That the author is well versed in Carnatic music is borne out by the title story as also by quite a few others in this collection. His felicity in describing the ragas and their characteristics is remarkable. So is his strikingly unpedagogic style. Naadha tarangani , which has a wafer-thin storyline, is about a flautist, Natarajan, son of a Nadaswara vidwan, marrying Angelina, a student of Bharatanatyam.
In the meanwhile, Naganatha Sarma, the Nadaswara vidwan's bosom friend, breaks the news of the Vidwan being awarded the prestigious title Sangitha Samrat and launches into a big speech. But the line taken by the author, as could be gleaned from the protagonist's preachy statement — that just as “the caste has no role to play in the development of society, development of music also should not hinge upon a particular caste or community” — lacks contextual support.
Sankalpam is the story of the daughter of a musician, Mahalinga Iyer eloping with a young Nadaswaram artiste. Srutibedam is about how an up-and-coming musician Sriranjani decides to marry Venu, a music-loving auditor-cum-critic. Apsara , Arasiyal Thee , and KA.03.MG 1948 have not appeared in print earlier.
According to the author, Kumarikanni , Thunai and Cinema , written by him in the early 1950s, paved the way for his shaping up as a writer.
