Three generations of women who are celebrities in their own right have carved out artistic niches for themselves, independent of their lineage. Art has been the common thread in the tapestry of the lives of octageneranian musician/ actor Subbalakshmi, her daughter Thara Kalyan and granddaughter Sowbhagya.While Subbalakshmi at 80 was a late bloomer as an actor, she is well known for her music kacheris, her daughter Thara is a famous dancer, stage and film actor and Thara’s daughter Sowbhagya is taking baby steps as a dancer. When the three generations join forces, they find themselves reaching new heights of success drawing inspiration and encouragement from each other. On Mother’s Day, it is apt that the three share the influence they had on each other’s lives and the life experiences handed down.
The instantly disarming toothless smile and petite frame of 80-year-old Subbalakshmi hides a mind that is agile and as hungry as a sponge to soak up new lessons. She loves shopping, has a collection of dolls and proves that age is never a barrier to follow your dreams. Blessed with an artistic bend of mind which tended to music, Subbalakshmi found it an uphill task to follow her passion in her childhood.
She says, “I had a lot of restrictions in my time — we could not sing or watch a film. Though I studied music professionally, I could take it up as career late in life. This made me take a vow that my daughters would never face any obstacles if they had an artistic inclination!” Turned out Thara did have a fascination towards dance forms.
Thara continues, “From my childhood I had been passionate about dance. I remember — When young, I was supposed to stitch a blouse for a dance performance and my mother asked me to perform the steps. I guess she liked what she saw and then got the blouse stitched. My mother struggled a lot and went through a lot of hardships financially to help me realise my dream. Life was certainly not a bed of roses and I started taking dance tuitions when I was in Class VIII for students in Class X. My mother was always an encouragement and my strong pillar of strength.”
Subbalakshmi continues, “I saw her talent and when she said that she wanted to pursue dance, I extracted a promise from Thara that she would pursue dance professionally and also made her aware about the challenges of such a decision.” Thara kept her word and that promise was a profound turning point in her life.
Call it a déja vu moment, years later Thara made her own daughter Sowbhagya promise the same thing to her. Thara and Sowbhagya seem so incredibly close — not just mother and daughter, but best friends as well.
It isn’t hard to fathom the reason as Thara’s own relationship with her mother. Sowbhagya is currently pursuing her Masters in Mohiniyattam and though her relatives wanted her to pursue a professional course, the youngster wanted to pursue dance like her mother. “I have been learning dance since age three and though my relatives were not happy with my choice, my grandmother, mother and father supported me! Whilst my granny and mother are both independent, I enjoy being a dependent daughter. My mom is my best friend and since I don’t have too many best friends, I am lucky to have her in my life. She lets me pursue whatever I want and even if I make mistakes, she stands up for me!” says the doting daughter.
Sowbhagya adds that despite her mother’s love for the capital city, she moved to Kochi so that Sowbhagya could pursue her education in dance. The daughter’s gift to her mother was to top the university exams — an honour that both mother and grandmother were proud of. Sowbhagya and her mother have danced together. Thara opines, “My daughter is teaching students dance. She is also composing for Mohiniyattam performances and all this on her own without any help from me.”
Incidentally, Sowbhagya is not interested in acting. Subbalakshmi’s advice to her daughter and granddaughter? “Being artistically talented is a gift from God and I want them to be completely dedicated to their professions which they are. Both my daughter and granddaughter have made me proud and all the hardships I faced was worth it.”
