Monday, Sep 30 2002
Her Fingers, the Piano and There’s Magic in the Air
- Tarannum ManjulA Gemini true to the word, Tarannum Manjul is a 23 year old journo, who loves her profession and is passionate about issues close to women, children and the backward. An English Literature Graduate from Delhi University, she shifted to Lucknow in search of her aim in life. If there’s something to do with the above three, u will always find Tarannum closeby. A feminist of the new world, she believes in what she wants. Her only motto is live life for the moment and it will be yours.
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For this 15 year old, notes merely don't mean scribblings on sheets of paper. They are also something which make her fingers dance on the piano. Meet Rukma Jayaram, World's Number 1 pianist, as christened by the Trinity College of Music (TCM) London. In the city to meet her brother, Chennai girl Rukma shared some musical notes with HT Lucknow Live.
“Oh my God! Not another interview,” she exclaims. But once assured that this won't be too brainy, this little whiz agrees. “My felicitation came at the time of my board preparations, and the interviews were really hectic,” says Rukma, as she giggles. On first look, she can easily pass off as any other teenager who loves laughing and living. But then, she is an acclaimed pianist, no doubt.
“I never thought that I would make it really big at TCM. Maybe an All India No. 1 could be expected, but this was magnanimus,” says Rukma. Rukma has inherited the talent from her mother Preeta Jayaram and mother grandmother. “Her nani was a good pianist and it was on her piano on which she started at 3,” says her mom, whom Rukma calls her best friend and inspiration.
Incidentally, Rukma shares her birthday with another legendary pianist, Beethoven on December 17. “I was amazed when I visited Beethoven's house in Germany. He shared his birthday with Rukma. That's when I knew that my daughter was destined to be a pianist,” says Preeta.
But learning the piano was not an easy task for Rukma. She was chucked out by her teacher when she passed grade 5 of TCM. “He chucked her out for no reason. We went to another person, but he too tricked during the time of exams. So we had to manage a lot,” says Rukma. But this sagi doesn't want to take up piano as a career. “Let it remain a recreation activity for me, which I enjoy.” She wants to take up MBA and become a management whiz instead.
A big fan of Mozzart and Beethoven (her all time favourite composition is Ala Turk by Mozzart), she also admires AR Rehman's compositions and Talat Mehmood and Geeta Dutt's classic songs. Musicals are her favourite when it comes to films. “I have seen Sound of Music and My Fair Lady umpteen number of times and still can't get over,” says Rukma, whose choice in books includes Enid Blyton's and MB's too.
Although she was flooded with film offers, she doesn't give them a heed as that's not her path to salvation in music. At the end of the day, its Rudyhard Kipling's quote which keeps her going – 'Treat triumph and disaster alike. They are both imposters.'
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