENIUS OF SRI.S.RAJAM would approve of the way you have covered and presented the multi-faceted aspects of his GENIUS. CONGRAGULATIONS!
More than anything else you have accomplished the almost impossible task of seamlessly covering the ENTIRE twentieth century acheivements in our culture, fine arts and music. Your DVD will stand as a monument to the creativity, Originality, and greatness of the many Stalwarts of Twentieth Century from South India and in due course be acknowledged as a SHINING BEACON of Inspiration to all of us."
VKV (V.K.Viswanathan)
TO BE CONTINUED

[Gamakam]

VKV Sir,

Thanks a lot for your kind words and starting this thread. We had a problem of plenty when we finalized the DVD. We did leave out a lot of things due to time constraint (despite that the DVD is slightly on the longer side). I will try to add those missing portions in this thread.

Lalitha Ram

[cacm]

CONTINUATION OF POST#1:
TO START THIS ANALYSIS AND FURTHER DISCUSSIONS I feel the S.Rajam DVD contains more than enough details and substance to properly appreciate & digest the TRULY MONUMENTAL NATURE OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CULTURE ESP. FINE ARTS & MUSIC NOT TO MENTION HIS EXEMPLARY LIFE & HOW HE LED IT.
I have followed Sri.S.Rajam seroiusly since 1958 when his NAVAGRAHA paintings appeared in Kalaimagal with the unmatched commentary by the immortal K.V. Jagannathan. Between interactions with him, S.Rajam-I managed to acquire the paintings & discussed the nuances of BOTH the kritis& paintings by coming to USA!-, AND Madurai Mani Iyer the START given to me at Tambaram at age six by my mother pointing them out in the sky & in the temple & educating me I ended up co-authoring WITH S.RAJAM a book " Mythologies, Mysteries, Modern Facts of the Nine Planets" focusing on S.Rajam's paintings of the planets as well as a special rendering of the Navagraha Kritis as taught to him by Ambi Dhikshithar (Great grand son of Muthuswamy Dhikshithar) fulfilling my life long dream!
I also spent close to ten years trying to come up with an expositon of S.Rajam's life & acheivements but I did not present it to the public as it fell SHORT of the level of perfection which S.Rajam DESERVES......
Fortunately the Swati DVD FULLY meets all these requirements. FOR THE FIRST TIME I have come across an expert presentation with the RIGHT DATA BACKED UP BY THE PROPER EMPHASIS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS. This is the FIRST such concrete piece about our arts, music which I FEEL deserves serious ANALYSES by persons who are experts.
In the next posting I hope to propose a detailed breakdown of subject areas which I hope rasiksas will discuss in detail

TO BE CONTINUED. VKV

[Gamakam]

Dear VKV sir,

I remember you mentioned that there was video of Rajam demonstrating his painting technique that was regularly relayed in a local channel (in the US). Is there a possibility to get hold of the video? that would be a real treasure!

As I said in the release function, I was only the latest person to fall in love with Rajam's persona. Before this DVD, 3 earlier attempts were made to capture the essence of the great man (including your pioneering effort). We have continued what you started. Who knows what may come in the future? Letz hope for more:-)

Lalitha Ram

[rajeshnat]

Between interactions with him, S.Rajam-I managed to acquire the paintings & discussed the nuances of BOTH the kritis& paintings by coming to USA!-, AND Madurai Mani Iyer the START given to me at Tambaram at age six by my mother pointing them out in the sky & in the temple & educating me I ended up co-authoring WITH S.RAJAM a book " Mythologies, Mysteries, Modern Facts of the Nine Planets" focusing on S.Rajam's paintings of the planets as well as a special rendering of the Navagraha Kritis as taught to him by Ambi Dhikshithar (Great grand son of Muthuswamy Dhikshithar) fulfilling my life long dream!

VkV sir
Wow , looks like navagraha krithis rendered by (y)our idol Madurai Mani - Your mother pointing possibly the stars in the sky - Your collaboration with S rajam in earlier days with his painting - the book that you have written. I am guessing all this had sowed your interests in possibly physics and astronomy and made you land as a scientist in NASA .One in a million kind of rasika where music , paintings has also shaped your career.

[cacm]

Dear VKV sir,

I remember you mentioned that there was video of Rajam demonstrating his painting technique that was regularly relayed in a local channel (in the US). Is there a possibility to get hold of the video? that would be a real treasure!

As I said in the release function, I was only the latest person to fall in love with Rajam's persona. Before this DVD, 3 earlier attempts were made to capture the essence of the great man (including your pioneering effort). We have continued what you started. Who knows what may come in the future? Letz hope for more:-)

Lalitha Ram

Dear L.R.,
I had given the original of over 30 hours of videotape along with to S.Rajam's son-in-law(he is no more & DULY LOST THEM) & the two shot in los alamos & broadcast for several years by request regularly. However because of the length of time the(TV STATION) are also having trouble locating it. I am trying to somehow let me search for it there. Also I am searching every square inch of my home & asked friends to whom I have given copies etc.....If I succeed YOU will be the first one to get a copy....VKV

[cacm]

"rajeshnat"]
VkV sir
Wow , looks like navagraha krithis rendered by (y)our idol Madurai Mani - Your mother pointing possibly the stars in the sky - Your collaboration with S rajam in earlier days with his painting - the book that you have written. I am guessing all this had sowed your interests in possibly physics and astronomy and made you land as a scientist in NASA .One in a million kind of rasika where music , paintings has also shaped your career.
........................................................ I didn't realise it at that time but as it turned out I specialised in OPTICS, ASTRONOMY ETC apart from Nuclear Physics and my professional career included lot of work with space optics including Hubble Telescope & successor to it (as part of NASA ORIGINS Program)!....Sri. S.Rajam WANTED me to write about the LATEST about planets & I wrote the book MAINLY to present his paintings-more late on this-& his mastery of the Navagraha Kritis. The DVD covers so much in two hours there is no space to cover details like these. IN THE CASE OF S.RAJAM every little detail or a look at a nook or corner unearths a wealth of knowledge, A UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC!

IT WOULD BE NICE IF OTHERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES SO WE CAN PERSUADE LALITHA RAM & HIS COLLEAGUES TO ISSUE A SUBSEQUENT DVD ADDING FURTHER DETAILS! VKV

[Gamakam]

"rajeshnat"]
VThe DVD covers so much in two hours there is no space to cover details like these. IN THE CASE OF S.RAJAM every little detail or a look at a nook or corner unearths a wealth of knowledge, A UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC!

Can't agree more with you on this. Our problem was we had too much to show. In fact, we don't even mention about the Navagraha Paintings or the kritis in the DVD (except for couple of obscure references).