Subha Mudgal

Looking for Miss Sargam by Shubha Mudgal ; Published by Speaking Tiger ; Pages 205 ; Price Rs.499/-

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The author of the book under review Shubha

Mudgal lives in Delhi with her husband

Aneesh Pradhan, a renowned Tabla player.

She has been a student of Thumri -- a blend of Indian classical music and folk narratives for almost four decades now. She commenced her musical career not as a student of vocal music, but as a student of Kathak which is also "inextricably linked with the art of Thumri.".

Her parents encouraged her to "attend recitals and listen carefully".

Mudgal declares,"My stories draw inspiration from the world of Indian music, which is a space I have inhabited and explored all through my life,"

A master of several forms of classical music, with Thumri and Khayal among her favourites, Mudgal retains an exuberance, a talent for experimentation and collaborations that transcend limits. This has ensured her great followers—young and old. Her latest most recent collaboration is an Indo-Australian album Bridge of Dreams, composed and performed with husband and tabla player Aneesh Pradhan, saxophonist Sandy Evans, Sirens Big Band, harmonium player Sudhir Nayak and tabla player Bobby Singh.

Mudgal’s subjects in her maiden book are from the musical world : its eccentricities, rivalries, the obsession with artistic integrity coexisting with the craze for awards.

The charlatans adopt many swaroopas. A few samples-- There is the “successful businessman from Delhi” who pronounces that “actually my true love is Hindustani classical music”; the EDM duo who thanks everyone (including their cats Bijli and Chamki) in the credits to their albums but the one man who makes their compositions work; the eminence grise who ‘reigned supreme in the world of Hindustani classical music” and “learnt early in his career that an artist desirous of popular and abiding success should never have political opinions, and should cultivate the powerful no matter which political party or business empire they belonged to”, the table player who arranges US tours that are actually a series of performances at the homes of well-meaning NRIs.

This is Mudgal’s literary first venture into the world of short stories. She confesses “ I have grown more used to the stage than to writing,” . The seven stories based on her experiences are extremely dexterously handled and have a rare literary beauty and charm.

Mudgal’s chance encounter writing “Aman Bol” for theatre director Sunil Shanbag’s production, Stories in a Song, is where it all began for her. “Since 2009, it has been performed over 100 times and stood the test of time. I thought I could follow it up with more nuanced stories.”

She has turned the spotlight on issues such as ill-treatment of classical musicians and their instruments, blatant copyright infringement and a dismal government budget for arts and culture. These themes are explored with consummate ability in Looking for Miss Sargam. We are privy to a world which is absolutely realistic ---plus with the added advantage of her witty, caustic comments on how the media, music labels and nationalists operate. Her characters face tough and troublesome situations, but “I have tried to make light of the situation and laugh at the not-so-silver lining,”

The stories draw the reader into the travails of our musicians . To have a bird’s eye-view in the first story, “Aman Bol’ we have the usual bringing of star singers from both Pakistan and India together for a peace offering concert. The twist is the petty backstage drama that is almost overwhelming. It looms like a dark cloud that hovers over the concert. In ‘Foreign Returned’, there is a Pune-based classical singer’s much-awaited first trip overseas. But that’s scuttled even before she can unpack her bags and finds herself where it all began—back home. ‘Taan Kaptaan’ is set in a small town where a second generation musician finds himself caught up in the glittering, gossamer web of a reality show which is a scam. In one story Mudgal deals with the drama of winning a Padma Award. Mudgal is expansive about the deep undercurrents that sway the music world, the stormy route to musical heights.

None of the seven stories has a conventional ending. Mudgal deftly portrays the power equations in this music industry, a melange of ambition, desires, struggles and near successes.

Who is the enigmatic Miss Sargam who flits in and out of the tales, but is never makes an appearance . “It was my publisher, Ravi Singh, who suggested we base the title on this character who is a quintessential artist reinventing herself. Maybe she will get another story, another time,” says Mudgal. Miss Sargam is a bright spark who sets her own standards in the humdrum of daily music business. The mysterious, spunky singer inhabits many stories and spaces, much like the author herself. In the Man Who Made Stars Ramani asks Manjusha, “You must have heard of Miss Sargam – she was a pop star and she was a classical star, you know that... And who gave Miss Sargam her biggest film hits? Yours truly. She was talented, I made her sexy.”

Shubha Mudgal’s sketches inner lives laying bare the hypocrisy, egotism, wilful blindness and manipulations of obsessive artists.

Looking for Miss Sargam values commerce over pure art, and is intent on besmirching the single-mindedness of purpose of committed artists with those greedy for pelf.

The book is at once hilarious, entertaining and makes the reader think. The singer is as powerful a writer as she is an eloquent singer. In this, her debut work of fiction, one of India’s finest and most original musicians has produced a sparkling collection—utterly distinctive, hugely entertaining and funny beyond belief.

Mudgal’s creations are trapped in tight corners but the singer offers no solutions. These seven stories have obviously been crafted from anecdotes that have been a part of the author’s orbit as an accomplished Indian classical singer.

P P Ramachandran.

12/01/2020.

Ananthraman---Art of Living

Work Life & art of living (a o l) by ANANTHRAMAN.S ; 

Published by the Author ;Pages 159; Price Rs. 250/-

Copies distributed by www.pothi.com Cover Page in attachment. *******************************************************************************

The author of the book under review wears several hats. He is a Chemical Engineer, an Entrepreneur and a Compulsive Trainer. He successfully commercialised a spin off technology from Space Research. Presently he is Consultant in the world of quality, safety and environmental management systems.

The subject of his book is  Work Life Balance and Art of Living.

It all began with Dale Carnegie--the pioneer of courses in self improvement, salesmanship and interpersonal skills. He was the author of the iconic book "How to Win Friends and Influence People". Over 500 million copies of this book has been sold. One of the core ideas of his books is that it is possible to change other people's behaviour by changing one's own behaviour toward them.

There has been a steady stream of writers who have expounded identical causes. Foremost today is Stephen Covey whose most popular book is the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". TIME  magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people. Covey promotes what he calls "The Character Ethic" aligning one's values with the so-called "universal and timeless" principles. He proclaims that values govern

  people's behaviour, but principles ultimately determine the consequences.

We do have an Indian version of this genre. Robin Sharma's books such as "The Leader Who Had No Title" have made him a global phenomenon helping people realise their highest potential. Among his successful disciples are Richard Branson, Bill Clinton and Jack Welch. 

According to Ananthraman, Work life balance has to do with relationships, happiness, behaviours, thoughts, values that bond one to another and is more a reflection of the inner world one lives in.

Art of Living is in balancing the Quality of Life with Quality of Living so as to lead a successful, wealthy,  healthy and happy life.

The book is in two parts .

Part One deals with some thoughts to improve Work  Life Balance.

Part Two deals with Prescriptions for Art of Living. These are the  distilled essence of the practitioners of Quality Life  and of the Philosophers who specialised in the Art of Living.

Work Life Balance relates to the quality of living and Life relates to quality of Life.

In personal life the author recommends--Speak less, speak to the point and speak not of your past, demand the least, detach attachment and determine others needs through empathetic understanding.Think positive at all times.

The second part on Art of Living contains Nuggets of Wisdom which if adopted religiously lead to a happy and healthy life.

Anathraman has provided 282 such nuggets--a few of which are given below.

52---AOL is in balancing the 4 Cs in promoting ideas--viz,Culture, Communication, Conflict and Confrontation.

174---We must accept the fact that each of us is different, but must let 'GO' of the 'E-GO' in us, AOL is in living life differently, same time allowing the 'E' to  vacate the space it occupies in 'E-GO'

214--AOL  is to stay healthy with 60 minutes. To fitness,6000 steps a day an hour of walking with thoughts under your control and eating right. This way you will sway with health and happiness.

The book is a well intentioned volume aimed at making life more liveable and joyous.

One does not know why 282 nuggets are provided--not more or less. One does not know--Why not 365 @1 per day or 104 @2 per fortnight.

The volumes cries out for a Good Editor. Nostrums get repeated--at times ad nauseam--the one to let    E out of EGO--five times-- 174/182/184/185/271. Surely the argument that " multiple dosage" lends emphasis is hardly tenable. Tautology is the surest step to tedium.

One major failing of the book is that it could have been made more arresting and racy by anecdotes from the worlds of history, science, sports, politics. The Art of Living has been made glorious by the Lives of Helen Keller, Robert Bruce, Baba Amte, Mahatma Gandhi, Kailash Satyarthi, Mother Teresa.  A few stories from their lives would have imparted an energising effect to the volume.

The book is warmly commended to all aspirants of a happy and heathy life. It is highly enriched intellectual pabulum.

P.P.Ramachandran.

19/01/2020.

MUSIC ACADEMY

Four Score & More: The History of The Music Academy, Madras ; Published by Westland Books ; Pages 302  ;  Price Rs. 2,000/-.

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                                               The Music Academy, Madras is a landmark institution in the History of the fine arts. Its genesis can be traced to the historic All India Congress session held in Madras in 1927 where a resolution for founding an academy of music was passed.  The idea took shape in 1928 when the  Academy  was formally inaugurated by Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer on August 18, 1928. The Academy which  was aimed at  setting a standard for Carnatic Music was nurtured in its early years by public spirited and farsighted men and women representing diverse walks of life and different political and religious beliefs,  who however, were all united in their vision of an institution that would nourish and encourage classical fine arts. Apart from providing a platform for academic discussions and debate on the arts, the Music Academy pioneered the December music festival of Madras  which is undoubtedly one of the largest such festivals in the world.   The Academy was where the ragas were debated upon, theory of music was discussed in detail, young talent was encouraged and senior artistes were given a platform to present their Art to the cognoscenti. A series of publications was brought out and these works have enlightened scholars and laymen. In the 1930s The Music Academy championed the cause of Classical Dance and provided a forum for discussions on the subject and more importantly, presented dance performances with a view to getting the public to see the beauties of a traditional art that was in danger of dying. In addition to South Indian music and dance, the Music Academy has also been a venue for Hindustani Music, classical dance forms from the rest of India and the world. Over the years the Academy's   December Music Season became a hallmark of  efficiency and music-lovers from the world over rushed to Madras to partake of the nectar provided. The book under review is a veritable biography of the institution in the past eighty years, its growth, the numerous personalities who were in charge and the incidents and episodes that were woven into this brilliant tapestry.

                                              According to Dr. C.Rangarajan,ex--Governor of  R B I , who released this book, the seeds for writing its history were sown independently by two persons who together brought out this  book.  V.Sriram, one of the co-authors of the book is passionate about carnatic music and is a historian of music  and a prolific writer.  Malathi Rangaswami, hails from a family closely associated with the Academy over the years  Her  Ph.D. thesis –completed in 2008 was the " History of The Music Academy."   Her father-in-law Shri T.T.Krishnamachari was one of the pillars of this Academy . The Academy’s history is one that transformed the cultural scene of South India. The authors have worked very hard at putting these together to bring out a kaleidoscopic account of this iconic institution.

                                            “Four Score and More” commemorates  eighty years of an institution of which India can be justly proud.  As the Academy forges ahead in its quest to meet the expectations of future generations, this book will prove an invaluable account of what went into its making, its exciting journey and its present pre-eminence.   The Music Academy is synonymous with Carnatic music. The story of how this landmark institution came to be forms the subject matter of this book. In  1929, the Academy  began the practice of hosting annual conferences on music at various venues including the Senate House, Mani Iyer's Hall, People's Park, old Woodlands Hotel, R.R. Sabha and P.S. High School grounds, before it found a permanent place at the current venue. The Academy completed 80 years of hosting the annual conference. In the book, musician-painter S. Rajam and committee member of the Academy, K. Vaitheeswaran, recall the 1927 conference held at Spur Tank.

                                      This labour of love made the authors delve deep into the Academy archives; they  obtained  inputs from The Hindu archives, magazines such as Kalki, Ananda Vikatan, Sruti, and individuals such as Rajam and A.R. Sundaram. The book is full of anecdotes  about some of the greatest names in the music and dance fields. We will restrict to one anecdote. In 1936, Veenai Dhanammal heard that T.R. Rajarathinam Pillai was taking the Academy stage for the first time, at Royapettah. Very old and with poor vision,she got into a rickshaw and went up to the awfully crowded entrance of G.P. Road. Since the rickshaw could not go further, Dhanammal  got down and felt her way along the wall up to the hall. Once she reached the venue, she was recognised and led inside. After the performance was over, she was missing. For she had already reached the stage to congratulate the nagaswaram maestro. As the curtains came down that evening, the image that remained was that of Dhanammal blessing Pillai!

                                                     The book has done ample justice to the Music Academy’s service record spanning eight decades, how it has ascetically directed the destiny of the fine arts and proved its mighty role in  the cause of classical music. All those who have music in them and the Indian community of music professionals will remember with justifiable pride and gratitude the hospitality extended by it.

                                                             It must be observed that the authors have  held the scales even in respect of conflicts and one observes a strict fairness in the recounting of all events, big and small. The Academy has had its troubles and the causes varied from infighting among office-bearers to the idiosyncrasies of musicians and their tantrums and boycotts. When the Tamil Isai movement was in a state of frenzy, M.S. Subbulakshmi did not participate in the Academy series for a few years. Senior vidwans like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, hurt by the perceived ill-treatment meted out to them, boycotted the function at which Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation for the Academy’s new building. There was also the tiff over Ariyakudi’s insistence on the Academy providing a concert slot for Dhanammal. The presidential years of K.V. Krishnaswamy Iyer and T.T. Vasu are significant landmarks in the history of the Academy. It was during the latter’s regime that Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer threw his weight about in the selection of Sangita Kalanidhis. After referring to one or two instances, the authors say: “Kalanidhi controversies abated somewhat though it became clear that anybody harbouring hopes of being so feted and ennobled definitely needed the blessings of the Pitamaha as Semmangudi was now styled.”

                                              In a brief note under the heading “The Fall of Academics”, the authors note that the academic side became increasingly neglected in the 1990s and say, without mincing words, that “Slowly but steadily, the Academy was losing its grip over the scholarly side and was downgrading  itself to the status of a mere sabha.” They have chronicled with affection the various developments highlighting not only the leading musicians of the times but also the various controversies that had erupted from time to time including the language issue.  One also gets to know the close association of the Music Academy with the freedom movement.  A stunning display of photographs, a wide variety of snippets and a wealth of information on dance and Hindustani music add to the richness of the publication.  ‘Four Score and More…' is a chronicle of the Academy in the past 80 years, its growth, the various personalities who were at the helm of affairs and the incidents and episodes that went into the making of a unique cultural icon. The illustrations are apt; the language is lucid and the print is beautiful.  There is no doubt that this will become a collectors’ item.

PPR

 6/1/2020.

TATAS BY GIRISH KUBER

The Tatas by Girish Kuber; Published by Harper Business; Pages 263 ; Price Rs.699/-

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The book under review bagged the Gala Business Book Prize for 2019.The author Girish Kuber is the Editor of Loksatta who has to his credit six books in Marathi. The book under review is translated from the original Marathi "Tatayan" by Vikram Pande who has translated many books from Marathi into English, including the classic "Shivaji, the great Maratha" by Ranjit Desai.

The nineteenth century was an exciting time of initiative and enterprise around the world. If John D. Rockefeller was creating unimagined wealth in the United States that he would put to the service of the nation, a Parsi family with humble roots was doing the same in India. In 1822, a boy was born in a priestly household in Gujarat's Navsari village. Young Nusserwanji knew early on that his destiny lay beyond his village and decided to head for Bombay to start a business - the first in his family to do so. He had neither higher education nor knowledge of business matters, just a burning passion to carve a path of his own. What Nusserwanji started as a cotton trading venture, his son Jamsetji, born in the same year as Rockefeller, grew into a multifaceted business, turning around sick textile mills, setting up an iron and steel company, envisioning a cutting-edge institute of higher learning, building a world-class hotel, and earning himself the title of the 'Bhishma Pitamah of Indian Industry'. Stewarded ably over the decades by Jamsetji's sons Dorabji and Ratanji, the charismatic and larger-than-life JRD, and thereafter the more business-like Ratan, the Tata group today is a 110-billion-dollar empire.

The present book is the story of the Tatas. More – it is also an inspiring account of India of the last 200 years. It portrays the contribution of each generation of the family in the expansion of business interests as well as nation building. The first hydel power project in the world was conceived of and built by the Tatas. Radical labour concepts such as eight-hour work shifts were introduced in India, at the Tata mill in Nagpur. The Tata Cancer Research Centre, the Indian Institute of Science, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the National Centre for the Performing Arts as also the national carrier Air India - the family has a long, rich and unrivalled legacy. The volume is a remarkable tribute to a galaxy of men of vision who carved a special place in the hearts and minds of ordinary Indians.

"The Tatas" starts in the nineteenth century with Nusserwanji Tata - a middle-class Parsi priest from the village of Navsari in Gujarat, and widely regarded as the Father of Indian Industry - and ends with Ratan Tata - chairman of the Tata Group until 2012.

In his book  Girish Kuber traces the 200 year old legacy of India’s one of the biggest business families. Right from the birth of Nusserwanji in 1822 to the present chairman Natrajan Chandrasekaran, this book encapsulates the journey that the Tatas have undertaken. Parallel to the story of the Tatas runs the story of India, so that the book depicts how the building of a business impacted the building of a nation.

The account of the family and its business skills presented here in this book is awe-inspiring. Rising from the regional to the national and finally to international level amidst the occasional crisis arising from within the group and sometimes without, the Tatas represent the power of conviction.

Growth stories of businesses and brands have become urban legends of our times. The Tata Group, undoubtedly, is among the top Indian names that is respected and valued the world over for its strong values and philanthropic vision. Girish Kuber takes the reader through the two century-long heritage of this business house and its leaders from the illustrious family, their vision and forward thinking.

Starting from the patriarch of the group — Nusserwanji Tata, born in a sleepy village, to the suave Ratan Tata now, the book traverses the 200-year journey of the Tata Group. The foundation of the $110-billion business empire was laid when a young Nussarwanji left Navsari in Gujarat to enter Bombay. “The only capital he possessed was a burning passion that lit up his path and helped him navigate an uncertain and difficult future”. Cotton trading was what Nusserwanji got into, and it was his ‘English educated’ son Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who took his father’s business to another level by adding textile mills and iron and steel company to the list.

Jamsetji, called the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian industry, was the visionary who laid the foundations of a global business empire while facing the financial challenges triggered by the American Civil War. He was also the man behind the formation of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Taj Mahal Hotel and TISCO and even hydroelectricity for Bombay. He was the one who amalgamated philanthropic values and profit making into the DNA of his business. The contribution of the other iconic leaders of the group like RD and Jehangir Ratanji Tata are also no less illustrious as the dawn of 20th century saw the group grow in girth and influence in political and social circles.

Giving India its first airlines, the birth of Air India and the love and passion of JRD Tata in building it up to the pain he felt at losing it is poignant. The chapters on JRD and Ratan Tata, during whose tenure the group moved into the automobile and computer era are covered in great detail.

Bureaucratic wrangles and bitter-sweet relations with Nehru, Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi are recorded with veracity. The author has also pierced the veil of secrecy from controversies like the Nano plant and Cyrus Mistry conflicts. (There is some new development on the Mistry front). One gets a clearer picture of the various stages of building up of new India and the role of the Tatas in it and how leaders like JRD, RD and Ratan Tata have been extraordinary contributors.

The book is a source of inspiration for greenhorns in business .There are several bits of information about the Tata family and personal lives of the famous Tata figures. These peeps into the lives of the members of the Tata family forms an interesting part of the narrative and succeeds in breaking the monotony of a turgid historical narrative.

Tit--bits

Russy Mody was very different from all the other Tata group leaders--always enthusiastic and interested where the others were cautious and professional....He could play the piano very well--and owing to his mastery, he was once invited to accompany the great scientist Albert Einstein, who played the violin, before a big gathering in New York.

2. As far back as 1969,JRD Tata was on the world advisory board of the Nobel Foundation. He was in the elite company of people like the writer Arthur Koestler, poet Auden and two-time Nobel winner Dr.Linus Pauling.

P.P.Ramachandran.

29/12/2019.

Yerram Raju--MSME

The Story of Indian MSMEs by Dr.Yerram Raju ; Published by Konark ;Pages 224 ; Price Rs 750/-

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Dr.Yerram Raju served for over three decades in the S B I and taught in highly reputed institutions. RBI appointed him in two expert committees. He was a distinguished Member of the Jury for the Asia Pacific Bankers’ Congress at Manila for two years in a row on S M E Sector. He has 15 books to his credit and he is a prolific contributor to both national and international journals.

The book under review deals with the problems of the Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).However,it concentrates on the manufacturers and small enterprises. A perennial problem for this sector has been the issues of capital and adequate working capital from the lending institutions. While we have witnessed a constant flow of directives from the R B I and the Government of India, we also notice that—as amply proved by the case studies presented by Dr.Raju—there has been no assured flow of adequate credit. The MSME sector has to be nursed carefully in the harsh background of global problems such as competitiveness and volatility of the market.

MSMEs are highly significant as they are an integral part of the value chain, are job—intensive and contribute more than proportionately to exports.

The book is about the policy initiatives of the Union and State Governments. It is about how the sector has been progressive over the years and affirms the author’s belief that we are not going to repeat the past but shall strike a new bold path .

The MSME sector in India is highly hetero-genous in terms of the size of the enterprises, variety of products, services rendered and the levels of technology employed.

The important chapter “MSME business environment and challenges” neatly incorporates the crucial parameters of the sector. It lays emphasis on Human Resource Development challenges,the inherent risks and the paramount need of banks to tighten their credit appraisal standards.

Another chapter reviews the MSME sector policies

in terms of where we are, where we want to go and how to achieve our aims, especially in the global context. The way forward for the nation is to encourage investments in research and development, protection of intellectual property rights and financing of incubation centres.

The author has provided a detailed analysis of the features of the subsectors -Engineering and Fabrication, Auto components, Food Processing, Textiles and Handicrafts.

Existing schemes available for MSME sector are analysed thoroughly and new schemes are identified—such as “Make in India”-“Startup India” --and well covered.

Business Development Service providers are assessed critically and suggestions for their improvement are given.

The crucial problem of finance is discussed at considerable length.The role of bank, Mudra, Sidbi,Credit Guarantee Trust for micro and small enterprises are adequately covered. The author has assessed the Cluster-based approach of lending. The access of SMEs to capital markets is studied in one chapter and the author has compared it with the experience in a number of foreign countries. The MSME Ministry needs to take into consideration the emerging investment start-ups as a visionary. More incentives must be given for manufacturing start--ups among the SMESs.

One chapter relates to the dreaded subject “Non-performing Assets”.The causes, viability norms, areas of intervention,reliefs and concessions are lucidly analysed by Raju.

Seven countries have been selected to provide a view of “Global Best Practices” and this is valuable.

The role of technology has been thoroughly analysed and Raju calls for more positive action to ensure competitiveness among SMEs. He also calls upon regulatory institutions to own up responsibility and make certain that Government follow these policies in word and spirit. The Telengana Health Clinic Ltd—with which Raju is closely connected—has presented a brilliant example of strategies to revive MSMEs in the manufacturing sectors which is explained to us by the author.

Case are provided which illustrate the best practices to help upcoming enterprises---especially in the supply chain,human resource, management and finance.

Failures are stepping stones to success and as such seven case studies of failures are succinctly presented with pointers to achieve success.

There is a neat presentation of the guiding factor for future policy direction.

One cannot but agree with the scholarly “Foreword” of Dr.D.Subbarao,ex—Governor of RBI, who declares “...Drawing from these lessons of experience, Dr.Raju makes very instructive policy recommendations covering the entire cycle of MSME—Starting, Running and Closing.”

This is a very valuable book for policy makers, industrialists, analysts and enthusiastic entrepreneurs.

P.P.Ramachandran.

22/12/2019.