My first proper meeting with Mr Muthiah (Chief to us at Madras Musings, in the words of MMM) was sometime in early 2009. Though I had met him briefly in Jan 2008 at a seminar organised by Chennai Heritage and had gone on to write 3-4 pieces for Musings that year, my correspondence with him had been chiefly over email till then. I was therefore surprised when I got an email requesting me to meet him regarding an article I had written for favour of publication.
I went to his residence where I was greeted with a sight of him seated at his huge table whose top could barely be seen thanks to the books, files and other papers that lay all over. Having warmly welcomed me, he proceeded to critically discuss the piece I had sent, giving me sound advice on how NOT to write articles for Madras Musings! It was indeed a chastening experience, one that promptly dispelled any notions that I had had of being a columnist. To my dispirited self however, there was a major takeaway from the conversation viz., never to make a profile of a person sound like a CV.
As my professional and theatre commitments grew, I started writing more sporadically and by 2013 or 2014, had completely stopped writing for Musings. Every time I met him at some event or the other, his first question would be to enquire as to why I was not writing any more. My reasons for the same would be met with a small grunt of disapproval followed by a comment that one should never find excuses to not write and urging me never to give up research and work on new ideas. It was however not until 2017 that I finally started to write regularly for Musings, though I must say it was my great fortune that I had the opportunity to write the introductory piece to the Arts section in the Madras Musings Silver Jubilee Commemorative Volume in 2016.
Even during the period when I wasn't writing for Musings, he would unfailingly send out a personalised mail every December wishing a Happy New Year. The short and simple message always exuded genuine warmth.
My favorite memory of Mr Muthiah is from my wedding reception. An aunt of mine saw him sitting all by himself at the back of the hall apparently waiting for the line to greet us thin down and brought him straight to the dais. He presented us with a copy of his book Queen of the Coromandel, signed in his usual style. Couple of days later, I got an email from him asking me to thank my aunt on his behalf for helping him out that evening!
Chief, you shall forever be spoken about in the same breath as Henry Davison Love, James Talboys Wheeler and Somerset Playne in the list of legendary chroniclers who have given us all that we know of our beloved Madras. You and your work shall live on through every person taking interest in the glorious heritage of our city.
R.I.P Chief.
I went to his residence where I was greeted with a sight of him seated at his huge table whose top could barely be seen thanks to the books, files and other papers that lay all over. Having warmly welcomed me, he proceeded to critically discuss the piece I had sent, giving me sound advice on how NOT to write articles for Madras Musings! It was indeed a chastening experience, one that promptly dispelled any notions that I had had of being a columnist. To my dispirited self however, there was a major takeaway from the conversation viz., never to make a profile of a person sound like a CV.
As my professional and theatre commitments grew, I started writing more sporadically and by 2013 or 2014, had completely stopped writing for Musings. Every time I met him at some event or the other, his first question would be to enquire as to why I was not writing any more. My reasons for the same would be met with a small grunt of disapproval followed by a comment that one should never find excuses to not write and urging me never to give up research and work on new ideas. It was however not until 2017 that I finally started to write regularly for Musings, though I must say it was my great fortune that I had the opportunity to write the introductory piece to the Arts section in the Madras Musings Silver Jubilee Commemorative Volume in 2016.
Even during the period when I wasn't writing for Musings, he would unfailingly send out a personalised mail every December wishing a Happy New Year. The short and simple message always exuded genuine warmth.
My favorite memory of Mr Muthiah is from my wedding reception. An aunt of mine saw him sitting all by himself at the back of the hall apparently waiting for the line to greet us thin down and brought him straight to the dais. He presented us with a copy of his book Queen of the Coromandel, signed in his usual style. Couple of days later, I got an email from him asking me to thank my aunt on his behalf for helping him out that evening!
Chief, you shall forever be spoken about in the same breath as Henry Davison Love, James Talboys Wheeler and Somerset Playne in the list of legendary chroniclers who have given us all that we know of our beloved Madras. You and your work shall live on through every person taking interest in the glorious heritage of our city.
R.I.P Chief.
