Anecdotes about Musicians --15
15.Shri.T.N.Rajarathinam Pillai ( 1898--1956)
The full name of Rajarathinam Pillai was "Akhila Ulaga Nagaswara Chakravarti Tiruvaduturai N.Rajarathinam Pillai ". TNR ( for short) dominated the Carnatic music world for almost fifty years. He was the man who gave a status to "pipers and drummers". A man who lived life king-size, he also had five wives and drank himself to an early death.
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TNR named Balasubramaniam was the second son of Kuppuswami Pillai and Govindammal. His mother's brother Tirumarugugal Natesa Pillai was the official nagaswaram player at the powerful Shaivite Matham of Tiruvaduturai. After his father's demise TNR was adopted by Natesa Pillai who renamed him Rajarathinam. This uncle too died early and the family and the boy were looked after by a relative Ponnu Pillai, who sent TNR to Tirukkkodikaval to learn vocal music under the famous violinist Krishna Iyer.
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Later he studied under Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer. At a young age he teamed up with his sister Dayalu and began performing vocal concerts. TNR was sent for training in nagaswaram to Ammachatram Kannuswami Pillai. This lasted for a short period. But he had mastered the art and the Adheenam of the Math was so impressed that he made him the official nagaswaram player. He also acquired the patronage of the rich Chettiars.
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TNR performed for the first time in Chennai in 1919 at the Veda Vinayakam Temple and he became a sensation. He was soon the toast of Carnatic music circles. He spent hours practising and improving his technique. Playing nagaswaram too frequently caused him bouts of chest pain. Meanwhile his uncle Natesa Pillai passed away. TNR was depressed. At this stage he was introduced to the pleasures of alcohol. Many titles were conferred on him and money kept on coming. His life style changed. He would appear for performances in silk kurtas and shawls. Gleaming on his ears would be a pair of diamond kadukkans that were big.
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TNR's car was a legend. An American tourer, it accommodated his entire accompanists and a couple of Alsatian dogs. A short man with slightly squinted eyes, his enormous belly and thick neck together with his flat nose were his distinctive features. Even his snuff box—gifted by Papa K.S.Venkataramiah—was large and distinctive. His betel leaf case was so big that a separate attendant had to carry it.
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One of the ardent admirers of T N R was A.K.Ramachandra Iyer, the owner of the Midland Theatre and founder of the R.R.Sabha. He arranged for T N R to record a set of 78 rpm discs for the Columbia Gramaphone Company. The cutchery set that came out thus was a great success and he went on to record more discs for Columbia.
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TNR acted as a nagaswaram artist as part of a wedding scene in the film Miss Kamala. He acted as the hero in the Ellis.R.Dungan film Kalamegham. He played the nagaswaram while the comedian N.S.Krishnan played the otthu—drone.
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He married five times wanting to produce a son but was not successful. Finally he adopted a boy named Sivaji, who was not musically inclined. In latter years he had as disciple Karaikurichi Arunachalam who held aloft the TNR style.
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He began cancelling concerts often because he was drunk before the performance. At other times, he would be in such a stupor that buckets of water would have to be poured over his head to make him regain his senses. Even court notices were sent forcing him to perform.
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Many awards passed him by. The Sangita Kalanidhi of the Music Academy that ought to have been his by right never came. At a performance before the Trivandrum Court in the presence of the Maharani TNR slapped the tavil vidwan and the Rani said he would never be tolerated in her Court. In 1955 he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
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In 1956 he suffered a heart attack and became unable to perform. He died shortly leaving behind five penniless wives and an adopted son. End of a Legend.
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