In the late 1960s, towards the end of that decade, I attended a wedding reception for a lady colleague. It was quite fashionable at the time to have a musical program during receptions, with many renowned music troupes performing at weddings and on stage. One such troupe was Kamesh-Rajamani, who were particularly popular.

At that wedding reception, I was captivated by the performance of a young boy named A.R. Ramanan. His renditions of Kishore Kumar and Jesudas songs were impressive, and Hindi film music was at its peak, making his performance even more enjoyable.

A couple of years later, I met Ramanan personally when he became a customer at a branch where I was posted. We struck up a friendship, and when it came time for my own wedding reception, both families decided to include his program. By then, he had left his original troupe, but he agreed to perform independently and suggested introducing a new lady singer. I agreed, as long as he was part of the performance.

His troupe delivered an exceptional program at the wedding, marking the beginning of his own successful troupe. Ramanan went on to score music for a movie and appeared in a couple of films. The lady singer who made her debut at my wedding reception eventually became his wife and a leading playback singer. Although I had the pleasure of seeing Ramanan perform at my sister's wedding as well, we eventually lost touch.

It’s important to remember not only the renowned music directors and singers but also the stage performers who bring such joy through their ability to group and perform popular songs. Their contributions are significant and often accelerate the popularity of songs.

There were many other troupes of that era I didn't have the chance to meet but enjoyed their performances. My heartfelt kudos go to all of them.

Continued in 139. Flights Of No Fancy - Part 1