A trip in an autorickshaw for even a short distance could be a harrowing experience in this city, what with haggling over the fare and the bumpy roads. But S. Sambasivam sweetens passengers’ rides with a pleasant surprise: his singing.
An ardent fan of actors M.G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan, the fifty-eight-year-old easily belts out songs from both their films. “The very first movie my mother took me to was ‘Parasakthi’, starring Sivaji Ganesan,” he says, breaking into ‘Oh rasikkum seemane’, a famous song from the movie.
An auto driver by profession since 1984, Mr. Sambasivam’s tryst with music started much earlier. “I started singing when I was ten,” he says. Maintaining a perfect pitch, and with flamboyant hand gestures, he sings on every ride, unless the passenger doesn’t want him to.
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“Passengers pay me more after enjoying my singing,” he says, but is quick to add, “I always ply with the meter on!”
Recently, he was the entertainer at his grandson’s first birthday party and has sung at other small parties, too. However, for this father of four grown children, plying his auto no longer holds any charm. “I want to sing fulltime and perform songs from the old days. I do not like songs from recent movies. They do not have the deep meaning these old songs hold,” Mr. Sambasivam says.
So, while looking for an auto in Anna Nagar, Kilpauk or T. Nagar, don’t be taken aback if you hear the beginning strains of ‘Nalla nalla pillagalai nambi’. Chances are, it’s Mr. Sambasivamand he probably will entertain you with more than just one song.
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