Who
are your famous clients now?
Padma
Subrahmanyam, Chitra Visweswaran, Saraswati…..Film stars like Revathi,
Bhanupriya, Hema Malini….In fact, all Hema Malini’s students as well as
from Raja Rajeswari Bharatanatya Kalamandir from Bombay place their orders
with me. Mythili Kumar, Viji Prakash and many others from the US, some
Japanese dancers are my regular clients…Someone from Japan videotaped my
shop and work.
People
from all over the world come to you. They have to wait till the last moment
for their costumes. Have you taken on too much work?
People
give last minute orders. Moreover, if it’s a regular client, I’m unable
to refuse. I manage to do the impossible and deliver the costumes on time,
failing which, I post the order if it’s a client from out of town. Have
I taken on too many orders? (Laughs) I manage!
How
long does it take for you to stitch a costume?
A
simple design takes about half a day. Something more complicated will take
about a day for one set.
So
many you have trained have started their own tailoring units. Like Rajagopal,
Jayaraman...Your comments.
I
can’t say I trained them completely. But, yes, they did learn from me.
Given the demand for dance costumes, they made their own contacts, branched
out on their own and started their own units to earn their livelihood.
Which
creative dancers have suggested new designs, colors?
Sometimes
they make suggestions. Sometimes, I do. Nothing specific.
Do
you think today's dance costumes are simpler, hence easier to make?
I
don’t think so. The loose sari style was easier to make those days.
Nowadays it is more complicated with cut pyjamas and emphasis on fitting.
If
you think a dancer's choice of design or color is unsuitable, will you
disagree?
In
those days, dancers were more open to suggestions. The number of dancers
were also few. Nowadays, there is a proliferation of dancers who are very
firm about what they want. So, I generally stitch as per their instructions.
How
superstitious are you? We hear you once refused to cut a dancer's
wedding sari to stitch a costume.
I
don’t recall that. I’m not really superstitious.
What
are your proudest achievements?
I
can’t think of anything special.
Who
is going to inherit your business after you?
I
am yet to decide on that. As long as I’m active, the work will go on.
After
that, I do not know. |
