What I Missed While Walking Past the Kanchi Mutt

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A place I passed every day without really understanding it. As a kid growing up in Malleswaram, devotion wasn’t something we discussed — it was just in the air. The smell of agarbathi in the evenings. The noise of vendors lining up on 8th cross before a festival. The quiet expectation that you showed up, bowed your head, and moved on. Ganesh Chaturthi. Varalakshmi Vratam. Deepavali. Janmashtami. Ugadi. The calendar moved, but the pattern stayed. The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Malleswaram was part of my daily route to school. Not something I questioned. Not something I deeply understood. Just… there. Every morning, on my way to school, I would slow down for a second in front of the Mutt. Just enough to bow my head toward Kanchi Kamakshi from outside the gate — and then hurry along before the school bell. It was a ritual for as long as I can remember. I don’t know if it came from devotion. I did it because my parents did it. The street...
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Natiya Peroli Padmini

One of the greatest artists of the seventies, Natiya Peroli Padmini was in an altogether different league by herself as far as her dancing skills were concerned. She was undoubtedly one of the best in her era or maybe one of the best ever. Dance is a vital component of mainstream cinema, and Padmini, in the yesteryears, played a decisive part in popularising the art, thanks to her inimitable style. The flair and grace associated with her dance found her many fans amidst a lot of movie goers.

Tamil industry will never be the same again without this talented actress. Those were the times - Savitri, Vyjayanthi Mala, Padmini, Devika, Saroja Devi and KR Vijaya had created a niche in Tamil cinema, playing the leading ladies to two of the most popular actors - the late MGR and the late Sivaji Ganesan. Padmini had a lot of films to her credit, and some of them were phenomenal and treasured in the history of Tamil cinema. Chiththi had Padmini playing second wife to M.R. Radha (another versatile actor of Tamil cinema). The poise and composure she displays in the movie can move anybody to tears in this wonderfully crafted drama. Vanjikottai Vaaliban had two of the tamil beauties - Vyjayanthi Mala (one of my all time favourites) and Padmini featuring in a mind-blowing dance. This dance will definitely be embedded in the minds of her fans, as it featured terrific movements from both the danseurs in a glittering performance. Who can forget Vietnam Veedu? If you notice the title, it is strange for a Tamil movie to have a Vietnam in it, but then once you see the movie, you realise why it is kept that way. This had Sivaji at his best in a tear jerking drama ably supported by Padmini. She also featured in a good number of Hindi movies with Raj Kapoor.

Padmini's sad demise is a loss of a great artist and one whose void is truly irreplacable. The Thillana Mohanambal, has captured many a hearts on the way and she will definitely linger in the hearts and minds of her fans for a long long time. There can be none who will be more enthusiastic about dance as this veteran. She lived and breathed dance all the way through her life. Though Padmini has found her way to the heavenly abode, the great timeline of movies left by her will all along remain unforgettable for ages to come.

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