Akshay Anantapadmanabhan and Sudharma Vaithiyanathan
Mridangist and Bharatanatyam dancer
Status: Engaged and enchanted
Tell us how you met.
A: We met on August 15, 2015, at a friend’s sangeet, very appropriately.
How much of your artiste identity played a role in the early days of your relationship?
S: We’ve generally spoken about our roles as artistes, but it didn’t influence our decision to get engaged.
A: I second that. It didn’t play a major role, but I feel that the commonality in profession added to our relationship in terms of understanding each other’s lives.
Favourite performances of each other so far?
S: I think Akshay plays the best for Vignesh Ishwar — I heard him first playing for Vignesh at The Music Academy.
A: For Sudharma, I think…
S: Everything is the best, of course. (laughs)
A: Ha ha, of course, but I think the HCL performance and her Krishna Gana Sabha performance have been amazing.
Best quality about each other?
S: He’s very professional and he works really hard, even if he’s not performing immediately. He works so hard, it motivates me.
A: That’s funny because I feel the same way about her — her practice routine and her dedication to her art inspire me.
Any plans to collaborate?
A: Definitely! We already exchange ideas: I have given her jathi ideas and she also has a lot of input on the content I put out.
We may not have performed together yet, but we have already started collaborating! Sudharma?
S: For sure! I’m really looking forward to the new ideas we’ll come up with.
* * *
Rithvik Raja and
Shweta Prachande
Carnatic vocalist and Bharatanatyam dancer
Status: One year and counting...
How did your story start?
R: Though we met briefly in 2009 in Delhi during our gurus’ collaborative performance, we really started talking and got to know each other in 2013, when we chanced upon each other at the gym.
S: I’m from Pune and didn’t know that many people here, so getting to know him went hand-in-hand with building a social circle.
How have your respective arts played into your relationship?
S: My knowledge of music was limited to my art form, to be honest. Rithvik introduced me to many new artistes and I now have a wider exposure and understanding of music.
It has been an artistically enriching experience.
R: My interaction with dance as an art form was extremely minimal until I met Shweta.
Now, I’m able to appreciate the finer aspects and be more sensitive to its nuances. Naturally, our lifestyles complement each other, so we adjust to one another happily.
Favourite performances of each other so far?
S: One of the first times I heard him; he performed with R.K. Shriramkumar and K. Arun Prakash together at Sastri Hall in 2013.
R: Definitely her Music Academy performance in 2016 — she danced to ‘Suma Saayaka’.
Best quality about each other?
R: She’s dedicated and extremely hard-working in so many ways. She works hard to maintain her skill, her physical stamina, and manage it all time-wise.
S: His confidence. I’m someone who gets nervous easily, but he’s always there to talk me out of it. It’s a great comfort to have that.
* * *
Charumathi Raghuraman and Anantha R. Krishnan
Carnatic violinist and mridangist
Status: Five years and fabulous
How and when did you meet?
C: It was 2005. I met him at a concert I had organised when he was visiting from the U.S.
What role has music played in your romance?
C: We came together because of music, to be honest.
Anantha, living in the U.S., your relationship existed in a time when long-distance was not as easy as it is now. How did you make it work?
A: We owe it all to MSN messenger. (laughs)
A: We would talk for hours on chat, and eventually, music and our life came together in Chennai.
Favourite performances of each other?
C: We really support each other’s music, regardless of who the collaboration is with on stage.
That being said, I think our best music comes out in our practice room at home.
A: True. We get to listen to each other’s best here.
You also play together frequently. What’s that like? Any standout performances?
C: It’s fantastic. We first played together in Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and it was lovely.
A: We take more chances because we trust the other person more. In terms of whom do we sound best with? I would say each other.
