‘Higginbothams’ Srinivasan, as his friends fondly called him, will be sorely missed, especially at the Arts events in the city. He passed away on Feb 4 in Chennai.
A true art connoisseur, he almost never missed a Bharatanatyam or Carnatic music peformance. A well known figure among rasikas and artists, his presence at all major concerts were appreciated. Upright and friendly, he greeted every one with a smile.
For him, every artist was a close friend. I made his acquaintance in the 1950s and later become a close friend. He used to bring his daughter Sujatha, who was a toddler at that time, for every performance at the Kalakshetra and to other auditoriums. Srinivasan’s wife and two daughters were always present at our performances, an unusual phenomenon. The effect of this exposure turned elder daughter Sujatha into a super fine Bharatanatyam dancer and the younger, Sunitha Raghavan, into a violinist.
A book lover, his job was sales promotion at the Higginbothams Bookshop, Mount Road. I always admired his sincerity to his work. Srinivasan knew every art publication and was a walking encyclopaedia on books. He would call me, whenever there were new editions on art subjects and lure me into the shop. Every time I visited Higginbothams, he made it a celebration by walking with me around the different bookshelves. For me, it was a revelation that this man knew all the subjects and authors by heart. Srinivasan’s favorite books pertained to the arts. All names/titles were on his fingertips. He had an amazing memory. Although at one stage he lost the use of his hands because of muscular dystrophy, he never forgot his companions - the books. He not only continued to work, but also attended performances without fail. A rare find, indeed!
He nurtured Higginbothams like his own enterprise and this corporate house will certainly miss him. He would edit a small monthly news bulletin on behalf of Higginbothams called ‘The Mail’, which listed concise information on all newly released books, and customers relied on his insightful comments before deciding to buy a book or not.
For those of us who knew his warm nature and wonderful qualities, Srinivasan will always remain in our hearts.
