To an artist with 50 years of work to speak for him, the audience at Raja Annamalai Mandram paid a spontaneous ovation.
Art director Thotta Tharani, who was among the three recipients of M.A.C. Charities awards, 2012 handed out on Friday, received the longest ovation, spurred by a short video film of his work.
The artist received the Dr. M.A. Chidambaram Chettiar award. “The struggle never ends. Every work is an experience. Every experience is beautiful. It is not easy to make a mark. There is a lot of hard work involved in doing a film. Observation is the best study for an artist. There is no substitute for hard work done with passion, dedication and sincerity,” he said.
V.C. Sasivalli, recipient of the Dr. Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiyar award, dedicated it to her grandfather V.T. Subramaniam Pillai, whose research yielded a complete collection of Thirupugazh and her father Chengalvaraya Pillai, who compiled the Thirupugazh and presented it in print. “I followed in my father’s footsteps and realised his dream,” she said.
Y.J. Shabbir, a first-generation entrepreneur who was presented the Dr. A.C. Muthiah award, began his career as a businessman in 1990, by marketing high pressure hoses. He now runs a company and has factories manufacturing high pressure hydraulic rubber hoses. Mr. Shabbir thanked his family and employees for making it possible for him to achieve the award.
Earlier, A.C. Muthiah, president of the charities, said the awards were presented to mark the birth anniversary of M.A. Chidambaram Chettiar. He outlined the organisation’s efforts to improve the lives of people in the villages it had adopted.
Producer A.V.M. Saravanan lauded the work of the organisation. He said he was in awe of the achievement of the awardees. According to him, “Thotta Tharani’s creation for the film Sivaji was astounding. I think it is next only to A.K. Sekar’s magnificent set for Chandralekha .”
