CHENNAI: Carnatic music and cricket have always had a harmonious co-existence in the city. While many, noted Carnatic artistes follow the game religiously with some even having played it competitively, the list of first-class cricketers who enjoy the classical genre is not short either. Former India captain S. Venkataraghavan, former south zone medium pacer B. Kalyanasundaram, Ranji cricketers M.O. Parthasarathi, K. Balaji, V. Ramnarayan and Sridharan Sriram are all self-confessed music connoisseurs.
I. Sivakumar, son of D.K. Pattammal, and Burma Sankaran, were both teammates in the TNCA league in the 60s. Singer P. Unnikrishnan was a highly regarded cricketer in his younger days having featured in the league while his father, Dr Radhakrishnan owned a club, Bunts CC. Celebrated vocalists Madurai Mani Iyer and D.K. Jayaraman followed the game closely. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, the superstar of Carnatic music today, and Vijay Siva are more than just cricket enthusiasts.
If Carnatic music continues to be a rage in Chennai during the Margazhi season with music lovers from all over the world descending on the city, Chennai’s enduring love for Test cricket is another proof to its purist taste. This music season is going to be even more special as it’s going to coincide with a Test match against England, starting here from December 16. According to former south zone cricketer Ramnarayan, who edits a music magazine, Sruthi, and also writes about the game, the concert culture owes its origin to the colonial time although the Carnatic music is indigenous just as cricket is a legacy of the British rule.
Former TN medium-pacer Kalyanasundaram, who once took a hat-trick against Ranji powerhouse Bombay, is as revered for his music knowledge as for his bowling prowess. “Listening to Unnikrishnan and Sudha Raghunathan in the early 90s inspired me to follow the Margazhi season closely. I made a sincere effort to learn the nuances and my friends, K. Balaji, former Ranji cricketer and a disciple of T.N. Krishnan, and S.V. Ramani, a permanent fixture at sabhas, gave me cassettes of old concerts to help me differentiate ragas,” said the former TNCA chairman of selectors who now enjoys performances of Sanjay, Bombay Jayashri and Ranjani-Gayathri.
But Kalyanasundaram knows his limitations. “I’m good friends with some of the musicians, but I never attempted to comment on their performance. This attitude stems from my experience of having seen so many persons who can’t hold a bat to save their lives telling cricketers how to play a cover-drive,” he said. For S. Sriram, the former India all-rounder who is now a consultant coach for Cricket Australia, music is in his genes. Sriram’s father, S.V. Sridharan is a noted violinist who has worked with marquee names such as T.N. Seshagopalan, Mandolin Srinivas and flautist N. Ramani.
It was only natural that Sriram learnt the string instrument at a young age before realising that cricket was his true calling. “I used to accompany my grandfather to all sabhas in Chennai, but I always knew I wouldn’t make it big in music,” said Sriram, adding that playing the violin required delicate fingers and his cricket-battered ones were not perfect.
The former India player said both music and cricket are much more professional these days, a stark contrast to their amateurish era in the 80s ad 90s. “Only a few pursued them as parallel careers, but it’s not possible any longer. The competition at local league is so intense that you have to devote a lot of time. Given the level of fitness, you need to play cricket and the innovation imperative to excel in Carnatic music, riding two horses these days is never easy,” said Sriram, a big fan of Srinivas and Sanjay.
