Mysore :
Last Sunday evening was quite enjoyable for me, enjoying the old Hindi and Kannada songs, going Down Memory Lane. The opportunity came with the annual Geeth Gaatha Chal (GGC) Doctor’s Musical Nite, a brainchild of Dr. C. Umesh Kamath of Kamakshi Hospital, Kuvempunagar. This time the venue was the MMC Platinum Jubilee Auditorium in J.K. Grounds.
I was surprised at the change of venue because in the past years, except twice, the venue has been the Karnataka Kalamandira, on Hunsur road. It was an ideal auditorium for programmes such as this where admission was free and open to all, with good acoustics and plenty of parking space inside the campus and the spillover along the road on two sides of the building. What happened this time? I put this question to the Organising Chairperson and the moving spirit behind this popular programme Dr. Umesh Kamath. The answer did not surprise me: “It is under repair.” In fact Kalamandira was under repair in 2009, 2010 and now 2014 and that was the reason GGC was shifted to J.K. Grounds Hall.
Yes, Turkey in the 19th Century used to be called the ‘Sick Man of Europe.’ Likewise we can call this Kalamandira the ‘Sick Building of Mysore.’ Even when money is provided, our Ministers, MLAs and officials are incapable of getting Kalamandira renovated at one go and in time. A non-performing Government, always ready with untenable excuses. The repair and the renovation work has finally taken off beginning Jan. 1, 2014 by the PWD and the completion period is April, 2014 according to official sources.
However, there was another genuine, stronger reason for shifting the venue. Last year it was held on January 6. I was present at that Musical Nite. A senior Police officer too was there. The programme was progressing beautifully, everyone was enthralled at the mesmerising music and songs from artistes performing like professionals.
It was a programme by the doctors where the singers are all doctors and their own family members. It was a Doctor’s Musical Nite programme, called appropriately Geeth Gaatha Chal, by the doctors, of the doctors and not ONLY for doctors but for all. Old, Hindi and Kannada film songs were sung by the lead doctor singers led by Dr. M.S. Natashekar, Dr. A.L. Hemalatha and Dr. P.A. Kushalappa on a stage magnificently mounted with video screens and best sound system. We were all enjoying the show, but then suddenly a shrill voice of protest was heard from behind the hall with an agitated man barging on to the stage with just a couple of men in tow making unreasonable, uncalled for demand on the organisers and to stop the programme. There was a brief period of confusion but they were pacified and the programme continued. I don’t think any complaint was made nor anyone taken to custody by the Police. Therefore, there was no guarantee this time too such incident would not occur. So GGC shifted the venue which is private and made the admission by invitation. I saw some guards posted at the entrance to shoo off uninvited trouble-makers like it happened last year.
How sad, because of a few anti-social elements Mysoreans are denied of a good, enjoyable musical programme! Let it be. After all, ours is too liberal a democracy where one can create troubles like this with impunity !
Despite this ‘protective’ measure, the hall was full. The stage was further upgraded with new technology and props. As they say, rain or shine, the show must go on and the show began on dot at 5 pm. In Mysore probably after our Suttur Seer Sri Shivaratri Deshikendra Swamiji, it is Dr. Umesh Kamath who respects punctuality.
Hitler said in his belligerent mood that war was first born in the mind of a man. That was the mind of a war-monger. But in the case of a music-lover, music is first born in the mind of a man. So it was with Dr. Umesh Kamath who on coming to India in 1998 after years of service abroad and joined Kamakshi Hospital. Being fond of music, though not a singer himself as I learn, he would invite singer friends to his huge bungalow for tea or dinner and thus prompt them to sing. A kind of chamber music. The news of his interest in music, that’s matched equally by his wife Dr. Rekha Kamath, spread among the fellow doctors, so also the appetising aroma from their kitchen. As a result, once in 1999, there were about 50 doctors hungry for music and of course, a sumptuous dinner. It was sheer ecstasy, but for the tired couple it was agony next day.
It was then the decision was made by Dr. Umesh Kamath to hold a Doctor’s Musical Nite, christening it as Geeth Gaatha Chal after the name of an old film, eponymous to the programme, once in a year so that he could throw it open to all doctors. A programme by a doctor for the doctors. The next year in 2000 it was held at Ganabharathi’s Veene Sheshanna Bhavan on Adichunchanagiri road in Kuvempunagar to a full house. The lead singers were, now legendary Dr. M.S. Natashekar and Dr. A.L. Hemalatha. One is blessed with the voice of Mukesh, the other with the voice of the Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar. One more doctor singer joined them in 2002, who has also become a legend in the GGC team, Dr. P.A. Kushalappa.
Like we say about film stars being discovered by so and so director, we can say Dr. Kushalappa (Prakash for his friends) was discovered by Dr. Umesh Kamath. It seems, Dr. Umesh Kamath was invited for a dinner at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club in city and was surprised to see Dr. Kushalappa singing film songs in his own Kishore Kumar style setting the stage alive, if not ablaze, with his body movements. Now Dr. Umesh Kamath has an unbeatable combination of Mukesh, Kishore and Lata with their golden voices. The mould is cast for an annual show of Doctor’s Musical Nite and the ‘Geeth Gaatha Chal’ lives on …
Later Dr. V. Ganesh Rao joined bringing in the flavour of more Kannada songs while perfecting the technical props on the stage. My Rotarian friend Dr. S.K. Ghori, who was also with the team this year, made himself very conspicuous by his unique characterisation for a couple of songs, specially one from Raj Kapoor’s film drawing huge applause from the audience.
The venue of the nite was shifted to Kalamandira in 2001 as the Veene Sheshanna Bhavana was found too small for this big programme.
I felt sad when many of my friends and readers of this paper asked why the ‘admissions reserved’ unlike in the past. On my part, I told them, “Come, I will tell them to let you in.” How I wish our Police are bold enough to handle these trouble-makers so that they will not dare to trouble in future. After all, the organisers spend over Rs. two lakh for the free show, apart from the preparations months in advance.
Finally, how can I forget the flavour of the show, the ‘sutradhara’ par excellence. Syed Aftab Ahmed, the anchor. Everytime he appeared on the stage, he breathed life into it by interacting with the audience. His ability to speak fluently both Hindi and English, roller-coaster movement on the stage and above all the elephantine memory to remember those innumerable names from the world of Hindi films going ‘Down Memory Lane’ is amazing.
Tailpiece: As I drove home from the venue a thought crossed my mind: Would the next generation of young doctors and public remember the old Hindi and Kannada songs? Not surprisingly among the audience I saw a majority belonging to my age. And my age is…. Now, Dr. Umesh Kamath has a new task of attracting young doctors and also youngesters to GGC.
e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Abracadabra……Abracadabra / by K.B. Ganapathy / February 11th, 2014