Painting narrative frames of carnatic melody

Lakshmi Devnath's latest work on music legends Alathur Brothers United in Music, which was released recently, presents the lives and journey of the vocalists who were referred to as the star duo of the 20th century. Lakshmi says, “I wanted to present a riveting life story of two legends, but the underlying message is about their team spirit and how they were united in music. They weren’t brothers by birth and they spoke different languages. Today, when we see competition among siblings, theirs is a lesson for humanity.” 

Talking to family members and researching extensively, Lakshmi’s latest work has attempted to capture the essence of their life and music of the duo in just 24 pages. “The book is also interspersed with pictures from concerts. The idea is to give an insight and not just attempt a biography. The Internet is replete with factual data of every legend, but here I am trying to string a narrative with interesting nuggets,” she says. Apart from Alathur Brothers, her book Purva— Magic, Miracles and the Mystical Twelve, a fantasy story on the 12 Azhvars (Vaishnavite saints) has gone into re- print. “When it was out almost nine years ago, I received feedback from unexpected quarters. I had people from places like Georgia telling me how much they liked it,” she says. Poorva in the Vedic Age will soon follow as sequel to the book. Lakshmi, however, doesn’t want her works to be pigeonholed and enjoys writing for a diverse audience. “The pictorial series has received positive feedback from all quarters. I enjoy writing for adults, young adults and children alike,” she adds. 

Coming back to Pictures of Melody series that she addresses as labour of love, she says it is both back-breaking and interesting. “It is my own investment and there is absolutely no profit. I do it for passion and fill the lacunae of material for youngsters to connect with music legends. Many publishers haven’t come forward for this project because they see no returns,” she says.