http://www.carnaticdarbar.com/interviews/2011/Madhuvanthi-Arun.asp

Edutainer’ Madhuvanthi on mission mode

CHENNAI: She comes from an illustrious background. An accomplished dancer, a singer and an actor, she wears assorted hats. Above all, she is an educationist. "God has been kind to let me do all," declares Madhuvanthi Arun. Talking nineteen to dozen, this multi-tasking personality lets her thoughts slip in incessantly in a nonchalant way, "I always like to entertain people," she puts it in a mater-of-fact manner. After all, as she says, "it has been inside me and runs in my gene."

In an interaction with Deccan Chronicle at the Rasam Restaurant in T. Nagar on the cloudy morning of December 14, 2011 held under the auspices of Sri Krishna Sweets, Madhuvanthi comes out as a person who has a sense of history, respect for the culture and a feeling for the generation next. Not surprisingly, she wants to be known as an "Edutainer’.

Iyal, Isai and Natak

On this silver jubilee year of Bharat Kalachar, founded by her grand parents, Madhuvanthi will turn out to participate in all the three formats of the classical art – Iyal, Isai and Natak. She is set to present a unique lec-dem (lecture-cum-demonstration) on "Navarasam (nine kinds of emotion) in Ramayan". She is also slated to sing at the Mohamed Rafi Night organized by Bharat Kalachar this season. "I have sung for my father’s troupe," says she. A great fan of L.R. Easwari, she sings only melody songs. "At the Rafi Night, I will sing only peppy songs… only jolly numbers," she says. She will also don a small comedian role in her father’s play.

Growing with Ramayan

"I have grown with Ramayan. Over the years, I have acquired a perspective of my own on Ramayan. I want to portray it from a current perspective… from an educationist’s point view," elaborates Madhuvanthi. According to her, Swathi Thirunal’s expositions on the subject "are so simple and easy to communicate to young minds." Why should only older people form the audience for such programmes on great epics like Ramayan? She is out to change this trend. "I want the younger generation to fill the audience," she declares. Her one-and-a-hour programme, to be sure, is targeted at the young ones. She is keen to present it differently. Why can’t the emotions in Ramayan be pictured and presented differently? The angry emotions of Rama at the killing of Jatayu by Raavan and the pains experienced by him over the abduction of Sita by Ravaan – Ramayan as a story is an interpretation of several minds. Madhuvanthi wants to look at Ramayan from an entirely new prism and take the story to the younger ones in an easy-to-communicate and a friendly-to-understand way. Rajaji’s Ramayana, according to her, "is a brilliant exposition". She is taken in by the Tamil film `Sampoorna Ramayanam’ by A.P. Nagarajan. "Ramayan carries all emotions of a human being," she points out.

Caliber Foundation

She wants Caliber Foundation, the school promoted by her, to become "a huge university teaching all alternative streams of education along with regular education." Is she under stress all the time because of her multi-taking ability? The stress comes not because she does multiple works. It comes more due to the awareness of her responsibility. "I have a reputation to protect, a family name to sustain and a personal identity to carry forward," she says. Often times, the doors don’t open to many people. In her case, her father Y.G. Mahendra (a comedian) and grand mother Mrs. Y.G.P (as she is fondly referred to by many) have been a great source of inspiration for her. "She (Mrs. Y.G.P.) is my Valmiki and I am her Luv Kucha," Madhuvanthi puts it succinctly. A transparent home environment, free exchange of ideas and democratic functioning have all helped her to mould her personality. "At home, we often times agree to disagree," she points out.

In the field of `edutainment’, indefatigable Madhuvanthi wants to leave an "indelible mark on the youngsters and change their perspective in my own little way." There "has to be a take home value" for youngsters in whatever Madhuvanthi does as an `edutainer." Well, this outspoken multi-dimensional personality indeed "wears the heart on her sleeve" and goes about her chosen tasks in a nonchalant way. Surely, Maduvanthi is on a mission mode!

Chennai Inc, the trend-setter

http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article2704361.ece

Like many industrial groups in this part of the country, this one, too, is publicity-shy. It is celebration time at this industrial group, which has seen 75 summers. A prudently managed Rane is an integral part of the city of Chennai. A well known name in Chennai, the Mecca of Carnatic music, Rane is also a respected brand in the auto component space within and outside the country. Unlike their counterparts elsewhere in the country, the industrial groups in Chennai are content with being in the background, going about their businesses quietly without much ado. So much so, they are often dubbed as ‘conservative.' More often than not, they are considered a unique breed which falls into a category that avoids risk. They are perceived to be a set of people who take to the path of caution. A trip down memory lane, however, will help one discover the fact that many theories surrounding the industrial groups in Chennai could at best only fall into the realm of myths.

Long before the India shining story was assiduously marketed by the BJP Government at the Centre, the city of Chennai had been a star in the corporate horizon of India. While the Ambanis, the Birlas, the Tatas, the Ruias and the like hogged the headlines for whatever they did and didn't, the daring and path-breaking initiatives of the industrial and corporate groups in Chennai, for some inexplicable reasons, remained buried deep in obscurity. The city has been the fountain-head of many a new idea. It has been a breeding ground for many innovative concepts. If they are indeed conservative as they are often accused by many, how could the mandarins of the industrial/corporate houses in Chennai have ventured into untested roads? If proof was required, they are aplenty.

Do you know who pioneered the concept of a listed corporate film company in the country? Can anybody guess where was the first listed corporate school established? Who introduced the concept of leasing in India? Who was responsible for introducing the time-share concept in India? From where did the idea of a corporate hospital germinate? A search for answers will invariably take one to the city of Chennai. An obscure founder of Madras Motor Finance and Guarantee Company was instrumental in setting up a corporate school in the Orgadam belt, which is now turning out to be a high-activity corridor. That he had to subsequently sell his company to the takeover tycoon of early the 1990s Rajaratnam was, however, a different matter. Who can forget the contributions of Dr. Pratap Reddy in establishing a chain of hospitals across the country under the Apollo brand? Corporate India today has entered the money-guzzling film business. But it was the late G. Venkateshwaran a chartered accountant-cum-film producer, who floated a listed entity by the name and style of GV Films. The film funding has undergone a major metamorphosis since then. In the early 1970s, Farouk Irani founded First Leasing Company of India, the country's first leasing company. So much so, Dr. Irani has come to be known as the ‘father of the leasing industry'. It was a daring concept at that point in time.

And, Dr. Irani took the risk boldly by walking the unexplored path! R. Subramanian wasn't a well known name until Sterling Holiday Resorts that he had set up pushed the concept of time-share effectively into India. Chennai has indeed been the ground for experiment. And, the enterprising lot has never hesitated to go beyond the beaten conventional track.

The actions of the so-called conservative traditional industrial groups in Chennai post-liberalisation again debunk the long-held wrong notion about the mindset of businessmen here. Of all Indian manufacturing companies, Suresh Krishna-piloted Sundram Fasteners was the first one to set up a production base in China. Long before quality could become the watch word among the Indian enterprises, it was again a TVS Group company, Sundaram Clayton, which became the first Indian enterprise to land the Japanese Deming Award. Who could forget the dare devil hostile open offer made by Carborundum Universal, a Murugappa Group company, to acquire shares in Wendt (India) in the early 1990s. During the days of dotcom boom, city-based Sify (then known as Satyam Infoway) stunned the Indian corporate world by announcing the buy out of a little known dotcom outfit, India World Communications Private Ltd., for a staggering Rs.500 crore. In a cricket crazy country, N. Srinivasan-led India Cements surprised everybody by becoming the owner of the Chennai Super Kings, one of the teams in the largely popular IPL (Indian Premier League) circuit. With the benefit of hindsight, it could easily be argued that the decision to keep Chennai Super Kings as a division of the listed India Cements was a well-thought out exercise to give the game of cricket a corporate colour and management orientation. The ‘conservative' tag came off clearly when Mallika Srinivasan-headed TAFE of the Amalgamation Group bought the tractor business of Eicher in the middle of last decade.

Well, Chennai has always been a happening place. It sets the pace — not just of politics but also corporate India.

Anna, a symbol of hope for modern India

The Return of Gandhi in Anna
Anna Hazare is the good thing to have happened to India for a long while. Anna is able to galvanize a nation, which has always moved on reluctantly with a sense of resignation. With his Gandhian face, he is able to appeal to a cross-section of an audience. The cause he has chosen (anti-corruption) has indeed helped people to relate to this Gandhi-like person. His non-violent approach to the cause has endeared him to many. If proofs were to be needed, the post-arrest protests across the country provide them in plenty. Indeed, he has brought in a new awakening in the system. Surely, this is set to usher in a change which, I guess, will eventually do a world of good to the country as a whole.
Take a look at the protesting people. The protesting crowd cuts across age, gender, religion, and geography. This crowd of protesters is a very refreshing sight to watch! A sense of assurance and a feeling of pride creep through the mind, which has largely been held hostage by a long-entrenched cynicism. Anna transmits a ray of hope for modern India.
The rise of Anna is also a sad commentary on the eroding faith in the political class. Politicians as a whole have to be blamed for the mess they find themselves in at the moment. Is it right to blame them alone, however? ``People get the Government they deserve,'' it is said. One may be tempted to say ``people also get the politicians they deserve.'' One cannot isolate one section of the population from the rest and put the entire blame on it for all the mess. Given the general degradation in moral values, it is not incorrect to assume that the current state affair reflects the deeper malise afflicting the nation. Clensing must begin first at the level of individuals. The Anna factor, hopefully, will help everybody to look inward and erase the dirt out.
Anna has indeed woken the nation out of slumber. At the moment, he is the symbol of a new India.