NEW FRIENDS (+) - OLD FRIEND (-) ....... !!!

 

ABOUT AN “OLD” AND CLOSE FRIEND – on this “NATIONAL NEW FRIENDS DAY”

 

His name is KURIEN VARKEY, and he was one year senior to me at REC, CALICUT (What is now NIT, KOZHIKODE)

While making new friends is is exciting, losing a close old friend is very, very painful. Therefore, I was very upset this morning, when I got a message saying, my one time close chum and part of our College Orchestra, Kurien Varkey passed away the previous evening due to heart attack. Talking about Kurien Varkey, I vividly remember one incident during our Orchestra Practice sessions in 1968. I was Fine Arts Secretary and harmonist in the College Orchestra then. Usually, we sit together and after some exhaustive brainstorming, zero in on the songs to be presented (at the College Association Inauguration, Hostel Day, College Day etc.) The list would consist of 4 or 5 latest / popular Malayalam numbers, one or two Tamil, one Kannada, 2 or three Hindi, and at least one western. And of course, one or two instrument numbers

 

We were practicing for one such musical evening. The song was an instrumental number, “Thedinen Vanthathu” from the 1967 Shivaji K R Vijaya Tamil Block Buster, “Ootty Varai Uravu”. I was to play the song on Harmonium, after I just took over from George (1967), with Satish Babu on Bul bul,  (1968 - now active in Cochin Chapter), Dennis (1968) on lead Guitar, Kurien Varkey, and C V Venugopal (both 1969) on second Guitar, K P Alexander on Violin, (such a talented player on almost all instruments like Harmonium, Mouth Organ, etc., etc. But violin was his forte & most favorite instrument), D’Silva (1969) on the second violin, Venkatesh on the flute, Narayanaswamy, fondly called Tabala Saami, (1967) on Tabala, (Retd, Lt. Col.) M C Narayanan on Bongos, and a few "Temporary hands” on Congos, Maracos, Cimbal etc. And, by then the so-called “Iditar” designed by Kurien to include me in the orchestra, had disappeared from the scene (I mean, ‘stage’)

To cut a long story short, there was a small problem. Usually, I would teach the starting music, AND interludes between Pallavi, Anu Pallavi and Charanam/s to all string instrumentalists. Now, some of them, especially Kurien Varkey had a  problem in strumming. He was not able to strum till the exact moment after “Thedinen Vanthathu”, “Naadinen Thanthathu”, “Vaashalil Vanthathu”. I suggested that he count three times, the beat (i.e. “ta tta ttaa, ta tta ttaa, ta tta ttaa) and just leave at it … ! He tried and was simply aghast, and hugged me. He was maha thrilled.

For the benefit of those, who may not have heard this popular number, I am giving below the you tube link for the song….. You will understand better after watching the song.. 🙂🙂🙂

https://youtu.be/yOOQYa48cFU?si=HduFqKAixK8YidAv

Incidentally, Kurian Varkey had stayed with me at Calcutta when he came to meet one of the suppliers for MEI (Mysore Electrical Industries) to sort out some quality issues. (He was working with them then). He stayed with me for two three days (in 1971). I had even taken him to the uncle (one Mr. John or so) of his 'would be', at Park Circus, whom I knew, and would join the family during weekends for a drink or two, and dinner thereafter..... 😉

(Kochu kochu santhoshangal for a bachelor without a job)

And, it was a sheer coincidence that I landed up in my first job as "Sales Engineer" with one IMW, ('Industrial Metal Works', Calcutta) when the CEO of the company had also come to Dum Dum to see him off. He was the supplier, a Marwari who not only offered me a lift back to the city, but also a job (vowwwwww) in their factory, when I told him I was a brilliant (?) mechanical engineer from a reputed college, looking out for an opening .... 😉🤥😉🤥

Also, I would stay with Kurien at one of the Bachelors' Paradise on Infantry Road where he was sharing a room with two of his 'friends' working in ITI and BEML then,  whenever I would come to attend interviews at Bangalore, before going to Calcutta.

For any fresh graduate of that time, Bangalore was the ultimate/dream job destination. And, I was no exception either....However, that dream remained a dream till the end... 😋😉🫢🤭